Maggie Pill Mysteries

When you're thinking like an author, the best people are those who not only like your work, but also help you spread the word that it's out there and it's good. With that in mind, here's a link to an interview I did recently with Manybooks.net, which does just that. They liked The Sleuth Sisters , but they let me talk about my other work too, which is kind of them. Here's a link to the interview:  https://manybooks.net/featured-authors/maggie-pill-cozy-mystery-featuring-sisters As a reader, you might not be able to interview me online like they did, but you can still help. Spread the word: Tell others about books you like. Most people choose books that are recommended by someone they know. Loan your books : This is touchy for some, but I love sharing stories I enjoyed with people who might feel the same way. I have fans who read, then mail the books to faraway relatives and friends, which gets them read in a whole new part of the country. Comment on reviews ...

https://www.nfreads.com/interview-with-author-peg-herring/. I was interviewed by NF Reads, a site filled with interesting articles about a variety of topics. To see the interview, click on the link above.

Book One This is the first of a series of posts leading up to National Sisters Day, August 4th. Please respond with your own memories, whatever comes to mind as you read. No one was more surprised than I when the Sleuth Sisters series took off. What I'd intended to be a single e-book grew, due to reader demand, to include print and then audio formats. Since that first book, the sisters have returned again and again (7 times so far) with more adventures. Just about the time I think readers are tiring of Barb, Faye, and Retta, someone writes to ask when the next book will be available. "If you do decide to end this series," one fan wrote, "please don't kill off any of the sisters!" Having lost a sister IRL two months ago, I could never do that to my fictional family. If I had to give a single reason for the success of the Sleuth Sisters, it would be sisterhood.We don't all have sisters, but those who do often recognize themselves in the stories. Re...

Two schools of thought surround the exclamation point. Over-eager (often newbie) writers use way too many, because they just LOVE what they're writing and they just KNOW the reader is as excited as they are about it. I recently stopped reading a book because of the author's exuberant use of EPs. It wasn't that interesting anyway, but the constant use of unnecessary EPs, sometimes two or three at a time, made it seem like the author was trying to force me to feel excitement where there wasn't any. On the other hand, I've read attacks on the EP that I find downright snooty. Some editorial types insist it should be eliminated. One went so far as to say something like, "Make sure you use no more than ten exclamation points in your novel--then remove those ten." One of those ideas is as bad as the other. Overuse of EPs makes writing seem immature and gushy. Using none at all can make it dead. My position is that anything that helps the reader understan...

One of the criticisms I hear of Audible is how expensive audio books are, and I sympathize. Many of my fans save credits or scrimp to buy my newest book, and it's discouraging for authors, who know a new listener probably isn't going to risk $20 plus to try her book. Lately they seem to be getting it, and I have had two hopeful signs. One is that they put my old MACBETH'S NIECE release (written as Peg Herring) into a special romance category that gives readers a price break. The other is that they're having a sale this week (Feb. 18 to 25) on "First of a Series" books, and they included THE SLEUTH SISTERS for less than $6.95 (whatever that means!) That means if you haven't heard Judy, Laura, and Anne perform as Retta, Barb, and Faye, you get a bargain chance. https://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Sleuth-Sisters-Audiobook/B00MW75YF0  And since Book #6 is in the works, you'll have some enjoyable listening ahead!

?????????? I know what my fans will say if I ask: Should the Sleuth Sisters series be done? I've already heard it from some: "No! We love them!" I get that. But what is the saturation point for a series? I always thought it was five books, but I've got #6 mostly done, and I like it. The sisters still have issues to work through, and the two cases this book covers are interesting (There are dogs in one; that's always good.) But in my own reading, I tend to lose interest when a series goes on too long. Yes, I've read twenty-three Sue Graftons, but I space them out so I don't get sick of Kinsey. I love Harry Bosch too, but I was pleased to see that Connelly expanded to the Lincoln Lawyer books and is trying out a new character in The Late Show.  I think I'll know if there should be another Sleuth Sisters book. What happens is my brain starts telling me the story when I'm ready to write it down. There's no telling when that will ha...

Retta told you about the case on the Leelanau Peninsula. We're looking into the possibility of turning a drug lord's wife into an FBI informant. It seemed odd to me at first, since the woman has been married to the guy for decades, but the agent in charge says she seems to have changed over the last year or so. She's starting a fashion design business, and for the first time ever, appearing in public on her own. He thinks it means she's sick of the thug life. I guess that could be true, but my theory is that in this world of opportunism, the publicity would be a huge help in launching her business. Either way, we're going to attend the retreat where she will do a "mini-reveal" (I know, who cares?) of her new line of clothing for "mature" women. My comment on that? If your husband doesn't love you with lumps, he never really loved you in the first place.

Book #1 I looked up the word benchmark but I didn't learn much. It's a combination of bench + mark, and it represents a new standard. (So what's the bench got to do with it?  Do we sit down and rest when we reach a point where we've done something really cool? I don't intend to. Who wants to rest when you're on a roll?) Wherever the word came from, I'm approaching a benchmark with The Sleuth Sisters, the first book in the series. Sometime in the next week it will hit 1500 in audio book sales. For a book I wrote under a pseudonym, published myself, and promoted haphazardly at best, that's amazing. The production company people are pretty happy, too, since I did a 50-50 share of the profits with them rather than pay upfront. With a second, third, and soon a fourth installment in the series, we've got a small but reassuring stream of money coming in. In e-book, print, and audio sales, I'm earning more on the Sleuth Sisters than any of my ot...

