Round Robin Blog Fest October 2022 - Our 100th!!

 

It’s our 100^th Round Robin Blog Fest Post!

Thank you to Robin Courtright for giving us some head scratching questions over the years! I don’t know about the others, but there have been a few that have made me really have to step outside what I’d normally write and think hard.

Congratulations to Robin and the whole Blog Fest Gang!

That brings us to this month’s question:

Have any of your villainous characters reached redemption for their actions? If you were going to do this, how would you go about it?

Since I write mysteries, my books usually end once the villain/bad guy/antagonist is caught and is carted off to jail! To be honest, I’ve never thought about what it would look like if the villainous character reached redemption for his/her actions. Here’s where I need to step a bit out of my usual box of crime is committed, sleuth investigates, crime is solved, villain goes to prison and they all live happily ever after!

Or do they?

At the start of my Wild Blue Mysteries, The Bookstore Lady, we have Gerard Maddox who we know from the start of the book is one of the main bad guys who is out to get Katie Mullins, one of the protagonists. He’s a villain with a soft spot for Katie after she’s worked with his company and he’s had an affair with her. The heroes catch him, put him in jail, and life goes on.

To Buy: Click Here

Until in book 5, The Conned Lady, he’s released from jail on a technicality and disappears. He’s a big part of why Katie has to live in fear, but certainly not the worst of her troubles. In the end, there is no redemption. Not for him.

With so many baddies being locked away in my mysteries, surely there might be one who could redeem themselves. Right?

To Buy: Click Here

We have my favorite villain from my Gilda Wright Mysteries. Gary del Garda doesn’t flat out commit crimes on the page, not that my protagonist Gilda ever sees. He’s a mobster and all-around baddie who the whole town watches out for. In turn, he looks out for Gilda after making a pledge to her police officer father when he was killed in the line of duty. I suppose becoming her father figure, is the only way Gary thinks he can atone for some of the crimes he’s committed and—so far—gotten away with.

To Buy:  Click Here

Perhaps the latest villainous character in Dead Man’s Doll may stand a slim chance as well. Her anger and need for vengeance took over any rational thinking she had left, plus she was running out of time. She’d tried to join the local coven, more to get information and an in with the locals than support, but… What if she managed to change her ways and decided to fix things for her family’s sake? For her own peace of mind?

The key to having a bad guy redeem themselves in fiction is that it has to be believable. If someone terrorizes a town then comes back and decides to start a greenhouse and grow flowers to plant along the busy streets, characters are going to talk – and check the potting soil. There has to be a solid reason for the change and a deep seeded (more plant jokes) reason for them to want to do right by the people they wronged.

Hm…on that note, I’m going to do a little more thinking and see who else could plausibly have a change of heart and redeem themselves to the family of their victim, and to the sleuth who foiled their nefarious plans.

Please join the rest of the Blog Fest gang and find out what their villains are up to!

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

A.J. Maguire http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2KA

Robin Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

 

Free Book For the Month of September - Dead Without Honor by Diane Bator

       FREE BWL PUBLISHING NOVEL DOWNLOAD FOR SEPTEMBER

DEAD WITHOUT HONOR

BY DIANE BATOR

Dead Without Honor

Gilda Wright Mysteries, Book 1

The scroll of the Four Possessions of the Samurai holds the key to a deadly mystery…

Gilda Wright thinks she’s landed a dream job as the receptionist at a karate school. Her boss, Sensei Mick Williams, is almost as demanding as he is sexy, but Gilda is inspired by the strength and courage of the people around her. When Gilda finds the body of one of the instructors in the dojo with a sword through his chest, she must find her own inner strength and fast! The police regard everyone in the school as suspects, including her boss, and it’s up to Gilda to find out what really happened. She follows the clues of the missing scroll of the Four Possessions of the Samurai down a deadly path filled with lies, deceit, and poisoned ninja stars. If she doesn’t watch her back, she just may become the killer’s next target.

To Get Your FREE Copy click here!

Have you checked out the rest of the Gilda Wright Mystery Series?

Gilda Wright thinks she’s landed a dream job as the receptionist at a karate school except she’s surrounded by handsome instructors, a local bookie, and more mysteries than she’d counted on.

Book 2 – Dead Without Glory

One body on the beach.

One crazy man with a sword accused.

One feisty receptionist on the case. 

