North Florida Writers Tour and Webs and Blogs for Writers Online Magazines

Photo by J W on Unsplash

One of the hardest things an author has to do is put themselves out there for marketing our stories. This is true whether you are indie, hybrid or traditionally published. All you really can do is keep trying. And with a little help from your friends you just might start to see some changes in the number of likes, follows, subscribes and purchases of your books. Being true to yourself is important but also being relatable is as well. But the most important thing I keep hearing is being consistent in your posting, your message, and what you share with potential readers.

Help a Fellow Author Out

Here I am on a Friday evening writing a post so that I might reach other authors and readers out there to engage with me and my writing. Most authors, I have learned, would much rather be sitting at their computers creating their worlds, moving their characters along their upcoming paths and then vegging out thinking about what other kinds of troubles we can put out leading characters through next. But I am taking time out creating graphics, writing articles, trying to include relevant hashtags and all the things it takes to connect. 

The other is you have to take some time to visit other writer’s places on the web. Do not forget to like, share, leave a comment and subscribe to other authors on this platform and any of the others that you determine will work for you. As a fiction writer I want to hang out in places that fiction readers like to visit such as TikTok, Facebook (depending on their age), Instagram and a few other places that are developing a reader/writer community. I do not make enough right now to buy all the books that I see and want to try but I can like, comment, watch the entire video and subscribe.

What Weekends Are For

 We all need to take some downtime to refresh our brains and our bodies. Even though it seems that we are rushing towards the decline of the human race to chaos; it is a good time to grab your favorite beverage, scroll through some of your social media feeds (of fellow authors and readers - skip the doom scrolling), and connect with others who like your genre from around the world. Once you have liked and viewed the videos, make sure to share them on your feed and give a comment. IF you follow each other when you make the comment do not forget to do the little ampersand and their name so that you are connected now in the posts as well. So, what you share may come back to you with their followers checking out your posts. 

Future Places to Visit to Get Noticed

Finally I would like to recommend you put yourself out there and get a blog article posted about you, find a podcast to join or agree to host a “LIVE” session on one of your social media platforms with a fellow author or two. These suggestions are free for the most part. If you are a local north Florida writer - please visit the North Florida Writers Tour online magazine. For everyone else why not check out the Webs and Blogs for Writers online magazine. Then there is Jolene’s Book and Writers Talk podcast (although I believe her schedule is full till the end of the year) and check out the “LIVE” sessions you can do from your YouTube Channel, TikTok, and Instagram profiles. 

Just a few tips for my fiction writer friends out there. Till next time!

New Pinevale Valley Shared World Book Is Finally Being Published

You may have been wondering what I have been doing lately. Well, besides working on trying to get my Misadventures of Janie and Diane historical mystery book series up and running (I have been writing and re-writing that series three of four time so far) I also agreed to publish another short story for the First Coast Romance Writers in another of their anthologies. This one is in the Pinevale Valley Shared World series. 

The group is always experimenting with creative ways to help their members get published. Besides Holiday and other types of themed romance short-stories they came up with a "Shared World" series where this one contain novellas set in the same place, using some of the same people, businesses, etc. but allowing for different types of realities and time periods as well. The group aimed to published one story a month for 12 months but was dragged out over 16 months and sadly, my story which is book 11 will be the last.

As with most long-term projects spread out among 20 to 30 different possible participants that have to commit to creating a story, paying to it professionally edited, ensuring that at least 1 other member read and reported positively on the story, and then giving up the rights for 12 months is really quite a commitment of time energy and  emotions. You do get a professionally created cover and published in eBook and paperback. It seems the first 60 days are automatically enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program so no WIDE publication until after then. I, as the author, and my alter-ego, Jolene, as the Social Media Coordinator for the group will be coming up with clever ways to promote the book. 

Here is the front cover of the book that is on Pre-order right now until October 14, 2025. The paperback book is also on preorder for the same day however it has not been populated onto Amazon quite yet. I have ordered my author copies to aid in promoting however according to KDP it will not be printed and mailed until sometime towards the end of the month. (More of that later). But here is a conundrum that the contributors of these stories may not want to consider once they do get their rights back to the stories. The book covers and the shared world belongs to the First Coast Romance Writers in their current published state that can continue to keep their published in paperback. They have agreed to pull the eBook versions so that the authors can publish the stories with new book covers and different titles on Amazon after their year is over.  

Now you can also re-write the entire story and publish it again under a new title and book cover with a reference to the shared world in the copyright. Or you can just use the short-story as a "Giveaway" on your website. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. 

1. Enchanted Encounter at the Matchmaker Inn by Leah Miles

2. Scooter's Heart by Sara J. Walker

3. Haunt Me Still by Vanessa Victoria Kilmer

4. Aura of Destiny by Leah Miles

5. Love from Above by Merrie Angel

6. Winter Wonder Tale by Vanessa Victoria Kilmer

7. The Proposal Problem by Erika Kilmer Freidly

8. A Rose by Any Other Name  by Vanessa Victoria Kilmer

9. A Twist of Fate at the Matchmaker Inn by Marie Morton

10. Brewing Up Romance by Gloria Zahler Ferguson

11. Pinevale Intrigue by L.J. Green - Paperback link coming soon.

Who is Your Favorite Mystery Character and Why

What is more fun than spending your spring break off reading or in my case re-reading a couple of your favorite mystery stories. I have always loved the Miss Marple mysteries created by Dame Agatha Christie. She was a marvel in her day and continues to entertain millions of fans every year who enjoy reading her stories, seeing her stories come to life on the screen (TV or Movies) and the adaptations by other writers out there. Although Ms. Christie’s life and career was widely publicized we can only guess at the struggles she went through to get her stories published and then her compensation was always less than her contemporary, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 

Doing some research over the last few days I have learned that the very first story she published in the Miss Marple series was called the “Tuesday Night Club” in 1927 and republished under the name “The Solving Six”;  then again included within the 1932  short stories novel called “The Thirteen Problems”; There is a very nice review of the first six short stories - CLICK HERE

The first meeting of the newly formed Tuesday Night Club, they turn to Sir Henry Clithering's tale of three people poisoned at dinner with only one later dying. The story first appeared in the UK in The Royal Magazine, and was Miss Marple's debut in print in 1927.

