A new anthology from Echelon Press-Missing- is scheduled to debut at Bouchercon in Baltimore, MD next month.
Many wonderful writers, among them our own ACME author Norm Cowie donated a short story. All the stories have a common link-a missing person, and royalties are being donated to charity.
In 2007 they were over 800,000 people who disappeared- are missing-that is a staggering number. Hopefully our efforts will leave a mark-it is a step in the right…
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Added by Margot Justes on September 14, 2008 at 3:13am —
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I have missed the last couple of weeks-family events and a trip to Decatur, GA for a book festival-pretty much took care of the two weekends.
The good thing about promoting A Hotel in Paris is that I get to travel, so for this blog, I want to get back to travel agencies. When I travel promoting the above mentioned book, I have specific locations already selected. So it’s easy for me to book the hotel and flight all by myself.
However, picking a vacation destination is…
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Added by Margot Justes on September 7, 2008 at 7:22am —
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I am somewhat-well-really greatly-out of my depth or altitude here. I went to my local travel agency, Suburban Travel in Glenview, IL; more about the travel agency later.
At any rate, I was going to post a couple travel tips for people going to Europe. In the process I found out that sub-orbital travel is quickly becoming a reality, as in 2010 reality-flights have already been booked and paid for.
That is amazing, exciting and many other ‘ing’s’ I cannot think of at the…
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Added by Margot Justes on August 17, 2008 at 6:31am —
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I missed the blog last Saturday, was in San Francisco for the Romance Writers of America National Conference. I was a tourist, one of my favorite things to do. The hotel was well situated, right up the street from Union Square-perfect location.
I love to walk, and walk I did…from the hotel to China Town, to Little Italy, to Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39, to chocolate square otherwise know as Ghirardelli Square and finally to the trolley stop for the ride back.
I knew I was…
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Added by Margot Justes on August 10, 2008 at 9:21am —
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You may think I have a theme in mind-in fact I do, it is after all summer and tourist are on the road.
As you can see below, my novel is set in Paris and if you are lucky enough to be going to that spectacular city this summer and happen to love architecture, there is no better place to start than Paris.
Gothic architecture does not come any better than Notre Dame, the flying buttresses abound, and the Sunday peel can be heard for miles. Notre Dame is one of many truly…
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Added by Margot Justes on July 27, 2008 at 9:28am —
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It is summer, and many tourists will flock to Paris. There are no bad times in which to visit this magnificent city, but summer seems to be the season of choice.
To avoid the tourist crush, I prefer anytime but summer; to be able to capture and breathe the sensations of this captivating city in relative peace.
The cafes are a lifestyle, slow, easy…relaxing; the continuous rush of the life glides by, while you sit in a café and enjoy that marvelous cup.
Visit the…
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Added by Margot Justes on July 13, 2008 at 1:29am —
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The first time I went to Printers Row was last year.
I was helping Echelon, since my book was not yet out, I had nothing to sell. But I also went to see what all the fuss was about and of course to learn what needed to be done to sell books.
It was exciting - exciting that is - if books excite you as they do me…there were books everywhere, all types of books, rare, used, new, somewhat used-you get the drift. Books were everywhere.
I was delighted to see so many…
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Added by Margot Justes on June 1, 2008 at 11:02am —
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I had a great couple of days, took a vacation day on Friday and actually plotted out the end for A Hotel in Bath (I am more than half way done) and I have decided the location for book three – are you ready –Venice, Italy. This one will deal with glass-Murano-of course.
I do love glass, so the location is perfect. I even called to check on a price for a hotel –I set my sites high-very, very high-the Cipriani Hotel-and the e-mail told me to call the 800 number for a really great…
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Added by Margot Justes on May 18, 2008 at 11:11am —
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When I first started writing, I thought the idea was to finish a good manuscript. Make it exciting, have a good solid mystery, an amateur sleuth, tie it up neatly at the finish. Voila, a completed manuscript. A book.
Not so easy…tougher than it looks. My characters veered off course, I had to learn to write romance and combine the mystery. OK, I did that. Rather well too, I think.