Gilda Wright’s life seems to finally be on track. Her love life is looking up and she’s planning and promoting a grand opening extravaganza for Sensei Mick Williams’ new martial arts school. But things go awry when their special guest referee for the opening exhibition match is found dead on the beach. To make matters worse, the school’s new weapon’s instructor Kane Garrick, who is enough to make any woman lose her head and her heart, stands accused of his murder. In spite of her promise to Mick and nearly everyone else in Sandstone Cove not to get involved, Gilda wades into danger one more time. The only question is, can Gilda catch the killer before the killer catches up to her?

 

Book 3 – Dead Without Pride

Gilda Wright has always had an open mind about the spiritual world. Dating the hot sensei at her martial arts school, Mick Williams, has taught her that mind, body, and spirit have a strong connection. But when her good friend and sometimes flirtation, Kane Garrick hires a pretty psychic at his New Age store, Gilda finds herself torn between being glad he's distracted and feeling just the teeny-tiniest bit jealous. A feeling that quickly turns to suspicion when the psychic's predictions begin to come true—including one about the murder of a well-known person in their small town! Suddenly Gilda wonders if the psychic's involvement in both her predictions and Kane's life are mere coincidence or a clever set up. It's up to Gilda to find the truth and track down a killer...before her own death becomes next on the
psychic's prediction list! 

Book 4 – Dead Without Shame

Once more, Gilda considers leaving the karate school to work for her friend Happy (no one has ever called him Harvey). When three men rob Happy Harvey’s Hangover Hut killing the woman at the front counter, Gilda is stunned to think that could have been her. Was this a mere robbery, or does someone have a vendetta against Happy, including his good friend Gary del Garda? The evidence keeps piling up while both her mother and another karate instructor come to town bearing secrets that may cost Gilda the life she loves in Sandstone Cove.

 

Book 5 – Dead Without Remorse

Someone has destroyed the building that housed the former Yoshida Martial Arts School leaving numerous people injured and one dead. Considering Mick Williams owns the building, Gilda Wright needs to clear his name as well as track a killer before her suspects scatter like debris.

Check out more books by Diane Bator at:  https://bookswelove.net/

Round Robin Blog Fest August 21 - Favorite Words

 

I'm back with another fun Round Robin Blog Fest! This month's question is:

Do you have any character habits or favorite words that always crop up in your writing?

Since I've been writing a non-fiction writing book lately, my thoughts went a totally different way to words and habits I tend to overuse.

I had to laugh when a friend read one of my earlier books and commented how there was a lot of nostril flaring. Nostril flaring and eye rolling are two of my biggest, most overused reactions for characters. Apparently, I must do a lot of both in real life.

Sighing is another reaction I tend to overuse. In one of my books I was doing a first edit on, I gave up counting the number of sighs. I should have done a search when I plugged my edits into the computer. I think there would have been at least three per page.

I’ve also had characters groan several times on a page. Some of the time I plug them into a rough draft with the intention of going back and replacing them with something better and…sometimes I forget.

Just and very pop up often, too. So does A LOT, which I’ve already used three times in this blog!

Speaking of overused, I went back and did a quick edit and got rid of four exclamation marks. I did leave one for effect, but the others were far from necessary. One of my first editors used to constantly rap my knuckles for using them more than once per book. I have snuck a couple more in there lately when the situation calls for them.

Nice. “It’s a nice day.” What does that mean? Nice is one of those words that can be used by a character but really doesn’t say anything. I try hard to elaborate while going through edits.

We all tend to do comparisons and sometimes like can get a real workout. “The puddles were like tiny oceans to the bugs that bounced with every raindrop.” If you’re writing those sorts of comparative sentences several times a chapter, your readers will start to notice. One way to get around that is to add more description of the item instead of likening it to something else.

Actually, I think I overuse actually a great deal, too. The good thing is this is one word I actually delete when I go through my first round of edits. Unless it’s actually needed by a character, I automatically cross it out.

One issue I tend to have lately is dialogue tags. I’ve gone from many “said” and “asked” to action tags. And I got called out for it by a big league author. I’ll be much more careful going forward.

