ISWG: Reviews & C. Lee McKenzie’s New Release

 Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the December 6 posting of the IWSG are C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, Jennifer Lane, and Jacqui Murray!

December question: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book reviews do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?

This is a tough question as I do both. I write reviews to share with readers books I really enjoy. I also write reviews to support the author. I would never critique an author in such a public forum. If something really bothered me, I would write to the author privately. When writing a review, I consider what I want readers to write about my books.

I hope you had a great November. Mine wasn’t that good. Family problems that I hope have been dealt with in a good way. My car was in an accident. I wasn’t the driver and no one was hurt. But I haven’t had my car for two months. Then I killed my computer. It’s “in the shop.” The same computer I’ve had problems with before. I hope it gets fixed faster than my car. Did I ever mention how much I dislike using my iPad to write posts?

 I sure hope December is better. I’m looking forward to the holidays. Hope December is a great month for you.

Our own C. Lee McKenzie has a new release. Yay! I’ve read her books and thoroughly enjoyed them. I’m looking forward to reading this one. 

Blurb: The desert town of Rattlesnake isn’t a destination. It’s a last resort. Seventeen-year-old Jonah Guthrie’s aunt sold their home in New England and fled to this place to escape the humiliation of his dad’s indictment for embezzlement and subsequent disappearance.  

While their late uncle left them a house and a silver mine, the house is a shambles and the mine is defunct. They’re almost out of money, so they have no choice but to stay in Rattlesnake. And then Jonah discovers they’ve inherited something else. Her name is Catherine, and she’s been dead for over a hundred year. Now, she needs his help.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUuj07mKQMI

Excerpt:

For a moment, the sun balanced on the tip of the tallest peak, then slipped behind the mountains, turning them black against the sky. They were out of options all except for going back to Old Cemetery Road and dealing with the property. From somewhere far out in the desert came the loneliest sound Jonah had ever heard. That high-pitched yowl caught him at the center of his stomach. Suddenly, he felt eyes on him from every direction, and the shadows grew teeth.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rattlesnake-C-Lee-McKenzie-ebook/dp/B0CNJLNKHV/ref=sr_1_1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1481237

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Rattlesnake%20(C.%20Lee%20McKenzie)&ac=1&acp=Rattlesnake&ac.title=Rattlesnake&ac.author=C.%20Lee%20McKenzie

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rattlesnake-c-lee-mckenzie/1144383328?ean=2940167647718 

Bio:

Until about a year ago, my writing was all about what was real and current in the world. I’ve written about cutting (Sliding on the Edge, 2009), death of a parent (The Princess of Las Pulgas, 2010), illiteracy (Double Negative, 2014–voted as one of the top ten novels for YA), homophobia (Sudden Secrets, 2014), injustice (Not Guilty, 2019, and paraplegia (Shattered, 2021–finalist in the Indie Book Awards). Then suddenly…Rattlesnake, my first other-worldly YA.

Connect with

 C. Lee McKenzie

Substack . Goodreads . Facebook . Instagram . YouTube . LinkedIn

Email

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 

IWSG: NaNo

 

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the November 1 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diedre Knight!

November 1 question: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

I've never participated in NaNo. I admire those who do. One of my friends uses what she wrote for NaNo as the springboard for her next novel. Many find it very useful in making them focus. It seems like more work than I want to do. It's not just the writing but visiting others, touching base (as I understand it).

The timing makes it extra difficult. Thanksgiving--big dinner, lots of family and/or friends, visitors from out of state. Christmas shopping. I can find lots of reasons why NaNo is too much work for me. And also the reason why I admire those who participate.

Good luck and best wishes to all of you who are participating in NaNoWriMo.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 

IWSG: Thoughts on AIs

 

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the October 4 posting of the IWSG are Natalie Aguirre, Kim Lajevardi, Debs Carey, Gwen Gardner, Patricia Josephine, and Rebecca Douglass!

Here I go again. Last month, I forgot to post. I can hardly believe that myself. Worse, I forgot again this month. Remembered, sort of, in time. Apologies to anyone who stopped by and I wasn't there. Next month has to be better.

This month's question: According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?

I'm all for anything that helps writers. Will the AI bring me coffee or a snack? Yeah. Will s/he correct my grammar? Microsoft does that already. Will the AI feed me ideas? Okay. I could handle another muse. Maybe the AI would do the laundry, feed my husband when I don't want to stop writing. 

As far as the AI writing my story? I think not. That would take away all the magic. The most fantastic thing about writing is the surprise when a character does something unexpected. Since an AI (I'm thinking something like Data on Star Trek) doesn't have emotions, it wouldn't appreciate the thrill of finishing a book or seeing it in print.

AIs can't appreciate the best part of writing.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 

IWSG: Do Over or Not?

 

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

I'm honored io join the awesome co-hosts for the August 2 posting of the IWSG:    Kate Larkindale, Janet Alcorn, and Shannon Lawrence! 

This month's question is: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?