I even managed to sell it. I now can hold an actual copy of my book in my hand. It took me…
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Added by Margot Justes on May 11, 2008 at 8:09am —
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Jenny Turner is a very talented Echelon author, not only is she talented, she is gracious as well. Please take a few seconds more and watch her book trailers…they are riveting and thrilling. So here without further introduction is the award winning author - Jenny Turner.
Thanks so much for having me here, Margot!
I think the one thing most non-writers or aspiring authors don’t realize is that writing is actually a very small (though highly enjoyable) part of a writing…
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Added by Margot Justes on April 13, 2008 at 11:41am —
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I had plans today, after all I had a free weekend with no commitments, I need to write and actually try to finish book two, I have e-mails to answer, marketing to do- ohhh- wait, and a blog to write. I had plans to do all of that and more.
But, then I looked out the window, the sun was shining, so, I opened the said window, and the birds were chirping. And I called my friend and said I need shoes, want go shopping, my friend after a few minutes of hesitation, said sure, I’ll pick you…
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Added by Margot Justes on April 6, 2008 at 11:46am —
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Tonight we spring forward as they say and lose an hour; that typically signifies spring is here.
You wouldn’t know it by the large snowflakes that kept falling this morning, the bitter cold that hit your face as you walked outside, or the dirty snow now turned to ice still peeking from beneath the fresh dusting of the white stuff.
I am looking forward to Spring, even tough I’ll be at my computer typing, trying to finish book two by year end, get ready for promo stuff for…
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Added by Margot Justes on March 10, 2008 at 6:15am —
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Southern hospitality is alive and well and greatly represented in Columbia, South Carolina.
I spent last weekend at the Columbia Book Festival. What a delight. First and foremost, people are wonderful, friendly, warm, helpful and welcoming.
Here I am, a new unknown author, selling my first book-more often than not, the response was, well I just have to buy your new book and see if I like it.
I was amazed at the generosity and kindness of the reading public. And…
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Added by Margot Justes on March 2, 2008 at 8:50am —
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I scheduled a book signing in Lafayette, In. The reason I am so delighted is very simple, it is in an art gallery called Artists’ Own.
My heroine is an artist, and I have been trying to do something different and creative. Book signings in art galleries fits…
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Added by Margot Justes on January 27, 2008 at 8:52am —
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When I get stuck in my story, my husband and I go to breakfast on Saturday. I talk he listens and frequently helps me out of a rut or a plotting problem. That is what happened today.
We sat, ate, I talked he listened, of…
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Added by Margot Justes on January 20, 2008 at 9:03am —
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It is the New Year, and New Year means this year’s round of conferences that we as writers need to attend. My first conference this year will be Love Is Murder (LIM for short). It is always the first weekend in February. Friday February 1st is registration. The Rosemont Wyndham (IL) is the place to be.… Continue
Added by Margot Justes on January 14, 2008 at 7:15am —
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It is 2008. The New Year is upon us and just as quickly everything else settles into place. It is back to the proverbial grind. Work and more work, along with my paying job, I have a book release to get ready for…and believe it or not, it is not too early.…
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Added by Margot Justes on January 7, 2008 at 7:02am —
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The week flew by fast and I missed my blog last Saturday. I wanted to wait till after my first book signing, but by the time I got home I was too wired to do anything constructive or destructive for that matter.
Sunday came and went, and preparations for the holidays were in full swing. In other words, I got very little done in my office and can’t really tell you where the time went.
The book signing at Centuries & Sleuths went very well, our own blogger Norm Cowie…
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Added by Margot Justes on December 30, 2007 at 4:53am —
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My publisher Karen Syed wanted to do something to help after the devastating fires in California. She asked 20 of her authors to write a short story and donate the royalties to a California charity. We had approximately 2 weeks to write it, and we did.
The anthology aptly named…
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Added by Margot Justes on December 2, 2007 at 12:27pm —
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Every year we celebrate Thanksgiving. We enjoy the turkey, the stuffing; all the accoutrements that accompany the gargantuan meal.
We give thanks for everything we hold dear, family, health, friends; all the tangible things…
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Added by Margot Justes on November 25, 2007 at 3:15am —
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