I’m Exhausted!

 3 31 20201 

 

I had a new book launch on March 9^th and, of course, I’m doing what I can to promote it. I never feel like I do enough, but…when I put it all together for my newsletter yesterday, I realized how much I’d done!

 

 

I won’t repeat all of that here, but I do want to give credit to two women who are going above and beyond to help authors. Tiffany, the host of Cozy Mystery Author Chat, and Leah Bailey, host of Cozy Ink podcast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyNu9EDkEk

https://cozyinkpodcast.com/author-interview-with-kaye-george

 

I was nervous about both of these because I haven’t done anything quite like this before. Hopeton Hay had me on his radio show live, in Texas, twice, and that was nerve-making, too. But, like both of these talented women, he set me at ease immediately.

 

Tiffany and I went on for a while. It was like we’d known each other for ages. I didn’t have a script, but she must have. We never ran out of things to say. I don’t know if this is as interesting to watch as it was to do, but it was so much fun! This one was video and audio, recorded and shown later, so there would be a chance to edit if we fluffed.

 

 My only problem was my lighting. I can NOT seem to find a place to do online stuff where something doesn’t reflect in my glasses. If you watch this and see me moving my head all the time, I’m trying to get rid of the reflection. The image I see on my screen is backwards from a mirror, so I kept getting it wrong!

 

 

The other was recorded with video, but only the sound has been broadcast. It was also pre-recorded. That makes it so much more relaxing! Leah, too, ran a great interview. It’s much shorter, but never dragged, and I think we got everything in that we wanted to.

 

 (If you really want a list of all my other “appearances” in March, sign up for the newsletter and I’ll shoot it out to you. https://tinyletter.com/KGnews)

       

 I’ll close with saying I have such admiration for these women and am so glad they choose to spend their time doing this! I won’t be very nervous if/when I do this again.

 

THANKS, TIFFANY AND LEAH!

 

 Stay safe. Take care of yourself and each other.

photos from pixabay.com

 

An Embarrassment of...

The phrase is, an embarrassment of riches, right? 

from pixabay.com

But this is an embarrassment of blogs! But I’m not a bit embarrassed.

from pixabay.com

 

Okay, pay no attention to that title. But you should look in on these places.

I have a new book coming out in mere days, about a week. So, with a little help from my friends and their blogs, I’m trying to give away copies of the new book! I’d love for some of you to enter the two contests going on. They end tonight!

 

The first blog is MYSTERY LOVER KITCHEN. This is where I make the recipe from my upcoming cozy mystery, INTO THE SWEET HEREAFTER, take pictures while I do, then post them, then eat what I made. I admit, I gave some of the Clark Bars to my son’s family. I thought they were terrific, and pretty easy to make. Here’s how to get there, to comment to win a copy:

https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2021/02/guest-kaye-george-with-clark-bars-from.html

 

 

PS. Even when I’m not there, you should visit this place. It’s always a lot of fun.

 

The second place featuring me is Kings River Life. This e-zine has published my short fiction and reviewed my long stuff. The staff there are good people and great friends. If you read to the end of this one, you’ll see me give a shout out to my writing partners in the small group we call Plothatchers. I don’t know what I’d do without them. There's a giveaway here, too!

https://kingsriverlife.com/02/24/friends-and-sidekicks/

 

Batman and Robin from pixabay.com

Last, but not least, Debra Goldstein, former judge and current mystery writer, has given me space to talk about cooking versus baking. I have a definite preference! Her Sarah Blair character does too—neither.

https://www.debrahgoldstein.com/theres-cooking-and-theres-baking-by-kaye-george/

 

author picture from Debra's site

 

It makes me so happy to give away my e-books, that I’d like to do some here, too! Make a comment on this blog and I’ll pick someone for a book on Friday night.

 

Meanwhile, stay safe. Take care of yourself and each other.

 

Adventures with Covers

I’ll give the ending first. All of my covers have turned out great. I consider my covers as one of my main tools for selling my books. My publishers hire people to do my covers, mostly with my input, and sometimes I get to approve the finished product—sometimes not.

There are funny stories behind my two of my covers. They might amuse you, so I’ll put them out there.

First, my first Imogene Duckworthy mystery, CHOKE. It was not the first novel I wrote, but it was the first one I got published. I was in such a tizzy about actually getting a novel published, that I fluffed a bit. I said I needed an orange truck on the cover. I thought that would be colorful and, I was thinking, it’s a big part of the plot. It would tie in to the story without giving anything away.

Keep in mind that, while the first one was getting situated to come out, I was writing the second one, SMOKE. Embarrassing discovery: there is an orange truck in the second novel. There is none in the first one. It’s easy to be confusing when you’re finalizing publication of one novel while you’re writing another one.

It wasn’t until the dang thing came out that I realized what I’d done. One of my friends, I think it was Janet Bolin, said maybe it could be a device—using an element of one book on the cover of the last one, staying one book ahead.

CHOKE eventually was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel, so everything turned out fine!

I MUST give credit to Karen Phillips for the covers of all three of the Imogene Duckworthy mysteries. I can’t recommend her highly enough if you’re self-publishing.

My second story also has a happy ending, but there was panic for a short time. I had finished the third Fat Cat book, FAT CAT TAKES THE CAKE, for Berkley Prime Crime, handed it in, and was busy sketching out plots for the next three books. (That’s a sad story that’s been told elsewhere) http://janetcantrell.blogspot.com/2016/09/some-news-about-fat-cat.html

My agent sent me a preliminary copy of the cover. I was shocked at the title AND the cover. I asked her if it matters that there is no cake in the book. She thought it would be okay, but I didn’t. I quickly rewrote some passages and was, fortunately, able to make cake a major part of the plot by changing just a few things. I like all three of the Fat Cat covers, but I think this one gets the most notice.

