Thinking about Ancillary Characters

In my current WIP (Fired Up and Feisty), suspicion swirls around a group of seniors in town for the annual alumni weekend at Ocean Alley High School. My mystery series books always introduce new characters or "pull to the forefront" people who were incidental in prior books. But they don't usually have a group of outsiders coming into town.

I'm thinking through what to reveal about each of them -- appearance, high school experience (good or bad?), attitude (snooty or friendly?), type of humor (endless possibilities there), and more. If I spend more time on one character than others, readers may think I'm establishing that person as the villain or future victim. If I say an even amount of fairly little about each person, they'll all be flat.

I decided to say or show one distinctive thing about each one the first time they appear. Sometimes it takes few words, sometimes more. For example:

Madge walked toward them. “Did anyone see Catherine? And what about Sandy Cotton? They were both on the third floor.”

The woman with red curls said, “Someone in an SUV came to get them. Sandy told a policeman where they were going.”

“Ah. Good,” Madge said.

“Too good to stay with us?” a man asked.

Two or three people said, “Shut up, Harvey.”

That tells you Harvey is a smart-aleck and others don't hesitate to let him know that.

As guests who had to leave the hotel because of a fire sit in city hall, they show their impatience. Who wouldn't?

The woman with iron-gray hair asked, “Can we get this show on the road?”

A grumpy looking man asked, “You wanna drive the bus?”

“I could do it better…”

“Hey, folks.” The man had an air of authority about him. “Doesn’t help to grouse.”

Madge remembered him as the man dressed as a college professor at last night’s diner gathering. She didn’t recall that he’d introduced himself. He had at least managed to wear shoes, slacks, and a collared shirt, albeit wrinkled.

The grumpy man said, “Put a cork in it, Redford.”

What you most learn from this brief banter is that Redford is not popular. And is perhaps precise.

I've slowed down a bit to develop better back stories for the B&B guests, all of whom are new to the series. I don't think I want the level of detail as for continuing characters, but I may surprise myself.

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From Bird to Butterfly: Transition to Blue Sky

By Elaine L. Orr

I feel as if I should hold a funeral for my Twitter (X) presence. Twelve years and more than 11,000 followers! I'd been contemplating this switch because of the growth in negative postings. Until recently, I'd held out hope that Elon Musk would get bored with losing money on the platform and sell it. No such luck.

The final straw came with last Friday's change in Twitter's Terms of Service, specifically, "Twitter's new terms of service allow the company to use users' content to train AI, even if the user opts out." I don't think so.

So, as of yesterday, I've switched to Blue Sky, a similar (but very positive) social network that functions in a similar manner. My profile is https://bsky.app/profile/elaineorr55.bsky.social. 

As with the old Twitter, I'm following people with similar interests to encourage them to follow me back. I may never get to 11,000 followers, but I think it will be easier to interact with other authors and readers. I also found a pretty butterfly-with-blue-sky graphic. 

I read years ago that severely ill children draw butterflies because they can go anywhere unencumbered. I like that idea. That's a concept that can work for anyone who feels stifled.

If you want to learn how to use Blue Sky, which is truly a friendly place, I have one suggestion. When you sign up, you can choose subjects you are interested in. Posts related to those topics will appear in your feed. To keep your sanity, don't pick politics right now. You can see all those posts by putting a subject or name in the search bar, but  you won't be met with an onslaught of opinions when you open the site.

Finally, as I have no expert qualifications, you'll want to learn how to get started from someone else. They have help info on Blue Sky, but I also found another easy-to-understand resource:

 https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/why-bluesky

To constructive commentary.

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Making Your Fiction Matter

 By Elaine L. Orr

Mysteries that draw in readers do so not because the crime is intriguing and the sleuth skillful. They grab attention because what happens matters. 

In You Can Write a Mystery, Gillian Roberts presents the dictum that the fundamental element of drama is conflict. Mysteries embody a crime that means, "Live vs. death, law vs. order are now in conflict with the another, and the magnitude of of the offense forces action, either in the pursuit of justice for deeds already done or the pursuit of evildoers because of deeds they intend to do." The detective (amateur or professional) has to be passionately involved in the case.

As I continued to work on the first Senior Shenanigans novel (Fired Up and Feisty), I realized that while I loved the series concept and enjoyed the characters arising from it, I couldn't care enough about figuring out how someone died in the hotel fire in the opening segment. If I couldn't, why would anyone else? (See my October 31st post for portions of the early scenes.)

I realized I started the book in the wrong place. I mean, really the wrong place. I hadn't shown enough about the characters before the fire. What could pull on heartstrings? Where were the old grudges? 

Because Madge is the primary sleuth, the murder (or at least its resolution) had to matter most to her. I remembered (in Book 10 of the Jolie series, The Unexpected Resolution) reference to a friend of Aunt Madge's, whose scrapbooks from years teaching 2nd grade had a photo of Scoobie as a young child. That teacher (named as Mrs. Anderson) could not appear in the current book, because she had donated the scrapbooks to the library after she died. 