I did. In the sequel to my first book, I listened to my critique partner about the beginning scene. I always wanted to put back a scene she told me to take out. I left it out and have regretted it since Switched Too was published in 2012. I was a newly published author and didn't have enough confidence in my ability to tell a story. I should have listened to my instincts. 

Should I leave it alone after all this time or put the small scene back in?

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 

IWSG: Dreaming

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the July 5 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre!

July 5 question - 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?

I have crazy dreams that I don't remember ten minutes after I wake up. My ideas come more in that in between time when I'm just about ready to go to sleep. Not just story ideas. Character names have popped into my mind as I'm drifting off. I wouldn't say 99%, though. Maybe 70%. The rest come from books, movies, newspaper stories, and heaven only knows where,

Where do your ideas come from? 

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 

IWSG: June 2023

 

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

The awesome co-hosts for the June 7 posting of the IWSG are Patrcia Josephine, Diedre Knight, Olga Godim, J. Lenni Dorner, and Cathrina Constantine!

Optional question: If you ever did stop writing, what would you replace it with?

That is a thought-provoking question. If I answer it, will I be admitting that I would quit writing? Since I haven't written anything this past month, does that mean I've stopped? I like to think I haven't given up. That I will continue writing.

I hope you all have a good month, one that is filled with ideas and inspiration. 

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 

IWSG: Inspiration

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

The awesome co-hosts for the May 3 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James, Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise Barbour!

In the May newsletter, it says I’m one of the cohosts. I had to beg off. My computer—you know the I had to buy in January—is in for repair (bad network card) so I’m using hunt and peck on my iPad. Slow. Slow. Slow. I have been having the worst time with electronics.

When you are working on a story, what inspires you?

Sometimes it’s music, especially without lyrics. Music can put me in the mood. Books and movies in my genre help. I’m looking forward to reading what helps others. 

Hopefully I’ll get my computer back soon so I can visit you all  

Hope you have a great writing month.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 

IWSG: April 2023

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

The awesome co-hosts for the April 5 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, Nancy Gideon, and Natalie Aguirre!

A thank you to whoever came up with an optional question each month. That really helps when I have difficulty thinking about what I should write. 

April 5 question - Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you're at the start of the journey, what are your goals?

I sure do remember, even though it was almost 30 years ago. Holy cow! I didn't realize it was that long ago. 

My thoughts as I wrote my first story was that I was going to treat this (writing) as a business. When I "went to work" (had a definite writing time), my writing increased. I even took a class for starting a small business. That's when I learned I should have a separate checking account and credit card, both dedicated for my business, keeping them separate from the family finances. I also learned about making long-term goals for the business. Although I learned about getting a tax ID for the business and how to report sales tax, I figured my books would be in bookstores, and they could take care of that. A few years ago, when I started selling my books at craft and vendor shows, I figured I'd better get that tax ID and report the sales tax I collected. 

After that class, I got my new checking account and credit card. I tried making long-term goals but never kept it up. I learned about writing query letters (thanks to Writer's Market) and a list of publishers and agents. Mind you, this was all before the internet really got big. Everything I learned then was from paper books, the library, and wonderful fellow writers who shared info. How much easier it is today with Google and the many online writers groups.

That first story had several rejections, some even with "send something else." I entered the first 3 chapters in contests. Boy, did I ever get some interesting comments from the judges. Learned a lot from that. Those early stories were practice and will never see the light of day again. 😀

Eventually, I sold my first book to a niche publisher. Since then, I've published fourteen more (one to another small publisher, the rest self-published). Even though I'm not making a lot of money, I'd say my plans have worked out.

Hope you have a great writing month.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

#WeWriWa - The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: Enough Pity Partying

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. Last time, Alex finally gets home from the jail when her friends descend on her. After holding it all in for hours, she falls apart.

Snippet: 

My two besties sat on either side of me and rubbed my bare shoulders.

“Hey, it’s going to work out,” Ellie said.

“There, there now,” Dottie crooned like I was one of her kids with a scraped knee. No hugs or kisses were going to make me feel better. Though she tried.

“I miss my mom.” I sobbed my heart out. Mom should have been here. She should’ve been the one to twitch my veil, hug me, and commiserate over that stupid deputy interrupting the wedding. Instead, cancer stole her from me.

And a little more:  

“I know, I know,” Dottie crooned again.

Ellie ran to the bathroom and got a wet washcloth. She handed it to me to wipe my tears. I gasped at the cold.

“Enough pity partying.” That was Ellen. Straight to the point. “What did Chief Hoesen say?”

While I appreciated their help, I couldn’t bear any more questions.

“Please don’t ask. I don’t know what happened. I do know Nick is innocent.”

“Of course, he’s innocent,” Dottie proclaimed. “Anyone who thinks different is a moron. Like Deputy Dawg. That man is several bricks shy of a load.”

“He’s more like a brick,” Ellen concurred. “How dare he march into church and arrest Nick?”

 

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and healthy and have a great week.