Being an author there’s a real learning curve. Just when you think you’ve figured things out and are following the “rules”, someone points out a bad habit that you never even noticed. That’s when we roll our eyes and sigh before we actually make a lot of changes…

If you haven't seen my newest release, introducing:

 An explosion leaves a gaping hole in the streetscape where the Nine Lives Consignment Shop and the former martial arts school once stood. When police find remains of a bomb inside, Gilda Wright needs to track a killer before her suspects scatter like debris.

Check it out at: https://books2read.com/Dead-Without-Remorse

Also be sure to check out our wonderful authors:

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2ow

Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

A New Release, A Free Book and Happy Birthday to ME!!

Happy Birthday and New Release to ME!

 It's my birthday so we're changing things up today with 

a little reminsecing about one of my favorite series:  

Gilda Wright Mysteries

launching a NEW BOOK and giving away a FREE BOOK!!

Did you know Gilda came about while I was actually working 

as a receptionist in a karate school?

While her adventures are much more exciting than mine, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a fun cast of characters and some kick ass action!

Did you also know those great karate covers weren't the first incarnation for Gilda's mysteries?

When the first book was first released several years ago, it went through a couple different covers. Personally, I loved the cover and title Death of a Jaded Samurai, but the publisher was torn and we changed it to suit their markets.

                        

Then I changed publishers to BWL Publishing Inc. and got that great logo! I love the karate positions on the new covers and have had fun with launching 4 adventures. 

                     

Did you know that my goal for each book, is for Gilda to grow into a more confident woman?

It's true! I also love that her bestie Marion Yearly grows along side her and me with them.

Between the two of them, there's never a dull moment!

When you toss Mick Williams, Kane Garrick, and the rest of the gang at Pheonix Martial Arts into the mix, Gilda's days are never boring.

Then there's Happy Harvey's Hangover Hut and the eternal question:  Should Gilda keep working at the Phoenix school or run for cover behind the front counter of the tiki-infested liquor store?

Even though it's MY BIRTHDAY!! I have a  couple great gifts for YOU!

Number One:  A FREE BOOK!!  

All YOU have to do is go HERE to pick it up!

Number Two:  A NEW RELEASE!!

DEAD WITHOUT REMORSE

Find out how Mick lost his hearing and what Fabio gave Gilda that could change the course of her future...

To purchase, simply go HERE! 

If you'd like a taste of what's going on in Gilda's world, keep reading...

Dead Without Remorse 

Chapter One

Gilda fanned her face, glad she’d pulled her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail and melted onto a lawn chair. Sweat trickled from every pore as she groaned. “This weather is unbelievable, especially for mid-September.”

“Hey, I’ll take it. Summer could last another six months as far as I’m concerned.” Marion Yearly, her best friend of many years, handed her a tall glass and a straw across the round mosaic-tiled table. “Here, this’ll help. My famous Lemonade Margarita. Drink it slow, it’s loaded with…”

Too thirsty to heed her warning, Gilda sucked back nearly half a glass of the cold, tangy mixture before an odd taste hit the back of her throat. She scrunched up her face. “What’s in this?”

“I tried to warn you about the tequila.” Marion curled her shoulder-length dark hair over her ears before she topped up Gilda’s glass then raised her own. “Cheers to both of us finally getting an afternoon off to hang out together. Well, aside from karate class this morning.”

“Amen.” Gilda tapped her glass against Marion’s before she sat back. Her best idea of the day so far was to pull on a bikini beneath her shorts and tank top after class.

Maybe she could convince Marion to join her for a dip in Lake Erie later. Considering the sweltering heat, it wouldn’t take much effort, especially after some spiked lemonade.

Her best friend’s backyard resembled a small-town version of the Garden of Eden. Fruit trees, a wide variety of flowers, thick shrubs, and plenty of shade. Gilda felt like she’d gone to paradise without having to board a plane.

Marion slid on her sunglasses before she sat back and breathed out a happy sigh. “How’d you manage to get the rest of the day off anyway? I thought Mick wanted you to work all day and night to get ready for Sandstone Cove’s birthday bash next weekend.”

“That’s what he said, but—”

“Aren’t we supposed to be doing some big demo on the beach and distributing some handouts?” she cut Gilda off.

“Yup, but we’ve worked out most of the details and the flyers are at the printers. Besides, I’ve put in well over my usual hours in the past few weeks. I needed a day off before I strangled someone.”

Marion grinned. “Kane. I heard you two snarl at each other in class.”

