#Amwriting: Author filter systems are Wide Open by Rolynn Anderson

Whales, humpbacks, for example, are filter feeders.  An easy, efficient process if you think about it: open the mouth wide, swim, and snack.  Recognize the posture?  Once we’re into writing a new story, our author filter systems (our brains) glean relevant facts we can use for our characters, plots, and settings.  We pick up details from eavesdropping in Starbucks; snatch a piece of information out of the New York Times; during conversations with our friends or family, we jump onto tidbits of dialogue we could use in our books.  I present one sample…my new ‘Drone Filter.’

Drones.  FIRE IS NICE, the book I’m madly editing presently, has plot turns dependent on drones.  Of course I’ve done the research on drones (you can snap up one for $400, but the big ones used by the police run about 25 grand)  With my feeding filters open, lazily swimming through my days, I’ve been gathering factoids on drones, some

astonishing:

1.  The National Parks don’t allow them (usually) because they interfere with the park experience and upend our rights of privacy as citizens.  Drones are legal to use when ‘watching’ non-citizens, but since U.S. folk mix in visitors from other countries, drones have been a no-no in the Parks.

2.  Drones are now used by lifeguards to locate swimmers in trouble and throw life saving equipment to them.  Saw that in the New York Times.

3.  Homeland Security has a stable of drones they can’t use (a legal issue).  I have my character in FIRE IS NICE, borrow them.  Convenient, huh?

4.  My husband is on the board of our 50-home community council.  In rewriting the covenants, whether or not to allow drones in the neighborhood, has become an issue.  Do you want drones flying over your house?

5.  Drones are flying.  All over the place, I guess.  Not to be paranoid.  But.  They fly 15,000-60,000 feet above us and take pictures, constantly.  Where, we aren't sure.

6.  Worse?  Drones are being used by Mexican cartels to kill people: https://www.rmus.com/products/rmus-heavy-duty-police-drone?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=27915714241&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6LPv2NP42AIVzol-Ch3m9g-BEAQYAiABEgI1pfD_BwE

I reiterate, authors are filter feeders when it comes to enriching our stories.  What are you learning a lot about lately because it’s important to your manuscript?

 

One focus when I wrote BAD LIES was caves on the Amalfi coast.  Want to fly with me to Italy and see some caves?  You can pretend you’ve got a chance to win a golf tournament helped by the caddy of your dreams.  Here’s BAD LIES http://a.co/0DuYNPn:

Italy’s haunted caves spell danger for an American golfer and a NATO geologist

***

Sophie Maxwell is a late-blooming, unorthodox golfer, and mother of a precocious thirteen year-old. Determined to put divorce, bankruptcy, and a penchant for gambling in her past, Sophie goes to Italy for a qualifying golf tournament.

Jack Walker turned his back on a pro golfing career to become a geologist. As a favor to his ailing father he’ll caddy for Sophie; off hours, he’ll find caves on the Mediterranean coast, suitable for NATO listening posts for terrorist activity.

Someone is determined to stop Jack’s underground hunt and ruin Sophie’s chances to win her tournament.

On a Rome golf course and in the Amalfi coast’s haunted caves, all the odds are stacked against Sophie and Jack.  In their gamble of a lifetime, who wins?

Web and Blog:

http://rolynnanderson.com

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rolynn-Anderson/188767867821613  

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/rolynnanderson

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4990049.Rolynn_Anderson

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/author/rolynnanderson

My Suspense Novel Dedication Gives Me Bragging Rights

I have a sister and three brothers, so I have many people to brag about.  Today, I will be touting my brother, to whom I dedicated BAD LIES.  Colin is the rock hound in the family, with a penchant for hiking, climbing, tunneling, and caving, all for the purpose of examining the geology of a given place.  In fact, for most of his career, he’s been under contract with our own and foreign governments, helping them understand how to ‘use’ geology.  For example, if Norway wanted to develop a structure below-ground to keep their commanders safe, my brother would help them find such a location.  Another example:  If the U.S. needed a new spot to store nuclear waste, where would that be?

He has traveled the world, delighted to examine the contours of this earth in each place.  Here he is in Norway, high above a fjord, on top of the world, one with the rocks.