Do you have any interesting cover stories? No, not that kind, just stories about your covers? (You’re safe with me, I’ll never blow your cover.)

New Beginnings

1 9 2018 

It’s a new year, obviously. For me, this year is new in several significant ways.

First of all, I found a new way to celebrate the Christmas and New Year holidays. I needed a break from the usual way, which was with my husband and family. At my husband’s memorial service in October, our oldest son suggested I come with them to Spain for the holidays. Okay, he didn’t exactly suggest—he told me I was going to do that. I agreed it would be a good idea! It would have been dismal sitting at home by myself, missing the things we’ve been doing together for so many years: putting lights on the house, decorating the tree, doing the cards and Christmas letter, eating cookies and other traditional foods.

So I made a break. The other two kids were with the other sides of their families, and I went with our oldest, my daughter-in-law, granddaughter and her boyfriend, and a couple of our son and DIL’s friends to Spain, where their other daughter and her husband have been living for a few years now. Since I was tied down taking care of Hubby, I hadn’t gotten a chance to visit her there.

It was quite a break! The foods were all unfamiliar, I didn’t put up any lights or even a tree (only a wreath on the door before I left), and I didn’t mail out the Christmas letter until a couple of days ago. I was sick while there, but even so had a wonderful time and the trip was a total distraction. I didn’t have a chance to miss Hubby nearly as much as I would have if I had stayed home.

I don’t think Christmas in Spain will become my new tradition, but it gave me a break and I’ll have all year to figure out what to do next year.

This year marks another new beginning. My new series with Lyrical Press! I’m nearly done with the first novel in the series and am trying to turn it in by the end of this month. It needs some beefing up and polishing, which I started in on today. My hope is that my Fat Cat fans will follow me to this new set of characters and will like these Vintage Sweets books and characters as well as they liked Chase and Quincy and the gang in Dinkeytown.

The other obvious new beginning is my life as a widow. That will take the most work and will be the hardest. I’ve gotten tremendous support from friends, family, even strangers and those I know only here, online. I belong to one Grief Share group and am exploring another one in a couple of weeks. I’ve started back to the Pilates class I used to go to last year, and will resume walking as soon as weather permits (freezing rain today!). I’ve gotten out of shape caring for Hubby and need to recover my stamina and strength.

So, onward into 2018 I go. My motto this year: YOU CAN DO IT!

1st and 3rd pix from Morguefile. The second one is mine from Spain.

Henery Express Giveaway Train!

Hop on the HENERY EXPRESS GIVEAWAY TRAIN! We’ve got 45 authors joined together for a chance to win $1500 in prizes!

My stop on the Giveaway Train: I’m giving away a cute kitten calendar for 2017 and all three Fat Cat books with bookmarks insert your giveaway prize here). It’s so easy to enter, but please read instructions carefully.

HOW TO ENTER:

Leave a comment below – it’s that simple. (Any comment: Enter me! Or All Aboard! Or Happy Cyber Monday!)

Giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. on Nov 28. Feel free to share, like, or tag your friends – the more, the merrier!

Winner for my giveaway will be chosen at random and announced on my page on Nov 29. Thanks for stopping by – and good luck! (P.S. Like my page to stay posted on future giveaways and other fun stuff.)

NEXT STOP: Gigi Pandian (http://on.fb.me/1HbkIWH) – visit for another giveaway

FIRST STOP: Henery Press (http://on.fb.me/1lx8Vbg) – visit to enter the first giveaway and to see a full list of participating authors

Fine Print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. By entering, Entrants agree to a complete release of Facebook.

RELEASE TIME

OK, it’s time to admit it. I am crazy busy right now and I’ve been neglecting my blog. (But the word search was fun and I might do that again.) I’m promoting two new releases, one next week, another the week after. I might as well do it here, too.

I have several guest blogs coming up. I hope these are ways to get people looking at me and my work.

I’ll be at the Henery Press blog April 1st, no joke!

https://www.clubhenhouse.com/blog/

For the week of the 4th, I’ll be hosting the facebook group, Nose for Trouble, as Janet Cantrell.

On the 7th, I’ll be at Kevin’s Corner. I WILL talk about my double releases there.

http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/

From the 11th through the 25th, there will be a giveaway at Linda Thorne’s blog.

http://www.lindathorne.com/blog/

Elaine Douts interviewed me for a Writers Who Kill post for the 27th.

http://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/

In addition, Berkley Prime Crime has set up reviews from 76 people, plus an interview at Fresh Fiction and some blogs at other places.

http://freshfiction.com/pages.php?id=blog

I’m doing a signing at Books-A-Million in Knoxville for FAT CAT TAKES THE CAKE on April 24th, 2-4.

Also, watch for a Goodreads giveaway beginning the 5th. I’m giving away EINE KLEINE MURDER to promote the second in that series, REQUIEM IN RED.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4037415.Kaye_George

So, here are the new books. FAT CAT TAKES THE CAKE on April 5th and REQUIEM IN RED on the 12th. HOWEVER, both are available for preorder if you need them right away.

Here are preorder places for Fat Cat:

http://www.bookfinder4u.com/IsbnSearch.aspx?isbn=9780425267448&mode=direct

Here are preorder places for RIR: http://www.bookfinder4u.com/IsbnSearch.aspx?isbn=1941295436&mode=direct

     

Have a great April!