Okay so it looks like I fell off the planet. Promise - I'm still here. The last four years have been ... hard. There's no other word for it. Everything is fine. I'm fine, but I've been the caregiver of my mom who has Dementia. Between her needs, work, etc I seem to have lost control of my time. I am still writing and am trying hard to get back to my blog.

In case you weren't aware Phaze and HSWF which where under the Mundania Umbrella have closed. I was smart enough to get my titles back before all this happened. I'm happy to say the three books I sold to HSWF have been picked up by Melange Books and are available through their Satin Books imprint. I have even sold a new title to them called Magical Quest due out in 2022

I have also been lucky enough to find a publisher for my Vespian Way series. I'm now with Blushing Books under the name of Bethany Drake. I have five titles out with them right now and am close to submitting two more. There's Desire's Destiny, Desire's Duty and Desire's Promise. Then there is two in my werewolf series, Tears of the Queen and Legend of the Tears. I have just finished the rough draft of the third book in the series and have plans for a fourth one the moment I submit it.

I'll probably still be sporadic here on the blog. Unless I win the lottery and can hire someone to help me I can't avoid it, but know I'm still here still working hard in the background and am hoping to do better at keeping my blog alive.

Barb:)



Saturday, October 3, 2015

Welcome my Latest Guest: Marilyn Meredith is Back!

I want to welcome Marilyn Meredith. First I’d love you to introduce yourself.

I’m the author of two mystery series, The Deputy Tempe Crabtree series and the Rocky Bluff P.D. series that I write under the name F. M. Meredith.  My husband of many years and I live in the foothills of the Southern Sierra (CA) with two inside cats, a dog, and too many outside cats plus the occasional bear and mountain lion.

Tell us about your latest release.

Not as it Seems is the latest in the Tempe Crabtree series. Tempe and her husband Hutch go to Morro Bay for their son’s wedding and a much needed vacation. Upon their arrival, they learn the maid-of-honor has disappeared and soon learn she has been murdered. At her son’s request, Tempe begins an investigation. Her quest is complicated by too many suspects and spirits from the past.

Now I have a few questions for you – I have found readers do like to know fun things about us writers.

1.) Who is your favorite author?

That changes from time to time, but right now I’d say William Kent Krueger. I love his mystery series, but my favorite is his stand-alone, Ordinary Grace.  I hope that I do as well on description of place as he does.

2.) What was your favorite book growing up?

Again, I had many, and yes, I read Nancy Drew—but I also read my mother’s book of the month books and my favorite was Gone with the Wind.

3.) Are you a plotter or a pantser and why did you choose that method?

I’m a pantser, though I do some initial planning ahead of time such as who is going to die, why, what method, and who are the folks who’d like to see this person dead and why. I begin to build on those ideas and usually start with something happening on the first page.

4.) Do you consider writing a career or a hobby? Why?

A career because I spend so much time writing and promoting—however, if I had to decide because of the money I make from my writing, I’d have to say it wasn’t much of a career. However, no matter, I am compelled to write.

5.) What are you working on now?

The next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery. I’ve finished the latest Rocky Bluff P.D. novel, but I’m still reading it to my critique group. When they’ve finished, I’ll go over it again and then send it off to my editor.

6.) What one piece of advice would you like to pass on to an up and coming author?

Read the kind of books you want to write. Too often I have people tell me they are writing a book or want to write a book but tell me they don’t read. If you don’t read, you aren’t going to be successful as a writer.

7.) If you had the ability to time travel and your first visit was to see a younger version of yourself what would you say to that younger self?

I’d tell myself to get started writing earlier  and learn as much about writing as I could through books, writers conferences, and finding a good critique group.

8.) You just got a million dollars, whether it’s from an inheritance, the lottery, or a sweet book deal doesn’t matter. What would be the first thing you would buy for yourself?

That’s not easy to decide, but with a million, I might hire an assistant to do the all the promotion that takes so much time.

9.) If you could un-invent one thing in the world what would it be?

I have no idea. Some of the modern inventions like the computer and Internet have made life so much easier for me as a writer.

10.) What is your favorite movie/TV Show? Why?

I like many TV shows—mainly mystery. As for favorites, they change as new ones pop up. But probably the one I like best is Blue Bloods. I think it usually is the most realistic police show—and besides, Tom Selleck is in it.




Excerpt from Not as it Seems:

Tempe and her husband, Hutch, traveled to Morro Bay for her son Blair’s wedding. Blair asked Hutch to officiate at the ceremony, and both he and Tempe looked forward to meeting Blair’s fiancée and her family.

Soon after checking into the Bay Cottage Inn, on one of the main streets of Morro Bay leading toward the beach, Blair arrived.

Her son’s anguished expression alarmed Tempe.

“Oh, honey.” She hugged him. “What’s wrong?”

Blair sank into a chair at the table in the small room. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep anything from you. Amaresh’s best friend is missing.”

“What do you mean?”

“No one has heard from her and we’ve talked to everyone who knows her and she doesn’t seem to be anywhere. Amaresh is so upset I don’t know whether or not we’ll be able to go through with the wedding.”

“You have gone to the police, right?”

“Of course. They were reluctant at first to even take the report. The desk sergeant went through the rigmarole that Kathy, that’s her name, Kathy Welling, is an adult and has the right to disappear if she so desires.”

“Amaresh became so angry I was afraid of what she might say. Though her eyes blazed, she explained carefully that Kathy is one of her best friends and was looking forward to being the maid of honor in her upcoming wedding. Finally the officer took down all the information, but I don’t think the police are doing much about it.”

“Oh, honey, that’s terrible. Have you checked with her family and all of her friends?”

“Of course, Mom, but no one knows anything.”

“What do you want me to do?” Tempe asked.

“I was hoping you’d ask. Do you think you could see what you could find out?”

Tempe glanced at Hutch who ran his fingers through his already mussed auburn hair and frowned.

He said, “Don’t you think it would be better if the investigation was left up to the local police department?”

Blair shook his head. “No, I don’t. They aren’t going to work fast enough for Amaresh. What do you say, Mom?”

Despite the fact that Blair was now a broad-shouldered, muscular man with his blond hair cut short, when he spoke to her like that, she couldn’t help but think about the slim boy with the corn-silk hair who managed to talk her into doing almost anything for him. “Of course I’ll help. But I’ll have to speak with everyone who knew her. Remember, I have no official status here so what I can do will be limited.”



3 comments:

  1. Love you--and your books--as always. I point you out to other struggling writers as someone to read and learn from.

    ReplyDelete