When I wrote BAD LIES, I was interested in how criminals might use caves to hide their activity.  I chose the Amalfi Coast partly because I enjoyed my trips to Italy so much, and partly because of the rich history of cave use in Italy.  I was soon over my head with the research, so I consulted with my brother, Colin.  He delights in sharing his knowledge with family and friends, always augmenting his advice with a wealth of research, pictures, and outrageous scenarios.  I could have written a whole series focused on the caves in Italy!

My simple question was: How easy would it be to hide certain criminal activity in a cave?  Second: How do you find your way out of a cave without use of the usual senses?

My brother answered these questions breezily, more interested in telling me how the Nazis built a space ship in an Italian cave, and how earthquakes affect certain cave structures in that country.  To say he is passionate about geology is an understatement.

After I collaborated with Colin, caves seem to be on my mind.  I’m working on a novel right now that has a spelunking aspect as does BAD LIES.  Presently I'm reading a book on Karst Caves.  Way over my head.  Again.  The geology bug bit me, and I thank my brother for it!

So I'm giving you permission to brag about a sib, son, daughter and grand kid...one with a passion that makes you burst your buttons with pride.  Brag away!

Here’s BAD LIES http://a.co/0DuYNPn:

Italy’s haunted caves spell danger for an American golfer and a NATO geologist

****

Sophie Maxwell is a late-blooming, unorthodox golfer, and mother of a precocious thirteen year-old. Determined to put divorce, bankruptcy, and a penchant for gambling in her past, Sophie goes to Italy for a qualifying golf tournament.

Jack Walker turned his back on a pro golfing career to become a geologist. As a favor to his ailing father he’ll caddy for Sophie; off hours, he’ll find caves on the Mediterranean coast, suitable for NATO listening posts for terrorist activity.

Someone is determined to stop Jack’s underground hunt and ruin Sophie’s chances to win her tournament.

On a Rome golf course and in the Amalfi coast’s haunted caves, all the odds are stacked against Sophie and Jack.  In their gamble of a lifetime, who wins?

Amazon 5 star review for BAD LIES:

"If you enjoy a tightly written romantic suspense novel, then this is the book for you. Bad Lies is a real page turner. When I say I couldn't put this book down, I mean it. Read it in just a few sittings. Great characters you're drawn to immediately, playful and sophisticated dialogue, intriguing Italian setting, and a tense plot that keeps you guessing all the way. Ms. Anderson knows how to spin a terrific yarn and this is a very, very good one."

Web and Blog:

http://rolynnanderson.com

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rolynn-Anderson/188767867821613  

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/rolynnanderson

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4990049.Rolynn_Anderson

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/author/rolynnanderson

Promo Problems: How Bad Can This Book Signing Be? by Rolynn Anderson

Happy May 1!  The concept: Gathering around a pole in May to celebrate Spring.  http://www.historicalharmonies.org/mapypoledanceorigins.htm Beautifully dressed people, a beribboned post, happy folks dancing around the pole to the right, entwining their ribbons, then dancing to the left, untangling themselves.  Sounds sweet and simple, doesn’t it?  Ha!  As “sweet and simple” as choreographing a book signing, I’d say. 

On my website I’m spending the next months talking about the five follies of book signings: http://rolynnanderson.com

But today, I want to tell you a story about the book signing I recently held at a golf pro shop for BAD LIES http://a.co/0DuYNPn, giving you an example of how we can never predict promo problems.

It’s an hour before the book signing and I’m hauling my stuff into the pro shop to set up my table.  I am over-prepared and early…my usual self.  My arms are full of stuff as I stumble into the room.  I see James, who’s working behind the counter, and I can tell from the look in his eyes, he’s startled to see me, even after all my e-mail reminding, press releases, posters, and newspaper articles.  I give a heavy sigh mentally (we shoulder on, after all), and as I put my things on the floor (no table in sight), I notice that a pall has come over the room.  The Masters Tournament is playing on two TV’s, with the sound turned off.  I glance at the TV to see a pro hitting a great tee shot.  Why is it so quiet in a room with twenty men eating and drinking and watching the Masters?

The first thing I think is: These guys have no time for an author of romantic suspense.  They want to drink beer, eat hamburgers and watch the damn Masters.  Get this writer out of my pro shop.

I look around the room again.  All the men are ignoring me, and since James has been surprised by my appearance, his day has gotten complicated.  Again, I suppress a sigh, thinking I may have picked the wrong venue for my golf novel.  How can I build interest with a group of men who are shunning me?

