My Time Writing Down the Bones with Natalie Goldberg, Part 2, by Diane Bator

 

Book 2, Dead Man's Doll

Since starting the virtual Writing Down the Bones course with Natalie Goldberg, I find myself slowing down. Feeling the snow on my face as I did with my kids when they were young. Laughing when I find fluffy, white turkey feathers that have made their way from the costume hanging in the upper lobby at work on my desk a floor below.

I find myself taking 10 minutes to myself a couple times a day to write. My topics? The walk I took to the coffee shop one day in the wind and finding a clean, crisp twenty dollar bill that hadn't blown away yet on the sidewalk. The taste of the Americano I bought and how I loathed that taste for years even though I'd always loved the comforting scent. To write about the puffy flakes of snow falling or the icy pellets tapping on the glass to be let in.

I find that I'm focusing on details more lately where before I mostly focused on the dialogue in my books. Even while editing my latest work in progress, All That Shimmers, I've added more details than in any of my previous books.

So far, I've finished the first three out of four sections in the course. I've also read three of Natalie's writing books and was able to join in a Zoom call with my mentor herself! I swear I barely listened to the first few minutes, I was just in awe by the experience. She was gracious enough to answer questions from the group for the entire hour.

Which of her books have I read so far?

• Writing Down the Bones
• Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life
• Thunder & Lightning: Cracking Open the Writer's Craft

If you're looking for a little inspiration to improve your own writing, I'd highly recommend any of them. Just as they helped with my upcoming book, All That Shimmers, Glitter Bay Book 3 that comes out in May. Watch for the new cover next month!

You can find my work at https://bwlpublishing.ca/bator-diane/

Happy Reading. Happy Writing!

Diane

    

Book 1 Drop Dead Cowboy

 

Big News in the Sugarwood Mysteries Series by Diane Bator

 

Sugarwood Mysteries has 

a NEW LOOK and a NEW BOOK!!

Audra Clemmings loves Halloween. At least until she sees the display of voodoo dolls in the shop next door that resembles nearly everyone in Sugarwood, Ontario--including her.

Then there's the matter of the dead cowboy on the bench in front of her shop Stitch'n'Time...

A few great reviews:

"After reading the first book in the Sugarwood Mysteries, I became hooked on the characters, genre, and author. Ms. Bator penned a goodie in this murder mystery. Characters Audra Clemmings and Merilee Rutherford (best friends) hang in there together, always having each other’s backs through some terrorizing moments. Between the two of these women, figuring out the ‘who done it’ kept them guessing while wrapping the reader around their conjectures and info gathering. I enjoyed these women, completely enamored in their thought process. I adore cozy mysteries, and Ms. Bator just became one of my favorite authors of this genre." - Susan

"This is not your Wild West Cowboy story. No, this is contemporary and takes place in a small town. Yes, one of the shopkeepers in the charming downtown area is on the trail to find out whodunit. Lots of humor and speculation on who killed the cowboy and why, so I was not sure who the murderer was until the end of the book. Ms. Bator's description of the locations and the quirky fun characters engage readers in this well-written cozy mystery. Yes, I recommend the book to cozy mystery lovers." - Janet Glaser

"All the characters were well-crafted. One of my favorites is Miss Lavinia. She describes them so vividly it's as if you actually know them, great job.
Clemmings definitely has her hands full. However, in the end, she prevails. If you enjoy reading a really good cozy mystery then this is the book for you.
It has surprises, it's captivating, and keeps you wondering until the very end." - Digiecard

BWL Publishing Website:  http://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

AND THE NEW BOOK...

Christmas blooms in Sugarwood in the form of a brightly lit tree in town square, colourful ornaments, and a snowstorm. It’s just Audra Clemmings’ luck that she literally stumbles over the local butcher in Miss Lavinia’s shop. Then a witch doctor arrives in town. Can Audra solve the mystery before the killer turns their sights on her?

Here's a little snippet!

 As I grabbed my red parka from the closet, I smiled. The colour never failed to give me a lift, so I paired it with my favourite red hat and black gloves. I left Drake home to babysit Rex who, as predicted, fell asleep on the bed and still hadn’t returned to the couch. I was at the deli before I realized I could’ve taken the key and the car and then he’d be stuck there. Darn it! I was such a creature of habit.

At nine o’clock on the dot, I set a large black coffee on Officer Grant’s desk and asked, “Did you find out who owns that token?”

He scratched the stubble on his chin as he reached for the cup.

I moved it out of his reach. “Not so fast. I want answers.”

“And I want coffee,” he said, meeting my gaze. “If you think we’re at an impasse, keep in mind I’m the one with the gun and the handcuffs.”