But what if she had a sister who was coming to the high school reunion fort he first time since Mrs. Anderson died? Helping her would give Madge a better stake in the story. And was Mrs. Anderson's death a purely accidental car crash? If not, who had something to hide?

Now I have the story that can leap forward. With that in mind, here are the first few paragraphs of Fired Up and Feisty.  

New Opening for Fired Up and Feisty

MADGE RICHARDS AND HARRY STEELE made their way through Arnie Newhart’s Diner toward the woman who sat alone at a booth in the back. The raucous atmosphere would befit Halloween or spring break at the Shore, but patrons were all senior citizens or, as their nephew Scoobie would say, Super Seniors. The annual Ocean Alley High School Reunion Weekend had begun.

Arnie stood behind the counter and raised his arms at them. “Mayor Madge, you never come to this bash, what’s up?”

Madge nodded toward the back of the diner. “We’re keeping Catherine Anderson company.”

Arnie’s nod was a knowing one. Catherine and her sister had been regulars at reunion events since graduation decades ago, but after Lenna’s death in a bad car accident during reunion weekend a few years ago, Catharine had stopped coming.

Madge often though of Lenna, a retired second-grade teacher who had been a close friend. When Catherine asked Madge and Harry to keep her company when she came to her first event without her older sister, they couldn’t say no, even though they usually avoided the so-called Golden Grad reunion events. Madge wasn’t one for partying in the past.

*     *     *     *

I think the new scenes will draw people in better than roaring firetrucks, and the diner scene can show key players through their actions and comments better than simple introductions later, at the B&B.

I'm on a roll.

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Aunt Madge and the Civil Election Wishes You a Good Day

By Elaine L. Orr

In 2020, I wrote a 17,000 word story about elections in the fictional Ocean Alley, New Jersey. As you can tell from the title, it was a friendly election and a good example of how to talk about issues. Plus, I had a fun time writing it. 

In honor of the 2024 election in the United States, I'm offering the book free for a couple of weeks. 

Keep calm and carry on.

Google https://bit.ly/3UoZJJ7

Amazon https://bit.ly/4fhVqan

ibooks https://bit.ly/3YnrKSe

BN https://bit.ly/3YcEPOc

Google https://bit.ly/3UoZJJ7

Enjoy!

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Senior Shenanigans Coming Up

By Elaine L. Orr

 In July, I asked readers if they would read a book with a senior sleuth. The blog post on the topic didn't engender much conversation, but a request to my mailing list drew some interest. The response was the universal one -- if it's a good story, we'll read it.

So, I kept writing. The co-protagonists (if that's a word) are Mayor Madge and George of the Jolie Gentil series. The premise is that the Aunt Madge and Harry's Cozy Corner B&B could host small tour groups of seniors who get into...interesting predicaments.

The books will likely be closer to novella length, though I've long since learned that stories go where they will. The first book is "Fired Up and Feisty." Ocean Alley High School's annual reunion weekend celebrates classes with five-year anniversaries, and always has a group of 'Golden Grads,' individuals who graduated more than forty years ago.

A fire at the Beachcomber's Alley Hotel puts its guests on the street, and local police ask Madge and Harry to bring the most senior members ti the the B&B. Problem is, one of them can't be found. 

Here are the opening paragraphs, in Madge and Harry's bedroom.

WHEN THE FIRE TRUCKS raced by the Cozy Corner Bed and Breakfast, Madge Richards had just shut her book and turned off the lamp by her side of the bed. Usually, she would drown out sounds by turning up the volume on her white noise machine, but she couldn’t ignore four or five trucks roaring by.

She nudged Harry’s shoulder. “Hey husband. Do you hear those sirens?”

He grunted. “I do now.”

They each raised on an elbow. “Can’t be good,” she said.

Harry put his head back on his pillow. “Sounds like something Mayor Madge should investigate.”

“Maybe her husband could drive her to the fire, in case there’s no place to park. You don’t have to stay.”

He sat up. “How many times have I heard that line when we head out to a parade or barbecue?”

She swung her feet to the cold floor and found her slippers. “You like the barbeques.”

And the morning after the Golden Grads arrive at the B&B:

MADGE AWOKE TO a rhythmic rumble under the bed and clicking dog collars as Mister Rogers and Miss Piggy turned in rapid circles. She opened her eyes more widely. “Is that an earthquake?:

They sat up and Harry swung his feet over his side of the bed. “Could be. We should…”

A loud voice said, “You have to stomp in rhythm!”

Madge threw back the quilt. “Good God. It’s five-forty-five. People are sleeping.”

Harry thrust his feet into slippers. “You have got to be kidding me!”

The same man’s voice called, “Five, six, seven eight. Shake your touche to find a mate.”

A woman yelled, “Cut it out, Harvey.”

As Madge and Harry lunged toward the bedroom door to get to the kitchen, footsteps thundered down the main staircase and a man, maybe Grayson Redford, shouted, “Don’t you idiots know what time it is?”

Where to Go from Here?

I've written 10,000 words. While I'm not struggling, I keep thinking I need to make everything funny. I have a quick wit for situational humor, but I need to stop worrying about the humor and tell the tale. Some humor will flow naturally, other comedic situations will grow with the story.

