Janie and Diane Go to Cuba

As a participant with the First Coast Romance Writers group my very first published novella will be added to the bi-annual anthology. This one is filled with 'sweet romances' somewhere in the tropics. Love the preliminary designs for the book cover. The anthology will be available for pre-order in June. The picture above gives some hints about the elements within the story. And yes, there will be a romance. Stay Tuned for More Details!

The story is an in-between short set after the Bloody Murder at the Blanche Hotel and one other that hasn't been written yet. I know that seems a little strange but the opportunity to write a feature story for an anthology that is produced by one of the writers groups I joined last year was an exciting opportunity. Besides helping them with their Social Media and new website design I was also one of the volunteer judges for the NERFA contest. Those winners will be announced in July. 

The Anthology is non-paid for the writers. Each of us had to pay for our own editing but the club will be paying for a nice digital marketing package. This is considered a great opportunity for new writers to get their work out in the public. My editor is insistent though that after the six months contract is over I incorporate the story in a full novel. By then I hope to have all of the stories published on Kindle Vella and them have them revised and re-edited for publication as full-length novels.

In the meantime I have uploaded thirty-nine chapters, so far, for the new Kindle Vella book, Dastardly Deeds at the Dearborn Theater. Today there are episodes posted each weekday until June the 2nd. This story introduces the characters and why they started their adventures in the first place. The Dearborn Theater was a historical building in Chicago with a German Opera Theater and acting group putting on shows all through the year. The theater was built next to and part of the the old Schiller building with large sculpture heads of men from the theater including Shakespeare gazing down on the patrons as they entered the building. It was also known as the Garrick Theater. Sadly the whole thing was demolished in the 1970s.

From Chicago History Website

Opened in 1891, the Schiller Theater was originally funded by former Illinois Staats-Zeitung publisher Anton C. Hesing (1823-1895) and other German investors and was projected to be used for German-language operas and cultural events.

I am collecting names and emails for ARC Readers for the upcoming anthology. If you would like to participate I have a couple of slots opened. I also would like to start a news letter for the Janie and Diane Series. Please use the CONTACT FORM on the right side of the page and I will add you to the listing. Gmail account holders can also click on the FOLLOW button. 

Prizes and Giveaways will be forthcoming

Tips for Fellow Writers - The Evolution of Book Covers

As a newbie fiction writer I am constantly learning new things. This particular project started off as a non-fiction history/biography/memorial book about the haunted, historical hotel in Lake City, Florida called the Blanche Hotel. It was in the process of FINALLY being renovated. They get the renovations almost done and, bam! covid hits and everything shuts down. But, hey, I still want to write the history book so I keep working on gathering information, reading about 40 years worth of old newspapers, spending a couple of days in the old county records vaults and trying to get the local historical society to back with either a grant or endorsement. Sadly, my research flounder as I ran out of resources and would need to travel out of state to finish off the biographies of those who began and ran the hotel for the first 55 years or so. Covid still happening and no one willing to take a chance on sponsoring another history book with limited appeal. [hey, it appealed to me and most of the long-time residents of the area] So, I decided to take all of that knowledge, create a pen name, and write a fictional story using real places and events as characters and parts of the story.

Thus, "Spies at the Blanche Hotel" was born. I have been working on it off and on for about 2 years now. Sadly, life intrudes and other needs and family have to be taken care of. I do meet some great author friends along the way who are helping with the editing and development, encouragement and the push to finish. Seeing a great potential for the main characters and loving history as well as mystery the way I do this has morphed into a possible series. The latest book cover I designed sparked ideas for 3 other story titles. One of which I will be starting November 1, 2022 for #NaNoWriMo2022

Very exciting but also I am very nervous. It will be a learning experience for sure. So, if you want to help a sister out please visit the first book on Kindle Vella - https://amzn.to/3gV5Dkj - at give it a go. The first 3 chapters are free and every new person to Vella is given 200 tokens for FREE to begin. Might as well toss them my way please!!!!! Thanks and good luck to all my fellow writers out there who will be participating as well. -@jolenemacinjax is my handle on the site https://nanowrimo.org/ #writers