James goes off to find a table for me while I watch the men.  Now I see fellows gesturing to each other.  Smiling.  Not laughing.  Pointing to the TV.  Giving high fives.  Gutteral sounds of happiness or anguish.  The bartender gives me a look but doesn’t say a thing.

And then I see fingers flying with sign language and men standing up to get the attention of other guys across the room by waving their hands. 

Yes.  You have it now, don’t you?  The mystery solved.  Every single man in the room was deaf except for James.  For the next hour the only males entering the room were speechless.  I set up my table quietly among golfers who had recently finished 18 rounds of a Tournament for the Deaf.  A yearly event at Cypress Ridge Golf Course.  Who knew?

The experience teaches me a thing or two about promo.  Never think the worst about an audience that does not respond to your glorious novels.  They might be deaf to your pitch (or not readers, or not readers of fiction, or not readers of your genre, or audio only, or Kindle only…). 

We mush on no matter what the ‘condition’ of the environment.  The goal: put our novels in the hands of readers.  (Postscript: The booksale was a great success.  I sold 24 books, made some new friends, and made history by holding a book signing in a pro shop!)

So here’s my golf/pro shop novel, BAD LIES http://a.co/0DuYNPn:

Italy’s haunted caves spell danger for an American golfer and a NATO geologist

****

Sophie Maxwell is a late-blooming, unorthodox golfer, and mother of a precocious thirteen year-old. Determined to put divorce, bankruptcy, and a penchant for gambling in her past, Sophie goes to Italy for a qualifying golf tournament.

Jack Walker turned his back on a pro golfing career to become a geologist. As a favor to his ailing father he’ll caddy for Sophie; off hours, he’ll find caves on the Mediterranean coast, suitable for NATO listening posts for terrorist activity.

Someone is determined to stop Jack’s underground hunt and ruin Sophie’s chances to win her tournament.

On a Rome golf course and in the Amalfi coast’s haunted caves, all the odds are stacked against Sophie and Jack.  In their gamble of a lifetime, who wins?

Seven Suspense Novels Spiked with Romance

Web and Blog:

http://rolynnanderson.com

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rolynn-Anderson/188767867821613 

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/rolynnanderson

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4990049.Rolynn_Anderson

Dreams Fulfilled, At Any Age, Why Not? by Rolynn Anderson

It may have been Abigail Van Buren who first said something like this: “Those who don’t start acting on their dreams today, thinking it would take years to attain, will be making the same complaint years from now if they don't get started.”

So in my newly released novel, BAD LIES, the heroine, Sophie is a recovering gambling addict with a thirteen year-old daughter.  Sophie has an extraordinary natural talent at golf, which she discovers by accident.  This is a woman who has given up a life of chance.  Does she take up professional golf at an age when most golfers have quit the circuit?  And what the hell does she do with a caddy who hates the game, but promised his father to coach her?

So BAD LIES is my dream book, telling a story of a woman who gloms onto a sport and thrives, good enough to compete at the professional level.

What's your dream?  If, today, you could start working on that goal and have the ‘thing’ you’ve always wanted, what is it?  (For me, it's the call to be a keynoter at an author conference...and what such a call implies)   What's yours?

While you’re thinking, here’s BAD LIES, Kindle version (working on paperback now) :http://a.co/0DuYNPn

Italy’s haunted caves spell danger for an American golfer and a NATO geologist

****

Sophie Maxwell is a late-blooming, unorthodox golfer, and mother of a precocious thirteen year-old. Determined to put divorce, bankruptcy, and a penchant for gambling in her past, Sophie goes to Italy for a qualifying golf tournament.

Jack Walker turned his back on a pro golfing career to become a geologist. As a favor to his ailing father he’ll caddy for Sophie; off hours, he’ll find caves on the Mediterranean coast, suitable for NATO listening posts for terrorist activity.

Someone is determined to stop Jack’s underground hunt and ruin Sophie’s chances to win her tournament.

On a Rome golf course and in the Amalfi coast’s haunted caves, all the odds are stacked against Sophie and Jack.  In their gamble of a lifetime, who wins?

Seven Suspense Novels Spiked with Romance

http://www.rolynnanderson.com (Website and Blog)

http://www.amazon.com/author/rolynnanderson