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The Value of "Getting Out There"

By Elaine L. Orr

Because of the pandemic and a couple of health "issues," I haven't been with readers as much as in the past. I've gotten a real charge out of two events in the last couple of weeks, with more on the horizon.

The first was a flea market for crafters and antique and collectible sellers at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. They said crafters, so I pitched books, and they said I could participate. I mostly wanted to meet a cross-section of folks beyond those who go to libraries and bookstores. I had a blast, and actually sold some books. 

Browsers included lots of children, which always makes me wish I would work harder on a couple of books for middle school kids. And not simply because everyone stops to talk to the children's book authors. 

This past weekend (October 26th) was the first author festival at the Springfield Barnes and Noble in several years. Sixteen authors sat in a U-shaped format, which made for a lot of interaction among authors and browsers.

I sat between a man whose fiction is based in part on his Vietnam era service and a group of poets. The best part of bookstore signings is the diversity. Second only to the fun.

As I looked for the photo at left, it reminded me of other Barnes and Noble events in Iowa and Indiana. 

In 2006, the Barnes and Noble in the Iowa City and Coralville area let me do a sole signing for one of my earliest books. My friend, the oft-published Leigh Michaels, and I sat together for a few hours and spoke to a number of people. I don't think I broke their sales records for the day, but it was a great experience. I look about twenty-five in the photo! Good camera angle.

When I lived in Indiana, the Barnes and Noble store in the Keystone Mall (near Indianapolis) was fantastic about working with authors. My Sisters in Crime Chapter often met there, and they regularly did signings in which a bunch of us would participate. 

It's a reminder of how much difference bookstores make in helping writers meet readers -- and advance their careers. Plus, we had a lot of fun, as you can see in the photo with another Indiana author, below. This would have been about 2011 or 2012, I think.

In a few weeks I'll do the annual ALUUC holiday arts and craft sale in Springfield, Illinois. It's so much more than that -- musicians, good food, and good company. I'll likely be the only bookseller again, and people tend to stop to talk for a few minutes. Mostly they ask where I get ideas, and I confess to having a mind that is part warped and  part hyperactive. 

I love independent bookstores, but for the first time in my life I don't live in a town that has one. I miss the sense of close-knit community that these smaller stores engender. Whether it's a large or small store, authors and readers make connections over books.

As holidays seasons grow closer, don't forget to give books to people in your life. I like to give books that have as the setting or context something the receiver is interested in, be it a hobby, vacation spot, or career interest. You can't go wrong with books.

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Meeting People Where They Are

 By Elaine L. Orr

In a discussion about books, libraries, and reading the other day, a small group discussed what they would most like to see libraries do. A dedicated reader said she wished libraries had space for small groups of people (such as family members) to use for quiet time reading together or reading aloud. I don't disagree, but I wished for a way to pull teens into the world of digital reading.

Why digital rather than "actual" books? Experience as a middle school sub lets me see the passion young people have toward all forms of digital access. Yes, games are popular, and social media is the king (or queen) of life for many. I don't see that changing.

Some kids like to read. In a class of 25 there could be three or four who pull out a book when they are done with a test or are in study hall. Some students will also say, "I don't read," if you suggest they pass time with a book.

When I monitored a study hall last week I did something I've never done. I put an earbud in one ear and listened to an Agatha Christie audiobook on my phone. I explained I'd done so because I usually have a book for down times, and had left it in my car. Several students asked how that worked and we talked about it for a minute. 

Though they can't have phones in class in middle school, they all own them. They can get fee audiobooks from the local library. I mostly use Chirp, because I can keep the books. Why couldn't the students use either of those?

I've decided to meet the students where they are, which is using their digital devices. I need to do some research -- for example, could they order digital audiobooks through the school library or does it have to be the public library? There's no point suggesting they do something if I can't answer the ensuing ten questions.

Then, what's the best book to recommend? Could I get a few kids to read the same one and talk about it? I'm going to talk to a few other authors and parents. Book suggestions are welcome.

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I Must Be Falling for Fall

By Elaine L. Orr

I’ve set a few books in summer and winter, but my season of choice is fall. It may have to do with the beautiful colors, but the temperatures are also pleasant after 90-plus degree weather. 

I'm not sure it's a good thing that I only recently realized that books three, nine and ten aren't set in the fall. Books nine and ten are in winter (because I wanted a certain wedding to take place New Year's Eve), and book three is in spring and summer because I wanted a Fourth of July event.

Here are my fall Jolie Gentil books (with Amazon links).

The prequel – Jolie and Scoobie’s High School Misadventures starts with Jolie's junior year, her only school year in Ocean Alley. It does span the year.

Appraisal for Murder – Jolie passes out Halloween candy as she solves a murder

Rekindling Motives – trouble starts at Jolie and Scoobie’s 10th high school reunion on a Thanksgiving weekend

Any Port in a Storm – think Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19^th) and hurricane remnants

Trouble on the Doorstep – starts with Super Storm Sandy, the late October storm that wasn’t officially a hurricane

Vague Images – Jolie manages to hit a deer during fall mating season

Ground to a Halt – kidnapping at a Halloween party!

