A Guest Post from J.M Griffin

I have a guest today, J.M. Griffin author of A Crusty Murder, the first in The Deadly Bakery Series.

 

 

It’s such a pleasure to be here today. Thanks so much for inviting me, I consider it an honor to share my time with all of you.

My first venture into writing took place about twelve years ago. I’d always had stories tumbling around in my head, even as a kid, without realizing what I should do with them. Finally, when I was unable to settle on a book to read, (I admit it, I was whining to my husband), he challenged me to get my own story going if I thought it was so easy. I picked up the gauntlet that he so casually threw down and have been writing ever since.

Now, that’s not to say the path to publication was an easy one. No, no, as a matter of fact, it was filled with gigantic potholes that would push me off track and kept me wondering if I’d ever make it. I’m glad to say that I persevered and here I am, a hybrid author. (A hybrid author is one who is traditionally published with a publisher, and also independently published.)

Anyway, I wanted to share a couple of things I’ve learned along my journey.

1.       I never, ever give up! No matter how many times someone refused to accept my work, I never stopped trying. It’s all about believing in oneself, and that carried over into everything else I try my hand at.

2.       Working well with others. Being open to suggestions (even if I discarded them mentally instead of argumentatively) opened doors, mentally and physically.

3.       Stick to the schedule and meet my obligations to the publisher. If not, the domino effect takes place and we all fall behind.

4.       Learning to say “NO” to people who were unable to take my writing seriously, as in “it’s a Real Job”.

5.       I participate in classes, seminars and the business end of writing is a must. It was a hard lesson to learn, but now that I’ve accepted that I must be as responsible for my book sales as my publisher is, the job got a lot easier.

These are but a few things I’ve learned, but most importantly, I have fun when I write. Where else could you work in pajamas, take a walk whenever the moment strikes you, and use all those research trips as deductions with the IRS?

Now, a bit about the stories I write. The sex scenes take place behind closed doors. While some readers enjoy detailed scenes, I’ve found my readers like to imagine what’s going on behind the closed doors, or wherever. The settings for my books is New England for the most part, with one deviation to Florida and an upcoming trip to Scotland. The Deadly Bakery series (A Crusty Murder; A Crouton Murder: and The Focaccia Fatality) all take place in Rhode Island’s historical section of Providence. It’s a colorful city with lots of interesting, and sometimes, off-the-wall characters. There’s a bread baker, a tarot reader, a handsome Scotsman, and a host of others that keeps readers guessing in this series of novellas. I adore cozy mysteries and I hope you’ll enjoy A Crusty Murder. Thanks for stopping by.  J.M.

 

 

 

While you're at it check out J.M.'s mystery For Love of Livvy free on Amazon