It's Still Exciting, Every Single Time! by Lonnie Cruse

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lonnie Cruse now resides in Metropolis,Illinois, home of Superman. She writes the Kitty Bloodworth, ’57 Chevy mystery series and the Metropolis mystery series. Lonnie is a member of MWA and the Antique Automobile Club of America, and its Southern Illinois Ohio Valley Chapter. Lonnie teaches writing workshops and speaks to writers/readers groups.
Her website is: www.lonniecruse.com

IT’S STILL EXCITING, EVERY SINGLE TIME!
By Lonnie Cruse

This month my sixth mystery and the second in the Kitty Bloodworth/’57 Chevy series comes out from Five Star. I gotta tell ya, folks, this never gets old. Having a new book out with my name on the cover. Holding the published story in my eager hands. Getting a good review from a tough reviewer. Whew!

Each of my books is special to me for different reasons, just like each child in a family is special to his/her parents for different reasons. This mystery is special to me because I set it in Pigeon Forge, TN, the heart of the Smokey Mountains and one of my favorite places to visit. We’ve been fortunate to visit there several times and I love the atmosphere. I wasn’t writing mysteries (or much of anything else) the first few times we were there, but by the time of our last visit, I was in full swing as an author. I based this book on memories of the beautiful scenery and the people we met while there. Doing that made the area come alive for me again.

This book features Kitty Bloodworth, her hubby, Jack, and their trophy winning ’57 Chevy, Sadie. It also features many of the character from the first in the series, FIFTY-SEVEN HEAVEN, but because I sent Kitty and Jack to a car show/sale in a different state, I had a dilemma. I couldn’t let the murder take place on the first page or even in the first chapter, like I usually do. Instead, I had to let the characters meet and intermingle with the locals, get to know their way around, before anything remotely resembling a murder could take place. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t anything exciting going on. The Bloodworth’s and their best friends, the Evans, get into trouble within just a few pages. In fact, Jack Bloodworth is already in trouble with Kitty on page one, for running into and fawning over his favorite country music singer. Ah, men.

This time in the publishing of a book is the best of times in a writer’s career. No new ideas to frantically try to get on paper before they disappear into the nether worlds. No researching detail after detail to make sure there aren’t any howlers just waiting to be discovered by readers. No outlining, no note taking, no scrabbling around to find those notes. No stressing over how to fill that saggy, baggy middle of the book. No figuring out alibis for everyone, then breaking them. No red herrings un-explained, no plot holes to fill. No biting of nails while the ending is written (hopefully with a bang.) No waiting to hear from a publisher. No waiting for the edits, praying that nothing important must be changed or deleted. No waiting for the book to come out. And not much in the way of promotion to be done until the book actually IS out. Again, whew!

Readers are often excited to meet a “real author” meaning anyone with a book in print and the “real author’s” name on the front. Well, let me just say that we authors are often excited to meet a “real reader.” Someone we don’t know who’s read our book, our words, our baby, and LOVES IT! Music to our ears.

FIFTY-SEVEN TRAVELING is coming to a library or an online store or maybe even a local bookstore near you. I hope you grab a copy and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And if you ever have a chance to visit the Smokey Mountains, don’t miss it.

Thanks, Kaye, for having me on your wonderful blog! You are very special!

Lonnie and her Kindle

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lonnie Cruse now resides in Metropolis,Illinois, home of Superman. She writes the Kitty Bloodworth, ’57 Chevy mystery series and the Metropolis mystery series. Lonnie is a member of MWA and the Antique Automobile Club of America, and its Southern Illinois Ohio Valley Chapter. Lonnie teaches writing workshops and speaks to writers/readers groups.
Her website is: www.lonniecruse.com





My Kindle2, mine, mine, mine . . . back away and no one will get hurt By Lonnie Cruse, mystery author and reader

I received my new Kindle2 on February 27th, one month and twenty-seven looong days after I ordered it. And in case you are sniffling and telling yourself I must be rich because I can afford a Kindle2 and you can't . . . I couldn't afford it either. But I asked for and received Amazon gift certificates for my birthday, Christmas, and Valentine's Day. And any other days in between that I could think of.