“Good thing I’m not wearing my pajamas then.” The words sounded better in my head than they did aloud.

A nearby officer smirked.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Jacobs,” Officer Grant snapped. “Last time I arrested her, she was wearing her pajamas out in public.”

Handing him the coffee before he bit anyone, I decided to consider it my good deed for the day. I sat across from him and asked, “So?”

He sipped the coffee. “Needs cream.”

“You’re welcome.” 

Dead Man's Doll Coming October 2022 

from BWL Publishing: http://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

To request additional review copies or an interview with Diane Bator, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.    

We look forward to the coverage!

Happy National Peppermint Latte Day! ... by Diane Bator

 

Drop Dead Cowboy, Book 1 Sugarwood Mysteries

 Happy National Peppermint Latte Day!

Yes, it's for real! (https://web-holidays.com/blog/2018/11/04/national-peppermint-latte-day/) 

Did you know that there is a holiday for nearly every day of the year? I discovered that a couple years ago when one of my co-workers decided it would be fun to have something to celebrate every day. I never really put much thought into that until this year.

The world has been a tumultuous place the past 2 years. We've been locked up, had shots we never thought we'd need, and discovered sources of anxiety we never thought we'd have. Truly, who would've thought we'd be afraid to be in the same room as other people?

When I was asked to write a blog for the holidays, my first thought was Bah-humbug. What's there to celebrate? Not even the characters in the Christmas book I'm working on seemed concerned about the holiday season so why should I?

Then I discovered that anything can be a source of celebration.

Even Peppermint Lattes.

So, how does this relate to writing? Procrastination for one. I found digging into what December celebrations made the calendar a pretty steep rabbit hole to fall into. Along the path, I also found inspiration in the form of Peppermint Latte Day which resulted in two of my characters discussing murder over Christmas cookies and a latte in my newest Sugarwood Mystery, Dead Man's Doll, coming in September 2022:

Sugarwood, Ontario was known for two things:  maple syrup and our Christmas tree lighting festival that always went off with a variety of creative challenges but never failed to impress. I just hoped we didn’t end up finding a body on a bench like we had during the town’s Halloween bash. Since we had four days to go, I’d taken to crossing my fingers whenever I thought about it.

“Do you think we have enough decorations?” Merilee Rutherford, my partner both in Stitch’n’Time and crime solving, had circled November twenty-seven with a fat, red marker weeks ago.

I gazed around our craft shop. Large shiny balls hung from the ceiling, strands of garland draped over the top of every cupboard and cabinet, and a four-foot tree glistened in the front window. We’d spent hours wrapping empty boxes to pile underneath and added a few needlepoint kits, fabric swatches, and sewing kits to attract customers.

I grinned. “I think Santa would feel right at home in our workshop. All that’s missing are the milk and cookies.”

Drake, my Golden Retriever-slash-Husky raised his head.

“How about a peppermint latte and cookies,” Merilee asked. “I could run up to the bakery and grab lunch complete with dessert.”

“Santa’s going to have to bring me a whole new wardrobe at this rate.” I tucked a thumb inside the waistband of my pants. They were getting snug already and it wasn’t even December. I started to tell her to hold the latte. No way was I giving up cookies before Christmas. In the end, I kept my mouth shut.

While Merilee was gone, Drake returned his attention to the heat vent while I finished hanging one last string of lights around the inside of the front window swaying to the soft Christmas music we’d already started to play.

Outside the gloom of the day was brightened by the swirling blue and red lights from a passing police car. Since there was no way anyone could be speeding on the roads given the current conditions, I had to assume the police were on their way to an accident.

Drake got up to amble toward the door.

“Do you need to go out?” I asked.

Rather than paw at the glass, he sat and yawned.

“Good to know it’s not an emergency.”

Less than a minute later, Merilee bustled through the front door carrying a cardboard tray and a paper bag. Drake stood as a string of drool seeped from the corner of his mouth.

I laughed. “You smelled cookies. What a surprise."  

And who says a character has to celebrate a traditional holiday? 

In the writing world we do this exercise every November called Nanowrimo. A short way of saying National Novel Writing Month. One of those events that is so crazy it requires an entire month rather than a day. What normal person would set a goal to write 50,000 words in 30 days? Of course, most writers celebrate Nanowrimo starting December 1st when we hibernate for about three days to catch up on sleep and ease the cramps from our fingers!

Here's a fun thing to do. Go to https://web-holidays.com/ , find your birthdate, and see what else you can celebrate along with it. Mine is National Cavier Day among others. 