“He’s had it coming all week. At least, Kane’s teaching classes tonight, so Mick and I can be alone. Between the new school and the celebration, it’s been weeks since we’ve had time together.”

When she’d first started to work for Sensei Mick Williams at Yoshida Martial Arts, she was ill prepared for what lay ahead, or for falling head over heels for her boss. Her original motivation was to hide from the world behind a desk. To rebuild her shattered self-confidence and ego after a very public breakup with a local police detective.

“Did I tell you how jealous I am you work with the hottest hunks in town? You know that’s the only reason I take classes, right?” Marion adjusted the straps of her yellow tank top before she closed her eyes and settled back with a dreamy smile.

Not only did Gilda know. So did the hunks in question. Marion had a massive crush on Razi Mauli, one of the instructors. He seemed to take her attention in stride. Sometimes, he seemed to enjoy it enough to flirt a bit in return.

“That and you like to watch them grapple in tight shorts.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Marion grinned.

Gilda gazed around the garden. “Do you realize it’s been three months already since Mick shut down the Yoshida school?”

Then he and Razi built Phoenix Martial Arts. Despite the glitch of a murdered referee during their grand opening, membership had soared. Gilda shuddered at the memory of stumbling across yet another body. She never wanted that experience again. Ever.

I WANT TO READ MORE! Buy Link!

Thanks for stopping by! Please check out my website at https://dianebator.ca/

June Round Robin Blog Fest

 

Welcome back to yet another fascinating installment of our blog fest!

At this time of year, I'm trying to spend weekends up at the lake away from technology--HA!!!--as if that ever works. But I'm happy to join in to answer this month's burning question:

In your writing how do you recognize and overcome plot problems or failures?

If you're a writer of any sort of genre, chances are  you've had a plot problem. Particularly for those of us who don't outline but let the story and characters take us where they want to go. Recognizing these "creative challenges" sometimes take the eye of a beta reader or an editor because writers can become so close to their work they don't read the actual words on the page but their brains substitute in the words that should be there. Which is why a lot of people have a tough time to self-edit.

This year, I'm training to become a Book Coach. Yup, that's a real thing! How cool, right? In my very first practicum, my client said that, since he's a pantser, he has a hard time remembering details and incidents from earlier chapters. That's one of the simplest ways for a plot problem to rear up.

I had a few suggestions for him:

• Keep an open Word page so at the end of each chapter he can make the necessary notes about key characters and information for following chapters. In effect creating a step by step outline, but while he writes.
• Sticky notes!! I love using sticky notes in the same way and used this method for All That Shines. Writing down my outline and putting those notes in book order on a posterboard on my wall enables you to see the whole book plotline by plotline. I can take it down if I need to, but the information I need for further chapters is laid out in such a way I can just look up and find what I need.
• There's a great device we use in book coaching called the Inside Outline. Basically, making note of each scene then the point behind the scene. If there is no point to the scene, take it out if it doesn't drive the story forward.

Finding the plot issues is one thing. Fixing them...

Sometimes, like with one of my books that is back from a fresh edit, it takes a minor adjustment at the beginning of the book, to make the plot work. Because I had added a scene at the beginning of the book and didn't follow through to the rest of the book, the plot line had holes. Happily, all I have to do is soften the new scene to make it work.

Sometimes plot problems can be fixed during editing with just a few changes throughout the manuscript. Other times, the fix must be made much deeper to the story's structure.

Having some form of an outline can help you identify problems by seeing yours story structure whether it be with a synopsis, an outline, or sticky notes on a posterboard. I'd highly recommend using whichever way works best for you.

Watch for the pre-release of my newest novella Dead Without Remorse coming July 1st with a release date of August 1st! Gilda Wright is at it again! This novella takes us back in time to when the former Yoshida Martial Arts building is destroyed and a man found dead inside.

I got to do a fun radio interview for my new book All That Shines, you can listen here:  https://shows.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio/episodes/diane-bator-all-that-shines

Have fun seeing how our other amazing authors overcome their plot problems!

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2lz

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

Have you met Gilda Wright?

 

Gilda Wright Mystery Series

Gilda Wright thinks she’s landed a dream job as the receptionist at a karate school except she’s surrounded by handsome instructors, a local bookie, and more mysteries than she’d counted on.

 

If you haven’t heard the story, I used to be the receptionist at a local martial arts school. Yup, that's me in the photo! I still have all my notes, even though I had to give up training. Since egos get bruised as easily as shins and thighs, writing a martial arts mystery series from that experience came naturally. 