Underground in Ocean Alley -- a nurse is murdered and Aunt Madge runs for mayor

Sticky Fingered Books – October is a time for murder in the daycare center

New Lease on Death – early October blends pumpkin spice coffee with murder

Phoning in a Murder – football season at the high school is not good for the marching band leader

I'm going to have to do some serious planning about books 15 and forward. Future books will occur as Jolie and Scoobie stay in their mid-thirties. Among the reasons is because Aunt Madge couldn't run a B&B into her mid-nineties! Or perhaps she could, but there are steps...

It's now fall in Illinois, where I live. Time to enjoy the mums and plan a new book.

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Never Forget

By Elaine L. Orr

On September 11th each year, the words "never forget" appear in thousands of articles and cross many more thousands of lips. September 11, 2001 seems like an impossibly long time ago and as if it all happened yesterday. 

I was in Washington, DC, in a building a few blocks from the White House to the West and U.S. Capitol to the East. Our fear of "what's next" was nothing compared to the fear of those stuck in the Twin Towers above the floors where the planes struck. Still, I wouldn't go on the subway, and was prepared to walk to Kensington until a colleague offered a ride.

The photo at left is a thank-you note to police, firefighters, and the Red Cross from a 2nd grade class in Arlington, Virginia. It hung on a fence surrounding Arlington National Cemetery (where my parents now are), across from the damaged portion of the Pentagon. I visited there soon after.

The message is, "Thank you for helping the people at the Pentagon. You are great people for saving others. We know that your job is hard and dangerous. Thank you for protecting us." You can see the other flowers, and there were more spread on the ground. 

Thousands volunteered to give blood most of which, sadly, was not needed. For a brief time we came together as a nation. People were polite while boarding airplanes, we nodded or smiled at strangers.

I hope we never have such an event in our country again, but I wish there could be a way to create the spirit of generosity that followed that terrible day.

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Questions for an Interview

By Elaine L. Orr

I recently jotted some notes for an interview about my writing and writing practices, and they reminded me why I do what I do.

How long have you been writing?

For probably twenty-five years, I jotted notes and wrote short things and a few plays. Then I decided that writing books was more my style and started doing it seriously in about 2005. The first ones were published at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011. I don't intend to stop.

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?

I wouldn't say always, or I suppose I would have gone into academic writing programs instead of political science. I did take a journalism course right after college and wrote a lot of very boring reports. 

When it comes to fiction though, cozy mysteries were a natural for me. I had always enjoyed traditional mysteries like Agatha Christies or M.C. Beaton's work. I also decided that while some people might not read cozies, they could be read by everyone from high school up. If you write something that has a lot of violence or sex, there are distinct audiences for those, but not everyone wants to read them. Not that everyone wants to read cozies. I occasionally hear someone who has never read one refer to them as too simple. I dare them to write a good one.

Do you have a favorite place to write? 

I write in places with some activity, but not something I’m involved in. That way I feel like I'm with people but I don't have to talk much. Libraries are good and when I first moved to Illinois I spent a lot of time in Starbucks. I can also write at home. It may sound trite, but the hardest thing about that is keeping the cat away from me. I really like her, but she wants to sit on the keyboard or my lap.

Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?

I read a little bit of everything. I like Anne Tyler, who writes literary fiction. There are still Agatha Christie books I haven't read. I do read some thrillers, from authors such as John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers series or almost anything by Daniel Silva. 

I like books where the characters are compelling. One of my favorite books is Pompeii by Robert Harris. Of course, you know how it's going to end, but the characters he created and the situations he describes are fascinating. 

I'm in a "women of mystery book club" (WOMB). We just finished Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Satanto. What's that saying? So many books, so little time.

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An Interview with Jazz -- Long Serving Cat

By Elaine L. Orr (with permission of Jazz)

There is one character in every Jolie Gentil mystery, sometimes with a bigger role than others. No, not Scoobie or Aunt Madge -- though they also appear. It's Jazz, Jolie's small black cat. She moved to Ocean Alley with Jolie, so she's been around longer than Scoobie. Jazz does not have a speaking role, but she can answer an interviewer's questions.

 1.    What is your name and your author's name?

My name is Jazz and I've been with my owner, Jolie, for 10 years. My author’s name is Elaine L Orr. She didn't used to include her middle initial, but the same year she started publishing in earnest, someone by the same name also did. What are the odds of that?

 2. What book(s) have you appeared in?  

I appear in the Gentil cozy mystery series, set at the Jersey Shore. There are 14 books in the series, and I also appear and a couple of other pieces. People just can't get enough of me. 

 3.  Please give information about the series.

 As a real estate appraiser in her Jersey Shore town, Jolie’s flexible schedule allows time for trouble. With a name that translates to “pretty nice,” she’s used to teasing, and her embezzler ex-husband taught her a lot about unscrupulous behavior. But stumbling across dead bodies in the middle of the work day? That was a new one. Fortunately, when she and I moved to her great aunt’s B&B at the Shore, she hooked up with old friends and made new ones. Some of them can be helpful in solving mysteries, some not so much. 