This is the final cover for the 4th Sleuth Sisters mystery. It's still a way off, probably May, but it's nice to have something to show to readers. When an author is traditionally published, she gets some say in a cover but not much. A lot depends on the publishing house. I was always asked what my initial concept was, and after that they'd say, "Here's what we did." I've had author friends who hated their covers but couldn't do anything about it. I had one I didn't much care for, but I trusted the publisher to do what worked for the masses, not just for me. As an independent, an author is responsible for everything, including the cover. Knowing I have the artistic talent of a Brahma bull, I hire people to do my covers. I've been lucky to find cover artists who can take my germ of an idea and make it beautiful. When the first Sleuth Sisters came along, I had no idea it would be a series (or so popular: Thank you all!) I wanted three pairs ...

Faye I remember Christmas. I’d start thinking in late September about what each person in my family would like for a gift. Barb was always the easiest to buy for, because…books. She didn’t much care what kind as long as it was something she could learn from. And she could learn from mystery novels about motives and justice, from classics about life and integrity, or from Bill Bryson about just about anything. She honestly didn’t care what she was reading, as long as she was reading. Retta wasn’t hard to buy for either, but for a different reason. She told you what she wanted, in detail, with directions and a price range. Sometimes it was written down, just to be sure. That left Mom and Dad, who always said they didn’t want anything. That’s such an unsatisfactory answer to “What would you like for Christmas?” but it’s what we always got. Dad was funny because for some strange reason, the man who never shopped would go out late in November and buy himself new underwear, so...

If you know the Sleuth Sisters, you've met Buddy, Faye's mongrel, and Styx, Retta's Newfoundland. You know Barb has formed a tenuous relationship with a stray cat. Book #2 had some horses join the family, and Book #3 took us to the family farm, where there are reindeer and peafowl. In the 4th Sleuth Sisters book, chickens are an inciting factor--Bet you never heard that in a mystery before! All this brought to mind a question for today's post: If money, space, and other possible drawbacks were somehow taken care of, what animal would you choose to get for a Christmas gift? (to add to the ones you already share space with, of course)

We're going to try something new today. I read about InstaFreebie online, and I want to see if it's as easy as they say. Soooooo, if you haven't read THE SLEUTH SISTERS or you know someone who should, here's the link to a FREE e-copy http://www.instafreebie.com/free/1XMHQ I would appreciate some feedback on how well InstaFreebie works, because I understand people are abusing the Amazon Gift books that authors provide. When we "gift" an e-book on Amazon, a few nasty folks trade that gift in for cash and spend it on something else. I know, it's sad. I guess people who would do that aren't likely to provide an Amazon review anyway, which is why we give books away (and because we love our readers, of course!) InstaFreebie claims it can work with any e-reader. I put the book up for a week, so you have until next Wednesday, Dec. 9, to get your copy or tell someone else how to find it. If it works well, I'll do more giveaways over the n...

JoBe Cerny & Maggie Pill Leaving Mackinac Island--yes, it did snow! Saturday I traveled to Mackinac Island to sign at Grand Hotel. It was cool, so I have to tell you about it. The weekend was a celebration of the movie Somewhere in Time . Each year the hotel hosts the event, and actors who were in the movie return to the place it was filmed and meet their fans. How does Maggie Pill fit in to a celebration of a Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour film? Maybe not so much, BUT-- My audio book producer, JoBe Cerny, was in the movie all those years ago. Now he owns his own studio in Chicago and does voiceovers (He's the Pillsbury Doughboy) as well as a lot of other creative things, including writing mysteries. He decided that since he'd be on the Island and I was so close, I should come up for the day and sign with him. Niece Samantha and I started early and caught the ferry then took a horse-drawn carriage to Grand Hotel. (For those unfamiliar with Mackinac Island, no ...

   I've finally started writing the fourth Sleuth Sisters (Remember, there's another author in my head who has obligations too). Though a title isn't required for the writing part, my mind is toying with the possibilities. A lot of cozy titles are plays on words and that's okay, but I don't like them to be too cutesy. Since this mystery has to do with water rights, I'm wondering if A Long, Tall Drink of Murder is a good title. Be warned: tomorrow I might have a whole different idea, and to be honest, titles with "dog" or "cat" in the title sell extremely well. Maybe I should get Styx or Buddy or Barb's stray cat into the title, because of course they'll all have a role. Opinions?

MURDER IN THE BOONIES has been climbing the Amazon rankings, and watching it is a little addictive. Many authors admit to checking stats several times a day, and I do when a new book is released or a new giveaway is scheduled. The 3rd Sleuth Sisters is in the top 50 for cozies right now. It's just so cool to be loved! Today's the last day for 3 SLEUTHS, 2 DOGS, 1 MURDER on Kindle for free, so if you haven't snapped that up, you've been warned. I didn't know how a giveaway of the middle book of a series would go, but it sailed to #1 in free contemporary fiction (it's at #3 today) and over 50,000 readers have downloaded it, so I guess I'll call it a success. The theory is, of course, that if you like the one you get for free, you'll buy the others. So far it's working! Other than that, I don't have much of a sales strategy. Other authors tell how they adjust the price of a book for so many hours and watch their rankings to see if it helps. Or the...