If you do check out the daily list and run out of favorite things to celebrate in December, please keep in mind this is also National Eggnog and National Fruitcake Month. 

Cheers!

Diane

What is a Virtual Writing Conference like? by Diane Bator

 

It's November and I am wading into working on a new book during National Novel Writing Month aka Nanowrimo! This year, I'm working on the second book in my Sugarwood Mysteries - tentatively titled Dead Man's Doll. If you haven't checked out Audra & Drake in book one, now would be a good time! Click on the book cover or here to purchase.

I had the honor during the weekend of October 22-24, to be a moderator and participant in the York Writers Conference held on Zoom and hosted by the Writing Community of York Region (WCYR). If you've never done an entire weekend on Zoom before, I recommend stocking up on essentials—coffee. tea, and water were mandatory for most of us—and remembering to take breaks to stretch and see daylight.

We had many volunteers who’d worked hard to bring in amazing guest speakers, organize meet and greets and breakout room activities, as well as set up a virtual bookstore and SWAG bag. While the initial organizational meetings were a bit daunting, the work we put in made for a weekend with few snags.

We started off Friday evening with an Opening Address by Canadian satirist and author Terry Fallis, who is the award-winning author of eight national bestsellers published by McClelland & Stewart (M&S). Terry spoke about how writers need to not sell themselves short. We are recording history and life for future generations. After a virtual Meet & Greet cocktail party, we broke for the night.

Saturday morning we came back fresh to hear the energetic Sacha Black speak about “Villains & Heroes” and how to make both more realistic and engaging for readers. Based in the UK, Sacha is the author of several books on writing.

We were all eager to learn more about “Agents & Publishers” and Rob Firing of Transatlantic Agency did not disappoint. He spoke about why writers need agents and his work as an agent for both non-fiction authors and speakers.

Andrew Pyper’s inspiring Keynote speech was about an f word we all know well:  Failure. No one is immune, not even award-winning authors! He reminded us that it is “not only important to endure failure but to look forward to more.”

Michelle Fox spoke to the group about the ins and outs of “Digital Marketing.” She covered a lot of information about marketing, software and apps, cross promotion, and paid ads.

Next up was Maria Mutch who discussed “Short Stories” and what makes a good story as well as potential problems. We did a great exercise on observation and what we noticed in a photograph she shared.

Saturday evening, we held an Open Mic session where anyone had the opportunity to read 2-3 minutes of poetry or one of their books. I was thrilled to be asked to have two wonderful writers read a scene from a play I’ve been working on called Secrets That Haunt Them. It was a great motivator to get back to work on finishing it. Several writers read their works, including one lady who used a piece she wrote in the Short Story session earlier that afternoon.

Sunday morning began with Ruth Walker’s session on “Personal Papers.” If you have ever wondered what to do with those ticket stubs, post-it notes, and old journals, this was a great discussion for brainstorming ways to implement them in your prose, non-fiction, and poetry.

Patti M Hall led a great session called “Memoir Mastermind,” which I was frustrated to have to miss most of when my Internet went down. Fortunately, I made it for the last half hour in time to catch some great nuggets in the Q & A, particularly about whether to name people in your memoir and how to capture those thoughts and memories.

Lunch Break – Breakout rooms dealing with what makes a great Opening Sentence. It was fun to talk about the benefits of a strong first line with a small group and even came up with a few of our own.

Derek Newman-Stille led an animated discussion on “Speculative Disability,” which brought up some really great questions regarding creating characters who are disabled and their purpose in the story. I think aside from Andrew Pyper’s speech, this was one of sessions I found the most impactful and eye-opening. For any writer wanting to add a disabled person into their story, it was a good moment to sit back and ask some pointed questions about their motive.

Last lecture of the weekend was J.M. Tibbott’s discussion of “Self-Editing.” She covered a great deal of information, most of which I was familiar with, but I still made a lot of great notes! A good refresher on the process of self-editing never hurts!

After a hearty round of thank yous to volunteers, speakers, moderators, and so on, I turned off my computer and made dinner. Staring at a Zoom screen for the entire weekend was a bit tiring, but I came away with some new insights and ready to dig into my next novel once more. It was wonderful to spend so much time dedicated to something I have a passion for as well as meeting some amazing new-to-me writers.

 Thanks for joining me!

For more information on the Writers Community of York Region and our conference, please go to WCYR. Our next conference is already in the works for 2023!