I, however, am in every book and I'm always helpful. That's why they put me on the cover.

The most recent book is Phoning in a Murder, which – in addition to a murder – touches on the issue of cell phones in schools.

4. Are you based on a real cat, such as your author's?

 I am a black cat, and proud of my somewhat haughty nature. My author has had two black cats, which were very independent and smart. While she has drawn some of my characteristics from them, I am my own Feline. Her cat, Stella, is shown in the photo. I can climb trees better.

 5. Can you share an excerpt from one of your books that features you in an important scene? If so, please include it.

 In Behind the Walls, I helped keep my owner from pushing up daises. Pebbles, a skunk without scent that had wandered into the house, was of some assistance. My author said to tell you she has put this scene in my point of view, so you get a better idea of my talents.

 Jolie crawled out of the closet and half-crouched. The intruder was still holding the gun. Plus, the intruder’s knee was a very hard place to head butt, and Jolie was dizzy.

“Bitch!” the intruder yelled, and rose awkwardly to her feet.

Apparently, Pebbles likes gunshots even less than strange people, and she darted out from under the bed almost at the intruder’s feet. The woman shrieked and raised a foot to kick her. Faster than Jolie could keep track of me, I launched myself at the robber’s ankle. Pebbles swung around and raised her tail at the woman.

“Get away! Get away!” she screamed.

She raised the gun, but she was really off balance, trying to shake me off her foot. I sank my claws into skin and began to climb.

 A short time later….

 George had hit the intruder and now had the gun. He held it at his side and said, “Stay down there, do not move!”

Jolie looked to her left and saw a white-faced Scoobie.

He then looked toward the floor. “Damn. That is one pissed off cat.”

Only then did I let go of my prey. I had made it up to the woman’s knee.

 6.  What do you like most about your role in your authors' books?

 First, my position is an important one, which is why I am on the cover of all of the books. Second, my owners are trainable. For example, they have finally learned that I am allowed to sit on the small table at the front window. Finally, while I have a role of sorts in every book, it is never an exhausting one. This gives me a time to nap and hide from the toddler twins who now live in my house.

7. Are you a talking cat in your books or a silent one who just meows occasionally?

 I don't speak in the books. My author has wanted to give me a speaking role, but I let her know that I had no intention of interacting with humans besides her any more than I had to.

 8. What advice would you give other cat characters?

 I think it is important to train your owners to provide what you need. I don't believe in this nonsense of being seen and not heard. Meow as much as you like.

9. Are you and/or your author on social media?

 My author is. I have no interest in pounding a keyboard.

https://www.elaineorr.com 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elaine.orr1/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@AuthorElaineOrr

Twitter https://x.com/ElaineOrr55

Irish Roots Author Blog https://elaineorr.blogspot.com/

Newest Jolie Gentil book is Phoning in a Murder

14^th in the Jolie Gentil Series, April 20, 2024

Setting:  the Jersey Shore

Lifelong Dreams Publishing

Paperback 178 pages

ISBN  978-1948-07099-7

Digital ASIN: B0D29VPJ9G

Relative Age is Not Always Kind

By Elaine L. Orr

Note: I wanted to write something about age and writing, but am still ruminating. As I reread other things I'd written on aging, I pulled out a piece from 21 years ago. Still funny to me. You may recognize the irreverent humor seen in the Jolie Gentil series. 

Age is often a question of perception.  In my family – where the first cousins range from 44 to 70 and their children from 2 years (so far) to 50 – age also is a question of much good-natured ribbing.  In both generations, it is my immediate family that has the youngest – my 44-year old brother and his 2-year old son.

 Among my siblings, the spread is 10 years, with me being the oldest.  With such a relatively small span of time (so to speak), you would expect us to all look roughly the same age.  As my nieces would say – not!

 The biggest cause of occasional consternation is my youngest brother, Grant.  First, he is in disgustingly good shape – a walking advertisement for eating healthy and getting regular exercise.  He has little gray and had the good sense to marry a woman 10 years his junior, so people assume he is her age.  This, however, has become somewhat of a problem for me. 

 It may have started at their wedding, when the bride’s mom and I walked down the aisle together to light wedding candles.  (Our mom was ill and could not attend.)  A year later, when meeting some of the bride’s mom’s friends again, one of them commented how nice it was to “see Grant’s mother again.”  Ever tactful, Grant pointed out that she only thought this because of the candle lighting ceremony.  Always ready with a jibe, our brother-in-law George said, “It is not.  She thinks Elaine is old enough to be your mother.”  George does not mind living in a metaphorical doghouse; just ask my sister.

 Perhaps I should be used to this kind of confusion.  Everyone who saw my 47-year old father with his 3-year old son assumed Dad was Grant’s grandfather.  Fortunately, this tickled him to no end.

Miles with 3-year old Grant.
(Photo by Arthur Noma)

 Then there is the issue of how people perceive brother Dan, who is 8 years Grant’s elder.  When our mother was in the hospital one time, Dan and Grant were at her bedside when a nurse came in and asked them to leave briefly so she could attend to mother.  The guys moved to the hall, and they heard mother wake up as the nurse was assisting her.  To orient mother to her surroundings, the nurse informed her that she was in the hospital and “your son and grandson are just outside.”  Grant relays that he had only a second or two to pretend he did not hear or rib Dan.  Of course, he opted for the ribbing.

 Unfortunately, two recent experiences have shown that these mistaken opinions have crossed to another generation.  Recently, Grant’s 5-year old was applying pretend make-up to my face.  She picked up a new ‘jar’ and informed me that she was going to put it on my face because “it’s for old people.” 

 “Am I old?” I asked.

 She gave this some thought and said, “Just a little.”  My sister-in-law had the good manners to be embarrassed.  My brother loved it.

 A few months later, I was again babysitting when little Olivia focused on a couple of small splints on my fingers.  (Never let it be said a writer’s life will be free from arthritis.)  She asked about them, and I remembered what my mother always said to young children who were afraid of her wheelchair.  “You don’t need to worry, ‘Livie.  This kind of thing only happens when people are much older than you.  Plus it doesn’t happen to many people at all.”

 She pondered this for a moment, then asked, “Are you older than dinosaurs, Aunt E?”  I assured her I was not, and – given how much my brother laughed at this – was very surprised not to find a plastic one in my Christmas stocking. 

 The really irritating thing about all this is that our brother Wayne has the least hair, and no one seems to put him in the wrong generation.  Go figure.  My personal equilibrium will be restored when someone thinks my sister is our youngest niece and nephew’s grandmother.  One can hope.

(Twenty-one years later, my sister is a grandmother. She is called GiGi, though at age four one of the kids told her she didn't need "two G's," she could just be Gi.)

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Social Media Marketing in 20 Minutes a Day

By Elaine L. Orr

Revised December 2, 2024

For authors, there's no substitute for meeting readers, librarians, and bookstore owners  face-to-face. Aside from promoting your work, it's a chance to talk books.

If you want to sell books beyond those you can reach in person, you need to advertise. Some ads can be subject-based, even if you write fiction. For example, I've just scheduled some ads about my family history mysteries in publications of the National Genealogy Society. 

Even if you have a traditional publisher, it's up to you to constantly let people know about your books. After all, people can read them for decades, and a publisher can't be expected to promote them that long.

You may hear that all advertising needs to be targeted, but I believe broadly targeted advertising is important. You want to reach people who may not know they would like to read what you write. But you can't spend a lot of time and money doing that. 

I maintain that twenty minutes a day on social media can make a big difference in sales.

Make sure you do some posts that go beyond "buy my book." I love flowers, so I post them on Instagram a lot. I also post vacation pictures and photos of my cat. Never neglect the weather. Deep snow or storm clouds can be eye-catching. Have a hobby? Post those photos -- have some fun. 

The Most Efficient Way to Organize to Publicize

To spend less time later, assemble short message pieces for each book (or whatever you promote). For each of my thirty-five books, I have several 300-character blurbs that can be alternated on BlueSky, where my handle is @elaineorr55.bsky.social. These short blurbs are organized by each of my four mystery series, then by book. 

In case you're counting, that's a lot of draft posts, and each one contains at least two hashtags. Hashtags are words or very short phrases that begin with the pound sign (#). They help your blurb reach people who have a specific interest. I use #cozymystery or #mustreadmystery, but you also want something related to a specific book. For example, my family history series is set in the #WesternMarylandMountains.

If you keep some books on Kindle Unlimited (which I do for some Box Sets) use hashtags such as #KindleUK or #KindleCanada. Kobo is used a lot in Canada, so you could use #KoboCanada. You get the point. Lately Google sales have increased, so I use that hashtag more.

Why 300 characters? That's the maximum number of characters for a post on BlueSky, but you can use these (or slightly longer ones) on sites such as Facebook or Instagram. Any post needs to have a link to the item you want viewers to buy. I include links to multiple sites, since I sell books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, ibooks, and Google.

Using Graphics Effectively

Pictures draw the eye, so every post needs some kind of graphic. If you don't use any kind of design software (such as Publisher, Photoshop Elements, or Canva), your initial posts can include simply the book cover or something related to the book. 

Some images cost money to download, but you can find free ones. Generally, vectors (which look like cartoons) are more likely to be free. Take photos yourself -- the ultimate free digital content. I buy 100 images at a time from Deposit Photos and it takes years to use them all. They don't expire.

Whatever you do, don't just grab images from the web -- they could be copyrighted.

My graphics are also organized by book, in separate folders on my computer. You don't want to have to hunt for images you've used. The exceptions are folders by holiday. You may simply want to post a Happy Thanksgiving message with a turkey image, or some of your books may have a holiday theme.

Where to Place Your Free Ads

Make no mistake, posts on social media sites are ads. I use BlueSky every day for about 10 minutes -- more if I have a new book or am having a sale. It's a quick way to use hashtags to target readers and reaches readers around the world. 

Post (or schedule posts) at different times of day. If you post at dinnertime where you live, it will be the middle of the night somewhere else. I sell books all over the world, and it's largely due to formerly posting on Twitter, which I no longer use. BlueSky's many millions of users are also around the globe. (See my post on transitioning from Twitter to BlueSky.)

Instagram is easy to use and is very image-based. You load the image before you write any text. Because you aren't limited in length you can use more humor or post on a range of topics besides what you're selling. 

When you load a photo to Instagram, it may show only part of it. Look at the bottom left of the photo and there is a small box that lets you pick the ratio of photo to the space it's in. (That may not be the correct terminology -- just try it until the photo looks ok.)

It's easy to see comments on Instagram, and I end up writing short notes to friends or other authors.

TikTok is video-based, and since I don't know much about videos, I delayed using it. Videos can be just a few seconds. In fact, if they're longer they may be hard to manipulate. TikTok is easier to use from a phone. Take the video and load it from that device to TikTok. If you have difficulty, find a high school kid to help.

Facebook is an older app, but is especially useful if your target audience is older than 25. It may be important to have separate Facebook pages for work and personal use. You may not want readers or other clients to see photos of your family and friends. You also don't want to alienate readers through opinions you may post on your personal page -- politics and product promotion rarely mix.

The key to effective Facebook exposure is to join a couple of groups related to your interests or products. I belong to several that deal with cozy mysteries, since that's what I write. Don't just post and move on. Interact with some of the others in that Facebook group.

Use hashtags in most of your posts on all the sites so you aren't reaching only people you may already know.

Every site lets you create a profile with an photo of yourself or some other image you like. Do that. If someone likes a post they may want to know more about you.

Building Slowly

If this sounds like too much work, think of it as an investment of time to build your marketing inventory. Once you save posts to a word processing document, you're cutting and pasting more than creating new posts.

Pick a site you're comfortable with and do just that for a few weeks or so. If you like photos, Instagram may be your thing. If you want to use short videos, that's TikTok.

I suggest you use BlueSky a lot. It's easy and quick and there is fewer negative comments than on Twitter. There's a tab called profile, and when you click that you see only your posts.

Final Thoughts

Over time, you'll build up followers at each site. You do this by following others and creating interesting posts that encourage people to follow you. Through use of hashtags, you can reach a lot of people before you have a lot of followers. 

Like and repost the posts of others. When you repost theirs, they will repost yours.

Be consistent. If you're only going to post once a month, should you bother? Maybe not. On the other hand, perhaps you only want to post when you have a new book or other product. Personally, I don't think periodic posting will help with sales. 

Finally, don't get drawn into reading lots of others' posts or surfing social media sites. And keep meeting real people! They're more fun.

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Would You Read a Book with a Senior Sleuth?

I have wanted to create a series that uses the fictional Ocean Alley town and characters, but brings in outsiders for each mystery. And not just one person, but several. It would keep me from having to bump off more people in the small town.

The Cozy Corner B&B, operated by Mayor Madge and her husband Harry, presents an option. In When the Carny Comes to Town (Jolie Gentil Book 3) a B&B guest was involved in the mystery, and a body turned up in the B&B in Trouble on the Doorstep (Book 5). But such situations are not good for tourism in the Jersey Shore town.

The B&B has always hosted individual guests. What about having a group rent the seven rooms? Or better yet, a bunch of people forced to stay there for a day or two? That would give Mayor Madge (Aunt Madge to Jolie Gentil) a reason to be involved.

Perhaps she'd have some help, but she'd be the main sleuth -- a senior sleuth, a.k.a. silver sleuth. Would having older characters turn off younger readers? Think The Kominsky Method, Grace and Frankie, or Black-ish. And Miss Marple was not exactly a spring chicken.

I've begun developing the characters and first couple of plots. I don't envision fourteen books, which is the status of the Jolie Gentil series. However, I think I could have fun writing three or five. 

Starting a new series is a big investment. Especially for a 'senior writer.' It takes a certain amount of optimism.

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When Age is More than a State of MInd

By. Elaine L. Orr

I wrote plays, short stories, and novellas for years before I started publishing books in 2010. Most people have busy lives, and other things were higher priorities. I'm glad I lived long enough to not only write but publish. I do not intend to stop.

At almost 73, I do notice changes in my memory and concentration. If I stop writing for a few days, when I go back to a book I am either pleased to see what I wrote or I think it's bunk. Either way, it's only a vague memory until I reread it. 

A recent study (if I find it later, I'll quote it) talked about older people taking longer to recall things because there is simply more stored in our brains. The suggestion was to think of sorting through file cabinets to find a memory or piece of information. I'll take it.

Concentration is also harder. If I go to the library or a coffee shop to write, I want to be done in a couple of hours. In the past, I was known to close down Starbucks as I neared the end of a book. Maybe it means I should write in shorter chunks.

Why am I thinking about this? I watched the presidential debate a few days ago. I NEVER talk politics on this blog, so I'm going out on a limb here. President Biden has done a lot for our nation, over many years. But why should he -- or anyone -- be as sharp at 81 as, say, 61? Personally, I don't think anyone can retain 100% of their complex thinking capabilities as they get to 80+.

My opinion counts for nothing in the question of who should stay in the presidential race. But here it goes: President Biden, it's time to trust someone else with the reins. Your service as senator and president has been exemplary. Do some writing, campaign for your preferred successor. 

Take a deep breath and take a rest.

Thank you.

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Phoning in a Murder Poses Cell Phone Questions

By Elaine L. Orr

The 14th Jolie Gentil cozy mystery is on the shelves and in ereaders. Phoning in a Murder has the same mix of friends, humor, and crime-solving as the other books in the series, but it adds a subject that drives me bonkers -- cell phone use in schools.

Genre fiction can't preach, but it can highlight an issue, place, or subject. If you've read the books (and I hope you have!) you'll note Jolie runs a food pantry. I don't say, "Feed the hungry" -- instead she and friends plan silly fundraisers and occasionally work behind the counter. Maybe a reader will put a couple extra cans of food in the next food drive. 

Many of the books also have a U.S. military veteran named Max, whose traumatic brain injury limits his abilities -- but not his sometimes humorous take on life or desire to help. Another character, Lester, is often irritated by Max, and Jolie (or her four-year old daughter) remind him to be kind. As my dad said, you don't have to support a war to support the veterans.

Why cell phones? As a substitute teacher, they drive me nuts. It's not just that some students insist on surreptitiously trying to use them during class. That's simple rudeness. Most kids aren't rude, but you have to accept that some will be on occasion. It's what I think they're missing by keeping their noses in phones. There's a lot less chatter as high school students enter a classroom. Chatter is fun. 

In Phoning in a Murder, cell phone use and conversations about it don't dominate discussions or actions. But the murder victim's irritation with them does fuel the plot. Just something to think about. For the record, I use my cell phone, maybe as much as half an hour a day or an hour if there's some big news story. Fortunately, there are always plenty of other things to do.

I wrote Phoning in a Murder over six months, which is too long to write a relatively short  book. (I had a lot of 'stuff' going on.) I'm about to start either the 15th book in the Jolie series or the sixth family history mystery. My commitment to myself is to be done before school starts. Talk about a homework assignment.

Amazon    Nook   Google   Kobo   ibooks   Large Print

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When a Book Meets Pop Culture

By Elaine L. Orr

I'm not sure pop culture is the accurate word for the debate about cell phones in high schools, but it's a topic that has interested me for a couple of years. 

As a fairly regular substitute teacher, I appreciate having access to the outside world. However, I don't appreciate kids hiding cell phones behind books they are supposedly reading or staring into their laps for a minute or more at a time. And try explaining to students why they should read in study hall rather than play games on a phone.

I probably sound like a curmudgeon, but I actually feel sorry for kids whose worlds seem to revolve around posting comments on a photo someone else took or taking photos of themselves with their tonsils showing. Boring, boring, boring. Plus, think of all the bullying that takes place on phones. Who needs that?

Sure, some kids (and adults) create interesting travel logs or talk about more than shoes to buy (athletic or spike heels). Most just scroll and comment and resent it when teachers have a wall hanging with slots to deposit phones as students arrive in class.

So when I was figuring out who to kill for the 14th Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery, I first thought of creating an older student who annoyed the...daylights out of teachers with his/her phone use. Then a teacher snaps and a high school senior ends up stuffed in the janitor's closet. That would lead to lots of syrupy statement about a life ending before fulfilling its promise and good business for the local florist.

But, killing kids (no matter how annoying) would not set a good example. And some PTA could lead a boycott of the book -- though that might increase sales.

Instead, I created Henry O'Halloran, a high school band teacher who has had it up to his ears with cell phones going off during rehearsals or -- horrors -- when playing the national anthem on the football field. Everyone is up in arms after Henry cancels band practice the week before a big competition. At a hastily called meeting, families say they spend a lot of money renting instruments and ferrying kids to practice or concerts. 

Henry will not apologize or commit to holding practice. As expected (in a mystery) he's soon six feet under. Or at least on the band room floor with a hole in his neck. Check out Phoning in a Murder to see whodunnit.

Tongue in cheek, I would say great minds think alike. The Los Angeles School District just banned cell phones in class as of January 2025. Some think it will aid in learning and some think it's a security risk. (See an article on pros and cons.) No doubt there will be several dozen lawsuits that will eventually be consolidated and in 2029 will make it through the courts.

In the meantime, the only reason I can see to have phones in the classroom is to address fear in this age of school shootings. That doesn't mean the phones need to be in students' pockets. They can be in shoe organizers on the wall -- designated slots for each student, perhaps the organizers in two places in the classroom for easy access in the event of an emergency.

Any school activity that can be done with a phone can be done on a laptop. Rather than complain about keeping phones out of classrooms, perhaps parents and students can help raise money for schools in economically disadvantaged areas to have a laptop for every student. It would give people something to do besides post pictures of their tonsils.

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