Since Amazon was launching Kindle2 to replace the original model, instead of the three week usual wait, myself and several other anxious buyers waited nearly two months, and blogged to each other on Amazon, and sobbed on each other's shoulders, and twiddled our thumbs, and surfed through the list of Kindle books, and gritted our collective teeth, and waited some more. At last, the units began arriving. Some new owners were thrilled, a few were not. Count me among the thrilled.

I plugged the unit in to charge it (holds a charge up to two weeks!) and began surfing Amazon again for books. I'd already chosen July Hyzy's HAIL TO THE CHEF (about $7.) so I downloaded it first thing. And the English Standard Version of the Bible, which was FREE. There are several free Kindle books and books under a buck. Then I downloaded several first chapters of books that looked interesting, so I could read and decide if I wanted to pay for more. I wound up with a Lillian Stewart Carl short story, SARDINES FOR LUNCH, (under a buck) which I loved, and Dashiell Hammett's ARSON PLUS for $.80. I've downloaded several other first chapters and am busily wading through them.

I confess, I accidentally bought a book I didn't intend to, but Amazon always asks if you are sure you want to buy or if you bought by mistake. I decided to confirm and downloaded the book, and I think I'll enjoy it.

The new Kindle2 does NOT come with a cover, like the old model did, but prompted by the advice of other first generation owners, I got the $29 leather cover (also a gift) to keep the Kindle2 safe from damage.

The Kindle2 is easy to navigate, easy and fast to download books, and from the other posts I've read on Amazon, customer service is easy to work with if the owner encounters problems. There is no back light to read in the dark, but my hubby can't abide a light inside the car at night when he's driving, so I'm fine with that. You CAN buy a small light that attaches, if your hubby can take it.

I like that I can make the print as large as necessary. I don't like the "quick blink" when the page turns, but I'll get used to it. I love being able to buy a book no matter where I am in the U.S. without a computer and without visiting a store or waiting for something to ship to me. I'd like to see more mysteries in Kindle format, but the list grows daily, and if you click "I'd like to read this book on Kindle," publishers are fairly responsive to the suggestion.

Kindle2 holds around 1500 books (try carrying that many in a tote bag at the same time!) weighs less than a pound, and is easy to operate. Yes, it's expensive, but I bought it because at the end of each year I usually have a tote bag FULL of books I either read and didn't want to keep (my bookshelves are sagging as I type) or didn't finish reading. I generally give these away or donate them somewhere. And I think of the trees that went into creating these books. With the Kindle2, I can read a book and either keep it or delete it. Yes, someday the units themselves *could* wind up in a landfill, but I believe conscienscous owners will find a correct way to dispose of them, just like we now have the opportunity to properly dispose of old batteries, tires, and cell phones.

I love being able to carry multiple books in my purse or to bed, so I can choose what to read, depending on my mood. Let's face it, I just plain love it.

Oh, and did I mention that one of MY mysteries is available on Kindle? MURDER IN METROPOLIS. Less than five bucks. I'm just saying . . .

Postscript, a week or so after the Kindle arrived:

One of the things I liked right away about the Kindle was being able to download sample chapters to see if I think I'll like a book. Recently I downloaded a sample of CREPES OF WRATH by Tamar Myers and nine or ten other samples. I usually read several chapter of a book before going to sleep each night, but that night I decided to read the samples instead of chapters from the book I was involved in. The Myers chapter quickly had me biting my lip to keep from chuckling out loud and waking Hubby. I wanted that book right then and there, but the nearest book store is in Paducah, KY, twenty minutes away, across the river, and it was closed. No problem, I clicked on my Kindle to turn on the wireless Internet connection and ordered the book directly from Amazon. They charged it to my account and downloaded it to my Kindle in minutes, without being connected to the computer.

What I felt for this gizmo thingy before was merely puppy love. Now I was fully enamoured with this gadget! Imagine, buying a book while sitting in bed, just before midnight! Doesn't get ANY better than that. And I'm still chuckling over the book. Now, sigh, I gotta find the rest of the series either on Kindle or in paperback, if it isn't on Kindle. Life is tough. Particularly at midnight.