Happy November,

Diane Bator

Voodoo Dolls in Small Town Ontario by Diane Bator

Who would have thought you would see Voodoo Dolls in the window of a shop in small town Ontario, Canada? Audra Clemmings certainly didn't! Part of my inspiration for the voodoo dolls in Miss Lavinia's shop window was helping out with a Haunted Dojo every year while I worked at a karate school (something that still might appear in my Gilda Wright Mystery series!) A bigger part of my inspiration was a trip to New Orleans this past Christmas.
Part of me wished I'd bought one to bring home.
The rest of me was scared to!

When Audra discovers voodoo dolls in the window of Miss Lavinia's shop near Halloween, she isn't too concerned. Until she finds one in a box of Halloween decorations that looks just like her father. A quick trip to Miss Lavinia's shop, reveals a perfectly innocent explanation. Miss Lavinia is a natural healer and uses them to continue healing her patients long after they have left her shop.
Audra is satisfied with that explanation until one of those patients is found dead...

My attempt at making string voodoo dolls with keychains attached! 

Not all voodoo dolls are used for evil or black magic. Most rituals are intended for the well-being of the intended person. Miss Lavinia uses voodoo dolls as a medium for prayers and healing. She added items of her patients clothing and hair when she could obtain them and used anointing oils such as lavender and eucalyptus among others to enhance the power of her healing and send a clear message. 

Although voodoo dolls can be energized to create malice and ill-will, doing bad only gives bad results. It can also lead to depression, conflicts, and bad luck for the user. So far, that hasn't happened in my Sugarwood Mystery series, but who knows?

Outline for a fabric voodoo doll...or chalk outline depending on how you look at things!

Just as in all forms of ritual, some healers use different colors of dolls to obtain different results:

     White – positive, purification, or healing.

     Black – can be used to dispel negative energy or summon it.

     Yellow – for success and confidence.

     Purple – for the spirit realm, balance, or mental exploration

     Red – for love, attraction, or power.

     Green – for growth, wealth, money, and fertility.

     Blue – for love and peace.

I guess my little red and blue voodoo doll is all about the love and peace. Maybe I'll hang him up near my computer as a good omen. Since the other one is currently unadorned, I'll have to find some string for him soon.
Or keep him as a Mummy. LOL!

Have a safe and happy October!

Diane Bator

Drop Dead Cowboy and other Diane Bator mysteries!

The Agent Mystique by Diane Bator

The Agent Mystique 

by Diane Bator

One of the highlights of this pandemic for me is the ability to sit in on various writing seminars. The most recent one I heard was on how to find, work with, and keep an agent. Very relevant since writers online are always asking if they need one and how to find one.

A big question on Facebook recently is:  Do I need an agent?

The easy answer is Yes and No.

Your need of an agent is directly proportionate to whether you want to be self or traditionally published. For the traditionally published path, an agent helps to edit, arranges sales, negotiates contracts, deals with the financial end of things, manages your author brand, becomes your writing partner, is your marketing team, will be the liaison with the publisher, and is your biggest cheerleader.They can also help get your foot in the door with larger publishers and have your book polished and at its best before submitting queries for you. Generally, agents receive 15% of sales once you publish and start to get paid.

If you plan to self-publish, having an agent offers several benefits. They can help with getting professional covers, editing, and walking authors through the publishing process. Agents who will work with self-publishing authors may have a standard rate for their services.

Many small publishing houses don’t usually require authors to have an agent to submit. Anyone can write a book and query as long as they follow the specific instructions on each publisher’s website. Some of these smaller publishers, but not all, offer editing services.

Self-publishing venues allow anyone to upload a novel or novella. Some may offer editing services for a fee. Mostly they will publish exactly what a writer uploads.

How do I find an agent?

There are many great resources for finding agents. Before you start to research, be sure you know what genre your book is and what your word count is. Most agents will not even consider a book that is over 90,000 or 100,000 words. Publishers won’t accept them unless you have a proven publishing record or are Stephen King or J.K. Rowling.

Some resources to use are:

·       Google

·       ManuscriptWishList.com

·       Query Tracker

·       Writer’s Digest

·       Writer friends or your favorite author

·       Pitch fests

·       Writing organizations

·       Twitter

What do I need to do to query an agent?

READ THEIR SUBMISSION GUIDELINES just as you would before querying a publisher.

For many agents, the submission is simple. They may ask for a brief, concise pitch about your book (like what you would write on the back cover), some information about you and your publishing background if you have one, and how to contact you if they love your pitch and want to read more. Some agents may ask for 10 – 50 pages to get a feel for your style.

What do I do if an agent wants to represent me?

First of all, Congratulations!

1.     Thank them then jump up and down like a maniac while you celebrate your good fortune.

2.     Ask for a sample contract so you can see exactly what they are offering you, how much their commission is, and what your responsibilities are to them.

