What to do with all those Amazon/B&N gift cards you received from Santa? Here's a few suggestions:

http://kingsriverlife.com/12/27/coming-attractions-new-years-edition/

For more books you can win, go to the Mystery Rat Maze and click on the various books being reviewed. Instructions for entering the contest at the end of the article. Contests run to next Saturday, Jan. 3.…

What better gift than books for the holidays? This week in my Coming Attractions column I have a hefty list of titles. Better yet, you have a chance of winning 10 books just by making a comment or emailing ezine editor Lorie Ham. Contest ends Dec. 6.…

Check out the latest books from William Kent Krueger, Kelli Stanley, L.J. Sellers and a new series by Ray Daniel. Also, here's a link to sample 11 chapters from the latest Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child novel. http://kingsriverlife.com/07/26/coming-attractions-end-of-summer-edition/  

And 5 cozy mysteries from Penguin can be yours by emailing…

Maybe you can't afford a trip to Kenya on your summer vacation, but you can win a copy of Annamaria Alfieri's “Strange Gods” for a summer read. Catch my review and an author interview at http://kingsriverlife.com/06/21/strange-gods-by-annamaria-alfieri/

What constitutes a beach read? Any book that whisks you away on a cyber (or cerebral) vaca! Here's the 7 authors with new titles and a chance to win three books: Nancy Parra, Annamaria Alfieri, David Freed, Jan Christensen, Aneta Adamcova-Cruz, Laura Benedict and Nancy Lynn Jarvis.…

Ever since Amazon legitimized self-publishing, small publishing houses and Big Publishing have been reeling from the impact. Big Publishing's answer was to first discredit authors who took control of their careers, then sought to keep prices high on e-books so agents and publishers could continue to reap profits.

Small publishing continued as if nothing really changed. Indie houses have been ignored by book chains and small press authors…

Right now I have the matron of the house standing guard by the computer making sure I write positive things about the tribe. Gemini, who entered my life on my birthday, allows me to tap at the computer keys for just so long, then reminds me to take a break by crawling into my lap for a few strokes of her own.

The other four are off doing their own thing: Kitler is asleep on a cardboard box, a favorite spot of all cats (along with the step stool,…

The world of publishing is very much like playing craps in Vegas. No matter how hard a writer evaluates a publishing house or tries to predict its future success before signing on the dotted line, the industry itself is as consistent as a roll of the dice.

There are calculations you can make based on factors such as the length of time the house has been in business, the size of its stable of authors, the number of titles and presence on the Internet. But, getting information…

Although I do astrology, I no longer ask people “What's your sign?” As an acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press, I now ask authors, “What's your genre?”

The worst thing a writer can do is give me a blank stare. “Genre” is an essential part of the lingo in publishing lexicon. It's how we classify a book and decide if it fits our line.

Labeling books has practical reasons. Bookstores (when they existed) found it useful to put books…

Websites are now as important for establishing identity as a birth certificate or a driver's license. Yet, I've noticed that once an author puts one up, the site is often forgotten and neglected.

I research authors when they send me query letters in my capacity as acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press. I like to know who I'm dealing with and, short of doing a background check, websites are all I have to give me an inkling of their accomplishments up to this stage in their…

What happens when something you love becomes WORK?

Yes, that's my current dilemma. I love to read (who doesn't?) and mystery has been my favorite genre until I became acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press. The manuscripts came fast and furious, box loads via snail mail, cyber submissions filled my e-mail. All of a sudden I was forced to speed read the first 30 pages, make decisions like a Roman…

So, I got these two kittens a few months back. Ragamuffin is a torty; Rusty is orange and fluffy. They were rescued from a stray cat's litter.

I'm trying hard not to be an over-protective mother. When Rusty, the clueless male, climbed up to the top of the tree, I had the crazy idea to send his much more sensible sister to fetch him down. She obeyed and went to the rescue like a St. Bernard.

Which left me to wonder: when did I…

Writers are, by nature, creative people. We sit around daydreaming of plots, characters, heroes and villains. But, what happens if you think up a terrific marketing idea yet don't follow through?

Too much work? Okay, it might take some effort. Afraid it won't work? Can't know unless you try. Think people will reject it? Maybe. Or, maybe you'll break new ground.

Scenario: The blog over at my publishing house was lacking. Nobody seemed to be following. I posted a…

Remember the Maine, the Alamo, Pearl Harbor. But, for years the Pueblo Incident, as it was dubbed, has been buried under the carpet and consciousness of the American public.

I am a member of Post 3 of the American Legion, Hanford, CA. In our post is a diminutive man with a gray flowing beard and the Legion Motorcycle Riders nickname “Critter.” At every meeting there is a chair that is draped with a black cover reminding us of the POW's who remain…

Oak Tree Press is actively looking for mysteries featuring law enforcement or other public safety workers as protagonists. We like to do a book launch at the annual PSWA conference in Vegas in July.

We are looking for finished manuscripts, polished, ready to go. We are also requiring authors to be strong marketers and have a platform in place. We have no problem with previously published works or self-published. Contact Sunny Frazier at…

I'm having a problem with “No Easy Day,” the novel written by a member of SEAL Team 6. No, I haven't read it and I don't intend to. I already know how the story ends.

What eats into me is that the book was written in the first place. As a Navy veteran, I am dismayed that a member of that elite squad would break the code the SEAL Team holds dear. Operations are covert. Like Fight Club, the first rule is you don't talk about Fight Club.

As an American, I am…

Alternative marketing--and goats? See how John Brantingham ties the two together on this week's Round-Up. Meet "David," a virtual book reviewer (cyborgs really are taking over) and find out who the "Wild Woman" is in our publishing house. Sunny Frazier defends Fresno and talks about the Politics of Publishing, while Marja McGraw wants to know "How's Your Credibility." All that and more at the Friday…

Want radio access to talk about your novel? Information on such a site is on this week's Friday Round-Up. You'll also find links to valuable articles such as tips for goal-setting and success, basics for creating a website and making memorable settings. Read about the career path of Medieval priests and a sexy excerpt of a novel. Plus, should the book written by a member of SEAL Team 6 ever been published? Just one person's opinion.…

A golden nugget in this week's Round-Up is info of a paying market for Western short stories. There's an ode to Pennsylvania and an announcement for October's blurb fest: paranormal authors. Find more buried treasures for readers and savvy authors in the Round-Up.

Oak Tree Press—Help Us Grow!

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