writing

Who are My Readers: Poll Results

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 14 Comments

Thank you to everyone who participated in this poll.

I’ve summarized the results here and added my thoughts of what they mean to me.

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I’m happy to see I have a cross-section of readers even though I focus on mystery writing. The “Other” section included non-fiction (2), women’s contemporary, children’s (2), historical fiction (3), young adult (2), flash fiction, saga, memoir, sci-fi, paranormal and blogging. This tells me my blog has enough variety to interest many types of writers, so how could that not make me smile.

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The data above tells me not to focus writing advice on a series just because I write a series. It’s probably a good idea to keep tips focussed on all categories.

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So this one surprised me. I write on a MAC and thought most writers do. Guess I was mistaken her. I don’t think I’ll blog about writing on a MAC much.

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Here again, I thought more writers would use Scrivener. It’s my writing software of choice, and I can’t imaging not using it. I do use MS Word when I submit my work to others.

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Most people filled in the other category here. Using “nothing” was a popular answer, followed by Excel. I use Excel for every novel I write to keep track of details, ask my self pertinent questions about each scene, and to make notes. I wish there was a better way to do this, but I didn’t see any in the survey results.

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This one is nicely balanced. I think many authors, regardless of how they are published, struggle to get the word out about their novels. Mystery Mondays is my way of helping other writers network their art.

Thank you for participating in the poll and giving me lots to think about when it comes to future blogging.

Thanks for reading…

BLAZE Available for Pre-order (Stone Mountain Mystery #2)

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 7 Comments

Working with a modern publisher such as Imajin Books has advantages.

I counted on the Imajin Books website, and the company currently has 26 authors including me. This means each author gets individual attention and a fast track to publication.

So let me define fast. DESCENT was released July 25th, 2015.

BLAZE is now available for pre-order on Amazon and will be released October 25th, 2015.

Screen Shot 2015-09-15 at 7.31.28 AMDoes this mean I wrote two books in one year?

No. I wrote four novels during the five years I lived on a sailboat. I’m currently working on the 5th. I think I needed to write four books to learn how to write a book. When I finished the fourth, I went back to the beginning of the series and rewrote all four novels. Only then, did I feel ready to submit to the first two.

It takes time to create fiction, but now that The Stone Mountain Mystery series is underway, I’m glad to be with Imajin Books and get the novels published quickly and professionally.

Forest fires are a hot topic this year in North America, and I’ve brought it close to home for Kalin Thompson…

Instead of exchanging vows, Kalin Thompson spends her wedding day running from a forest fire near Stone Mountain Resort, and the pregnant friend trapped with her has just gone into labor. Meanwhile, Kalin’s fiancé, Ben Timlin, hangs from the rafters of a burning building, fighting for his life. Can the situation get any hotter?

When the fire is declared as arson, finding the firebug responsible becomes Kalin’s personal mission. In the course of her investigation as Director of Security, she discovers that some people will go to extreme measures to keep her from exposing their secrets.

If you haven’t read DESCENT yet, now is your chance before BLAZE comes out. Find it at: myBook.to/Descent

And if you have read DESCENT, I’d be very excited if you pre-ordered BLAZE.

Thanks for reading…

#1 Question to Ask Yourself After A First Draft

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

You’ve completed a first draft, you look at the mound of papers on your desk, and wonder what next.

How do you look at your draft with new eyes. There is a lot of advice about putting your novel in a drawer for a few weeks before looking at it again, sending it to others for a beta read, reading it aloud etc.

But what if you want to do something more practical and immediate?

For each scene ask yourself: WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS SCENE?

Try not to answer in a generic way.

An easy answer is: Moves the story forward.

To me, that’s too general. How does the scene move the story forward? Be as specific as you can.

Ask yourself: Does the scene

  1. have an important revelation, clue or red herring?
  2. develop a character? To me this means, does the reader learn something new about a character that is important to a story?
  3. introduce a new character?
  4. show character motivation?
  5. give the reader a break after a high action scene?
  6. give the reader action after a break scene (sometimes called a sequel scene)?
  7. foreshadow, give backstory or contain an important flashback?
  8. develop setting that is important to the story and not just setting for the sake of describing something?
  9. close off loose ends?
  10. solve the crime?