Gilda took the job at Yoshida Martial Arts to mend a broken heart and find her own inner strength after a bad breakup. It was less painful for her than Detective Jason Thayer who ended up head first in a fifty-pound bag of coffee beans. That was three years ago. Now that Gilda’s a blue belt heading for a brown belt grading (Sh! If you’ve already read Dead Without Shame, don’t give away how that turns out!), Thayer’s afraid to set foot in the school – or her house. 

I created the fictional school into one where many people might not want to set foot and let Gilda Wright take over to solve crimes in Sandstone Cove. Much to the chagrin of those closest to her! Lucky for her, she has Sensei Mick on her side. As well as Marion Yearly, her best friend, and Kane Garrick…well, Gilda’s not sure what he is yet. 

Tag along for a fun ride! Oh, by the way, For the month of June, all of my books are available on Smashwords, click HERE to check them out! https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bator

 

Book 1 - Dead Without Honor

The scroll of the Four Possessions of the Samurai holds the key to a deadly mystery…

Gilda Wright thinks she’s landed a dream job as the receptionist at a karate school. Her boss, Sensei Mick Williams, is almost as demanding as he is sexy, but Gilda is inspired by the strength and courage of the people around her. When Gilda finds the body of one of the instructors in the dojo with a sword through his chest, she must find her own inner strength and fast! The police regard everyone in the school as suspects, including her boss, and it’s up to Gilda to find out what really happened. She follows the clues of the missing scroll of the Four Possessions of the Samurai down a deadly path filled with lies, deceit, and poisoned ninja stars. If she doesn’t watch her back, she just may become the killer’s next target.

Book 2 – Dead Without Glory

One body on the beach.

One crazy man with a sword accused.

One feisty receptionist on the case.

Gilda Wright’s life seems to finally be on track. Her love life is looking up and she’s planning and promoting a grand opening extravaganza for Sensei Mick Williams’ new martial arts school. But things go awry when their special guest referee for the opening exhibition match is found dead on the beach. To make matters worse, the school’s new weapon’s instructor Kane Garrick, who is enough to make any woman lose her head and her heart, stands accused of his murder. In spite of her promise to Mick and nearly everyone else in Sandstone Cove not to get involved, Gilda wades into danger one more time. The only question is, can Gilda catch the killer before the killer catches up to her?

***Dead Without Glory will be FREE on Amazon June 26 & 27 to add to your summertime reads!

 

Book 3 – Dead Without Pride

Gilda Wright has always had an open mind about the spiritual world. Dating the hot sensei at her martial arts school, Mick Williams, has taught her that mind, body, and spirit have a strong connection. But when her good friend and sometimes flirtation, Kane Garrick hires a pretty psychic at his New Age store, Gilda finds herself torn between being glad he's distracted and feeling just the teeny-tiniest bit jealous. A feeling that quickly turns to suspicion when the psychic's predictions begin to come true—including one about the murder of a well-known person in their small town! Suddenly Gilda wonders if the psychic's involvement in both her predictions and Kane's life are mere coincidence or a clever set up. It's up to Gilda to find the truth and track down a killer...before her own death becomes next on the
psychic's prediction list!

 

Book 4 – Dead Without Shame

Once more, Gilda considers leaving the karate school to work for her friend Happy (no one has ever called him Harvey). When three men rob Happy Harvey’s Hangover Hut killing the woman at the front counter, Gilda is stunned to think that could have been her. Was this a mere robbery, or does someone have a vendetta against Happy, including his good friend Gary del Garda? The evidence keeps piling up while both her mother and another karate instructor come to town bearing secrets that may cost Gilda the life she loves in Sandstone Cove.

 AND

The newest Gilda Wright Mystery arrive in August 2021! Book 5 is technically Book 2.5 and was originally a bridge between Books 2 & 3. This one will be a bit of a blast from the past and finally answer the mystery of how Sensei Mick lost his hearing.

Book 5 – Dead Without Remorse

Someone has destroyed the building that housed the former Yoshida Martial Arts School leaving numerous people injured and one dead. Considering Sensei Mick Williams owns the building, Gilda Wright needs to clear his name, plus track a killer before her suspects scatter like debris.

Buy Links:

Smashwords  

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca