Mumbling and stumbling

Well, I mumbled my way through the keynote address and stumbled my way through the workshop. I suppose it wasn't really that bad but I must say that I was a tad nervous because I'd never given a keynote presentation or conducted a workshop before. The Keynote went pretty well with a minimum amount of snoring coming from the audience but I feel that I could have done a better job with the workshop. I learned a lot and next time will be a treat for everyone.

The mid-Michigan Writer's group is a sophisticated and well disciplined organization. They've been around a long time and have polished their act to a beautiful shine. This is a class assortment of diverse writers. You can learn more at www.midmichiganwriters.org

Now it's on to my next adventures.

In February I'll be attending the "Love is Murder" mystery writer's conference in Chicago. It's a three day, high intensity affair bringing together high visibility authors, literary agents, publishers, and a few small fish like me.

In March Saginaw Valley State University's college of lifelong learning has asked me to conduct a three part seminar for seniors on the ins and outs of writing and getting published. I'll post more details as they become available.

Sometime between now and next June I'll also be doing a presentation to the Grayling, Michigan Rotary Club. Information should be forthcoming soon on that gig.

FREE EXCERPT - Grand Murder

Grand Murder ~ ~ © 2007 Sylvia Hubbard



http://sylviahubbard.blogspot.com/2007/10/grand-murder-2007-sylvia-hubbard.html

Author’s Note: This book was started shortly after Stone’s Revenge was finally finished in 2000. I was still in a killing mood and I found myself doing this killer in Detroit.Now I must tell you something about the most noted murder capital of the world. In my opinion, even if there was a serial killer in Detroit, it would be hard to find. I seriously think Detroit is a body dump and people just think because there’s so many people dying here anyway, why don’t I just dump it there.They’ve never found a methodical killer such as the one in my book except for the one that was killing prostitutes or homeless women and leaving their bodies in abandoned homes all over the Eastside.

As a side note, I hshould let you know that the Bellini's are mentioned in this book, but I don't think there are any major speaking parts, nor anything regarding their story and I think Sheriff has a walk in role. Henry the morgue guy appears in another book as well, but right now I couldn't tell you which one he appears in.

These are just the first seven chapters, but I wanted to see if you guys like it. Regina is my typical innocent but smart girl and then the guy, well, I’m still trying to make my mind out about him.

If if sounds interesting, I might finish or I might change the characters. I know the rest of the story already in my head, but I thought I'd test this with you first.

I'd also like to know if you can come up with a better title. I'm not feeling this one and I would love for someone to give me something unique and just would hook me totally.

Winner gets a free book of Secrets, Lies & Family and when this book is released you'll be given a code to get a free book when I ship your initial book. (Must produce the code to get the book.)

http://sylviahubbard.blogspot.com/2007/10/grand-murder-2007-sylvia-hubbard.html

Don't forget to comment if you like and let me know if you like it or not. And if you have a better name, please let me know.

Oh yeah, and of course you're greedily reading this trying to find some insight on Sex Weed then here it is...I'm still working on it. I've gotten to the part where she's still with Reed. I've introduced Mackenzie, who's like Tanner and will later appear in the story with Chance (from Sin's Iniquity). I had to hide Dyson who decided against turning himself in per Montgomery in Onyx's home, in which the only two people who know how to get in or out is Del and Onyx.I'm debating as to which way to go with Melissa. Reed's a changed man, which has made it easier to write him, but I'm not sure if it's a facade and then there's the case that he had a hand in killing her sister and even though she hated Penelope (I hated Penelope too), staying there with him is not good when her heart belongs to Dyson. Yet, now Reed wants to give up the life and move out of Detroit. Dyson is on the run, but Melissa thinks he's in jail for her murder and the only thing to free her love is to get the digital tape to him. Yet, how can she do that if Reed keeps her locked her or closely guarded.So that's where I am in Sex Weed. It's coming along slowly because of my event and they've (my job) has started to let me get on the computer more and do whatever I want to again, so hopefully by November, I'll be done and be able to offer it for free like I usually do and then go from there.What's next for me?Well, I'm finally going to wrap up Stealing Innocence III. The trouble was the secondary plot. It seriously sucked. Her (the heroine) really had no motive for the reason why the original case wasn't closed and the link to the present case that was causing Lethal the most trouble. I had gotten Lethal to get involved, but linking her to the case wasn't a good one. It seriously sucked and I wasn't happy, but once I found out what she really did - she had no profession until I found out what she did and now... oh man, you guys might really love Lethal after this. I said might because do you know how difficult it is to find a woman for that diffiicult man? And then I gotta get Onyx laid. Good lawd! If y'all could spend an hour in my head at night as I formulate these stories, you wouldn't sleep for a week.'Nuf talkie, talkie. Okay, post your comments about the story and quit yelling at me about Sex Weed. I swear it's not another Dark Facade, although y'all just wait until a big book company picks me up and Dark Facade will be everywhere!!... i hope!!

http://sylviahubbard.blogspot.com/2007/10/grand-murder-2007-sylvia-hubbard.html

Who Should Be The Next Great Crime Writer?

Court TV is hosting its Search for the Next Great Crime Writer Contest on Gather! This is a crime/mystery writer's chance at a dream: a publishing and distribution contract with Borders, including a $5000 cash advance! It'd be a crime not to enter.
learn more »
more: contests writing books
http://courttv.gather.com/

MURDER and MAYHEM in MUSKEGO, WI

MURDER and MAYHEM
in MUSKEGO

November 10, 2007
10 am - 5 pm

http://www.murderandmayheminmuskego.com/

Diva's Last Curtain Call Author Angela Henry

I am always out there reading and the best genre to me is suspense and romance. I'm always impressed when I find an author with mad skills and can really make me call something a page turner.

Angela Henry's book The Diva's Last Curtain call makes me do this and I was not disappointed from the beginning to the end.

I decided to get in touch with Angela and feature her on this blog to give you a look at her books and let this diva know she's got much love from Michigan!

What made you decide to write mysteries?
I love mysteries of all kinds books, movies, even real life mysteries. Since there aren't many black mystery writers on a whole, and even fewer with a single black woman as the protagonist, I decided I would make my contribution to the mystery genre by writing the kind of book I would enjoy reading myself.


Is Kendra anything like you?
Kendra and I share the same taste in music. We both love old school R & B. Like Kendra, I used to work for a GED program, and we both grew up in Ohio. But, beyond that, we're quite different. I'm not quite as cheap as she is and she's a lot braver than me. I could never do some of the things she does to get the answers she needs. Plus, she's had more boyfriends than me.


What was the inspiration for your first book, THE COMPANY YOU KEEP?
There was a story in the news several years ago about women who had been romanced by a man who broke their hearts and ran off with their money. I got to thinking about what would happen if a man like that ended up dead with all the women he hurt as the suspects. It kind of took off from there.


Is Willow a real town in Ohio?
No. Willow is actually a combination of two places: Athens, Ohio, where I went to college, and my hometown of Springfield, Ohio.


What mystery writers have inspired you?
I'm a huge fan of Barbara Neely's Blanche White series, and I adore Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins and Paris Minton series. I also love Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. There are so many other writers who've inspired me that I don't have room to name them all.


What is your writing schedule like?
I work full-time so I try and write at least a few hours or 1,000 words a day. Having deadlines that have to be met has helped me be more productive but I'm still not as disciplined as I should be when it comes to my writing.


Why do you think there are more mysteries by African-Americans being published in recent years?
The bottom line is money. Publishers finally realized that black people read and saw that there was a huge untapped market.


How hard was it for you to get a book deal?
Very! I started writing THE COMPANY YOU KEEP in October of 1995. I finished it in early 1999. I went through two literary agents and finally was offered a book deal in January of 2004 By BET Books. Altogether that's nine years of writing, submissions, and rejections before finally
getting an offer.


What made you hang in there and not give up?
I truly believed in my first book. I knew there was a market for it. I got a lot of positive feedback from the people who read it. I figured maybe the timing wasn't right when it didn't sell right away.


What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Expect rejection and criticism and try not to take it personally, study your market and the publishing business in general, read other books in your genre, write often, join some writers groups, and don't give up.


Are there more Kendra books in the works?
Yes. I signed a new three book deal last year. So, there will be at least 6 books in the series.

Check out Angela Henry's books at: http://www.angelahenry.com/books.php

Sweet Justice - My NEW E-Book!!!

Recently my contract on an anthology submission was released back to me and instead of throwing this book on the shelf, I thought to release it to the world.

I'm excited because I hadn't made up new and fresh characters in a while (been doing a lot of sequeling) so given this opportunity to come up with something difficult, I jumped on the challenge and decidedto bring my readers Gwenyth, the hardest working single mother and a plot with a heck of a twist.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold....



Diary Entry for August 15th:

Brown skin like hot chocolate about to melt. So delicious looking I want to lick it off.

This was Gwenyth's birthday entry into her sex diary - writing she kept to sate her while the father of her daughter is in jail on murder charges. Yet when the charges are dropped and he is due to be free, Gwenyth finds herself wondering does she really want to go back with him?

Fear keeps her from venturing to another man until...

Her diary is lost and the finder knows who she is and gives her the option to fulfill one fantasy with no strings attached. As horny as she is, she's willing to take him up on his offer and give her sexually sweet justice.

But will she live to write about it?

FYI: Mystery Readers Book Clubs

Mystery Readers Book Clubs: Here’s a list of mystery book clubs by state. If you are a mystery, suspense writer, book discussion groups are ideal for marketing your novel. http://www.mysteryreaders.org/groups.html