If you can’t articulate the point of  a scene, think about removing the scene.

If the point of the scene is weak, see if you can take what is important in a scene and move it to another scene. Then delete the weak scene.

I use a spreadsheet to keep track of each scene. One column is dedicated to the point of the scene. If a cell remains empty when I’ve reviewed the entire novel then the scene must go.

Please share any tips you can add in the comments below.

I used this technique while writing DESCENT, BLAZE and AVALANCHE.

Thanks for reading…

If you’re interested, you can buy or download a sample of DESCENT at:  myBook.to/Descent

My Two Cents Worth (Before Inflation)

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Reblogged from http://blog.jamesmjackson.com Author of the Seamus McCree Mystery Series.

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Please welcome Kristina Stanley, a Canadian author who has the screenshot to prove that her novel Descsent had the number one ranking on Amazon’s Canada list of “Hot New Releases of Women Sleuth Mysteries.” (In second place was Sue Grafton’s X !) She describes herself as happy, hard-working, loyal, athletic, and an animal-lover. The five words she uses to describe her writing are adventurous, action-oriented, mystery, wilderness, and multi point of view. Here are her answers to the eight questions she chose…

Click here to read more:

DESCENT Paperbacks Arrive

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments

It’s a chilling and exhilarating feeling to see a physical version of my novel for the first time.

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Photo by David R. Conn

Descent is avialable for purchase on Amazon.

I’m just too happy to write anything more today. Thanks for reading…

Announcing Mystery Mondays

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 16 Comments

Promoting Reading – Promoting Authors

It is my pleasure to announce I will be hosting a series called Mystery Mondays.  Authors from many genres who write with a hint of mystery will tell you about their books, answer your questions about writing and share their thoughts with you. Every Monday, you’ll be introduced to another author and maybe discover someone you’re not familiar with.

The opening line-up of Mystery Mondays authors:

Character Driven THRILLERS: Luke Murphy, July 20th

Psychological HORROR and YA THRILLERS: Michael Conn, July 27th

Adventurous Women SLEUTHS: Catherine Astolfo, August 3rd

THRILLERS for Adult and Children: Donna Galanti, August 10th

A Formidable Calgary DETECTIVE: Garry Ryan, August 17th.

Dangerous Amateur SLEUTH: Debra Purdy Kong, August 24th

MYSTERIES with a Hugely Successful Sleuth: Rosemary McCracken, August 31st

Mystery, History and Romantic SUSPENSE: Alison Bruce, Sept 7th

Screwball COMEDY Capers: Melodie Campbell, Sept 14th

Amateur SLEUTH with an Edge: Judy Penz Sheluk, September 21st

Exciting Police THRILLERS: Brenda Chapman, Sept 28th

Gritty and Psychological THRILLERS: Barbara Fradkin, Oct 5th

Sassy yet Vulnerable SLEUTH: Phyllis Smallman, Oct 19th

International best-selling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif will be posting…the mystery is on what date. She’s booked. We have her. So stay tuned to find out.

Click on the blue-green-ish highlighted author names above and you’ll be taken to their page to find out more about them, or even better, order their books and experience a fantastic read.

If you’d like to be hosted on Mystery Mondays, come back here next Wednesday and I’ll tell you how.

Thanks for reading… And please share to help spread the word.

Descent’s First Official Review

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

DescentCoverEvery day, it seems like the publishing journey sends me a present. But before I tell you what today’s present is, let me talk about what I learned this week.

Imajin Books taught me reviews are important for the success of a novel. This includes online reviews which Amazon won’t allow until the book is released – a good thing since how can someone review a novel if they haven’t read the book. These reviews have to come later.

The other important aspect are reviews from professionals who publish on blogs, in magazines and in newspapers.

How do you get a review? Well, you honed your skills writing query letters, didn’t you? That’s the big ask. The first letter to an agent or a publisher is the hardest. The asking gets easier with time. If you’re self published you’ll still want reviews and still need to ask.

To write a letter to a reviewer I included:

  • What I was asking for
  • The back jacket description of DESCENT
  • Who my publisher is along with release date
  • What my credentials are (award wins and nominations)
  • Early praise for DESCENT
  • And finally, I asked if the reviewer would read an Advanced Reader Copy of DESCENT. I didn’t send a copy until the reviewer said yes.

So now you’ve waited patiently to see what my present is. It’s my first review. You can hear a drum roll, can’t you?

Don Graves is a long-time mystery and crime reviewer. For many years he wrote a column for the Hamilton Spectator and has won an award for his Spectator reviews of Canadian mystery novels. Here’s what he had to say about DESCENT

Descent is the first in a series of Stone Mountain mysteries. It’s an action packed story. Testosterone, stress, dangerous corners and pain lead to murder on the slopes of this remote ski resort. Kalin Thompson, head of security is ordered to investigate by her boss. A growing list of suspects leads Kalin to wonder if the dead Olympic calibre skier got what he deserved.  Descent, a mystery that keeps you riding the lift for one last read and the killer’s identity. – Don Graves, Canadian Mystery Reviews

If you’d like to help me celebrate , Descent’s Facebook launch party? July 25th, 3-6 PM EST. You are invited and most welcome to join us to help celebrate. Come and win a book from one of the amazing authors donating their work! Click here to join.

DESCENT is now available for pre-order in eBook format. The paperback will follow shortly.

If you haven’t read my blog before, I’ve signed on with Imajin Books and will blog about my publishing adventure. I’ll share what I learn and hope it helps someone out there get their novel published.

Please feel free to share this post and help me get the word out.

Thanks for reading…

DESCENT LAUNCH PARTY: July 25th, 2015

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Who are the mystery authors donating books to DESCENT’s Facebook launch party?

This is all part of the publishing cycle – host a launch party. To energize the party and make it exciting for virtual visitors, I asked other authors to donate one or two of their novels as prizes.

So not to keep you in suspense, in alphabetical order, the contributors are…

But what books will they donate? That’s a mystery to be solved on another blog. Stay tuned…

When is the Facebook launch party? July 25th, 3-6 PM EST. You are invited and most welcome to join us to help celebrate. Come and win a book from one of the amazing authors!

DESCENT is now available for pre-order in eBook format. The paperback will follow shortly.

If you haven’t read my blog before, I’ve signed on with Imajin Books and will blog about my publishing adventure. I’ll share what I learn and hope it helps someone out there get their novel published.

Please feel free to share this post and help me get the word out.

Thanks for reading…

DESCENT Coming Soon!

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments

I have butterflies in my stomach. Years of hard work and a dream has led to this…Imajin Books has announced DESCENT’s release date: July 25, 2015.

The full cover of DESCENT designed by Ryan Doan…Ta Da!

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Can this really be happening?

If you haven’t read my blog before, I’ve signed on with Imajin Books and will blog about my publishing adventure. I’ll share what I learn and hope it helps someone out there get their novel published.

Thanks for reading…

Unveiling of DESCENT…A little more…

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

You’ve probably noticed I’m having fun with the upcoming release of DESCENT. So here’s a big piece of the fun. Award winning author of the Inspector Green mysteries, Barbara Fradkin, provided a quote for the cover of DESCENT. I can hardly contain my excitement.

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If you haven’t read Barbara, now’s your chance! Here is where you can find her first Inspector Green novel, DO OR DIE.

For the inside cover, I was very lucky to receive quotes from Brenda Chapman and Garry Ryan. Check out Cold Mourning by Brenda and Queen’s Park by Garry. These are the debut novels in their series.

In case you haven’t seen their quote, I just have to share them again.

“Murder rocks the competitive ski world in Stanley’s layered tale with enough suspects to keep readers guessing until the last chilling chapter.” –Brenda Chapman: Award winning author of the Stonechild and Rouleau Mysteries.

“From the first line, you’re strapped into a Stanley novel. Just turn the page, hang on, and enjoy the ride.” –Garry Ryan: Award-winning author of the Detective Lane mysteries and Blackbird trilogy.

Full cover coming soon…

If you haven’t read my blog before, I’ve signed on with Imajin Books and will blog about my publishing adventure. I’ll share what I learn and hope it helps someone out there get their novel published.

Thanks for reading.