3.     If you receive more than one offer to represent, compare notes between them. Just because one agent offers a better deal, you might be drawn to working with a different agent. Follow your gut! The same advice goes for publishers. The publisher who offers the most money, may not be the best fit. Find an agent and a publisher who LOVES your work.

Do I have to make the editorial changes the agent suggests?

Absolutely not. At the end of the day, it’s still your work and if they are uncomfortable making changes to the manuscript, they have the final say.

Keep in mind that your agent will have more experience with what will sell and what publishers are looking for.

Be flexible, but don’t lose your voice. After all, that’s why they signed you!

What if my relationship with my agent doesn’t work out?

Breaking up with an agent happens. Having open and honest communication with your agent is key since they are the liaisons between authors and publishers.

Sometimes things just don’t work out. In my case, my first agent and I parted ways. She found me a couple great publishers (I’m still with BWL Publishing!), but the second publisher changed one of my books to the point it wasn’t the same story anymore. She suggested I shelve it and write a completely new book. I heard the same story from a couple other authors.

Once that publisher dropped me, so did the agent. We parted ways amicably and are still friends.

There are thousands of agents and publishers out there. Be patient! It may take time to find the right combination. Or you might get lucky and find just the right agent who can link you to just the right publisher.

Just don’t give up!

Hope this helps!

Diane Bator

 https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

http://penspaintsandpaper.com

http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

This is a Pandemic, Not a Writing Retreat by Diane Bator

Yay! My new Sugarwood Mystery book came out June 1st! (Click on the cover to order Drop Dead Cowboy!)

On June 10, I was supposed to be taking my oldest son Nick, who is turning 25 this month, out to Alberta and B.C. to spend time with my brother Darryl, who is turning 50. Pretty memorable milestones but we won't be celebrating the way we wanted to be. This year, I will have to send them both love from a distance. Of course we planned to see other family and drive through the Rockies from Edson to Osoyoos, but that will have to wait.

There are so many things we haven't been able to do over the past several months. Of all the things I've really noticed is that my creative process took a holiday for the first seven weeks. Hearing those great words "this is a pandemic, not a writing retreat" helped. As much as we're isolated and some of us alone (except for a couple of cats who are starting to get on my nerves!) we're all dealing with the same situation.

What does my creative process look like right now?

Since I struggled to write for so many weeks, I turned to a previous addiction. Counted Cross Stitch. I've done many over the years until my kids got older and I focused my time on writing more than other pursuits. This one is called Sandcastle Dreams and it was kind of fun to take pictures every time I worked on it and share them on Instagram. No one else knew what the picture would look like, which made it even more fun.

  

Lucky for me, I have another one squirreled away and will start that one soon.

As for writing, I've been working from home since mid-March so my days begin with a few phone calls and emails as well as a daily Zoom chat. After that, I started off staring at the walls feeling numb. Once the wave of numbness passed, I began to listen to writing and other videos. It gave me a sense of camaraderie to hear how other authors and playwrights felt the same way. Slowly, I regained my sense of self.

I discovered I can attend virtual meetings that I could never attend in person due to scheduling. I am even attending a Left Coast Crime event this Saturday that I wouldn't have attended. Though I talked to other writers and listened to their stories, I just couldn't get back to writing my own.

Then I took a bath.

Suddenly, this character took over the second book in my Glitter Bay series and I couldn't stop her! She wasn't my original main character, Laken, but her sister Sage who has become my protagonist for All that Shines. Within two weeks, I'm on Chapter 7 and still going.

Since my routine has been altered, I've decided to make my time work for me without putting as much pressure on myself as I used do. I get up when the cats tell me it's time to get out of bed--usually by seven o'clock--then have coffee and breakfast while they go back to sleep. I do my work in the morning while my older cat, part Siamese, walks around me meowing because he wants my full attention, or to go outside, or a treat...  After lunch, if it's not nearly 40 degrees Celsius and my shoes won't melt on the sidewalk, I'll take a brisk walk before I sit down to write, listen to a lecture or two, read a book, or work on my website or the newsletter I'm struggling to set up.

Currently, I'm reading before bed every night to take my mind off the day's events. I have a huge stack of books from writers I've met and work with so reviews are due when I'm done each one. That's not a bad thing. In times like these, we all need to help each other and give each other what support we can.

How are you all faring?
Are you reading, writing, or have you found other creative outlets to keep your hands busy?
I'd love to hear about it.
Whatever you're doing, stay out of trouble and have fun!

Diane Bator
https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

http://penspaintsandpaper.com

http://dbator.blogspot.ca/