"This the 4th Lilly M. Mystery and I have enjoyed them all very much! Lilly and her old aunts are just so funny and get into some terrible predicaments but they always solve the crime!!
I highly recommend this book!" - Theresa, Goodreads
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It’s wedding bell blues and disaster when murder comes to the Paulmona Winery and Villa. Mystery author and part time snoop, Lilly Millenovanovich is the unlucky bride-to-be, but she gladly exchanges her wedding dress for gumshoes and brushes off her bag of spy tricks to solve the crime. After all, family obligation takes priority.
Lilly and her zany trio of elderly aunties, must do their part to prove Cousin Mona didn’t kill groomsman Lenny Brioli with a corkscrew wine opener.
Trouble is, the evidence keeps pointing in one direction with Mona as murder suspect number one. Detective Grezzo has his sleuthing hands full while handling the case on his own.
Jake Kline, Lilly’s fiancé, obviously can’t work the case since Lenny is his best friend. That is, until Lilly convinces him to join her and snoop on the sly. Mona’s life and happiness depends on it.
Will it be happily never after for the unlucky couple? Or can Lilly save the date and her wedding dress for another day?
It’s a murderous and crazy adventure in this fourth and final episode of the Lilly M Mysteries.
GUEST POST
When Writing Gets Stuck – a Six Point Checklist
Stuck when you write? Maybe even afraid to start. You’re in a corner and can't see a way out. Here's what I've found. Hopefully this checklist may get you unstuck!
Point 1: Create a plot skeleton, i.e., outline or sketch of what will happen. Keep in mind the main character needs to accomplish something, and there will be challenges along the way. This step is not too detailed because quite honestly, points of it will change as you write. The characters will indeed take a life of their own and tell YOU where they need to go and what to do.
Point 2: Layer the plot. Paint it with setting details. Make it come alive with well-rounded characters. Remember, the story needs to progress, it will take a journey with sensible twists and turns, ups and downs that make it interesting, progressing toward the resolution. The dynamic characters should experience change, which happens as they experience life. The evil guy in the story may be the static character. This one always remains evil, but you could make him complex with some vulnerable traits, too.
Point 3: Periodically analyze the action to see if that is where you want to go and don't be afraid to change the course if it doesn't feel right! This is where you can decide if a scene stays or goes. Do the events add to the plot, or do nothing for it? Remember, if you slow things down too much, you lose reader interest. Heck! You even lose writer interest! That's really a bad sign.
Point 4: Pretend you are the character. Sometimes characters come off too mechanical, sometimes too emotional, sometimes ... well, the actions are just plain ridiculous or unrealistic. As the story progresses and your characters must act, ask yourself if that is what you'd do or how you'd react. Question whether the act seems reasonable, sensible. Just because you want the character to do a certain thing in order to force the plot in your desired direction, doesn't mean it's the best choice of action.
Point 5: When the process is slow, stop thinking so much. I know this sounds contradictory to all points above. However, there are times when you get so bogged down, like you’re sinking deeper and deeper into that quicksand. I've read that it's because you are stopping to rethink everything you've just written, re-edit, rewrite, re-everything!
Point 6: When the story ends, check it all! Cross all the t's and dotting all the i's of your story. In mysteries this is extremely important. Match up events, times, character interactions, experiences! Take notes as you write. What this character does, where that one goes, when this one does this or that. Find beta readers who offer to read your story; they might catch those inconsistencies for you!
Bottom line? If all else fails, just write the darn story! Maybe it will leave you lots of work to do at the end. But at least you'll have a completed story, and plenty of time to revise, revise, revise!
Happy reading and writing!
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Kathryn Long’s passion is writing mysteries, creating the intricate details and weaving them together into the clues which the reader will enjoy collecting to solve the crime. Many of her works include Native American elements and hints of the paranormal. She loves a scary ghost story!
Her writing inspiration began with reading about Nancy Drew and the heroines of romantic suspense authors such as Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart. Her first creations were short stories meant to entertain anyone who’d listen or read. Playing the guitar led to song lyrics, which she insists taught her the rhythm and pace of writing prose.
Writing took a serious turn several years ago when she had her first book published. To date readers can find her self-published cozy Lilly M Mysteries, and her traditionally published work: paranormal mystery, Dying to Dream, and latest, a romantic suspense, A Deadly Deed Grows at online retailers and in bookstores.
When writing and the creative muse take a break, this author loves to travel, watch Castle, and of course, read mysteries. Oh, and there’s always an author event or two she will attend in order to – you got it – talk about mystery. Kathryn lives in the City of Green located in northeast Ohio with her husband and little pooch, Max.
1 comment:
Thank you for posting
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