Agatha Christie - 1890 to 1976 - Miss Marple - Check out the “OFFICIAL HOME OF AGATHA CHRISTIE” website: https://www.agathachristie.com/en/stories/the-tuesday-night-club

• The Tuesday Night Club (1927) - aka The Solving Six
• The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)
• Death By Drowning (1932)
• The Body in the Library (1942)
• The Moving Finger (1942)
• Sleeping Murder (1976)
• A Murder Is Announced (1950)
• They Do It with Mirrors (1952) - aka Murder with Mirrors
• A Pocket Full of Rye (1953)
• 4.50 from Paddington (1957) - aka What Mrs McGillicuddy Saw
• The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1961)
• A Caribbean Mystery (1964)
• At Bertram's Hotel (1965)
• The Bloodstained Pavement (1966)
• Nemesis (1971)

I really enjoyed pursing the official website and came across the following: https://www.agathachristie.com/stories/detection-club

“Formed in 1930, The Detection Club was a group of British mystery writers which included Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ronald Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, Arthur Morrison, John Rhode, Jessie Rickard, Baroness Emma Orczy, R. Austin Freeman, G.D.H. Cole, Margaret Cole, E.C. Bentley, Henry Wade, and H.C. Bailey. Anthony Berkeley played a big role in setting up the club.

The Detection Club would not only help each other with technical aspects in their individual writings, but they also wrote a number of works together, with members of the club contributing one or more chapters in turn. Agatha Christie was the president of the Detection Club between 1957-1976.”

And this sent me down another rabbit hole of researching through the Newspaper archives to learn that the club is still active, and still publishing stories by it members to help fund the club’s activities. And according to the current president, Martin Edwards (https://martinedwardsbooks.com/home/about-martin/martins-writing/the-detection-club/), the members are still voted in and must take the following oath, “Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them, using those wits which it may please you to bestow upon them, and not placing reliance on, nor making use of, Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition, Mumbo Jumbo, Jiggery-Pokery, Coincidence, or Act of God?”

“The Floating Admiral” was the first one published story by the group and included chapters created by the founding members without knowing the outcome of the plot. 

Taken from a 1937 Article in the Daily Herald:

Eric The Skull Lakes Them Members

GRAND and solemn ceremonial." 

Months of eternal secrecy—and membership by invitation only are integral parts of the most mysterious and exclusive club in London, the Detection Club.

According to the famous writer of detective stories, Miss L. Savers, the club is described as "just an after-dinner club". At a recent initiation of a new member, a skull called "Eric," preceded by arch bearers, was carried on a velvet cushion. Part of the oath included the observation by the initiate of "seemly moderation in the use of gangs, death-rays, trapdoors, Chinamen and homicidal lunatics".

Miss Sayers mentioned that a new oath is being prepared, which "is not quite ready yet". The club meets every two months after dinner in their premises in Gerrard-street. She stated, "We give each other such assistance as we can concerning the writing of detective stories" and emphasized that they are under oath not to divulge any plots explained to them.

Membership is by invitation only, and all members must have written two stories of outstanding merit, which must not be thrillers. There are several honorary members, including Sir Norman Kendal, Assistant-Commissioner at Scotland Yard. Miss Sayers also noted, "We once took action against book reviewers of our books because some of them were giving away plots in their reviews".

When members join, they have to swear that they will write good English and no thrillers, ensuring that their detective stories will be as well written as other books.

There is so much her to research and it really gives you ideas for stories about the early days of the group and what they got up to every two months. Is your current writer’s group helping you get your stories written? 

Why Mystery and Steampunk Are the Perfect Genre Pairing for Today's Readers

There's something magical happening in bookstores and online reading communities: mystery and steampunk are finding each other, and readers are absolutely here for it. If you've been wondering why these seemingly different genres mesh so beautifully, you're witnessing a literary love affair that speaks directly to our current cultural moment.

Today's readers—especially younger generations—have developed a fascinating appreciation for the blend of old and new. Think about it: we're the generation that collects vinyl records while streaming on Spotify, shops vintage while designing digital content, and finds comfort in handwritten letters sent via Instagram stories. Mystery and steampunk satisfy this exact craving.

Steampunk gives us the elegance and craftsmanship of the Victorian era—those gorgeous gears, brass fixtures, and intricate mechanical wonders—while mystery provides the intellectual puzzle-solving our screen-saturated minds desperately need. Together, they create stories where Sherlock Holmes might solve crimes using steam-powered gadgets, or where a Victorian inventor uncovers conspiracies in fog-shrouded London streets.

The pairing works because both genres celebrate ingenuity. Mystery readers love piecing together clues, while steampunk fans admire creative problem-solving through inventive technology. When you combine a detective's deductive reasoning with a world of impossible machines, you get stories that engage both analytical and imaginative thinking.

Plus, there's the aesthetic appeal. The atmospheric settings—gaslit streets, copper pipes, mysterious laboratories—create the perfect backdrop for secrets and revelations. Modern readers who spend their days in sterile digital environments find escapism in these richly textured worlds that feel both nostalgic and fantastical.

For readers seeking something that honors the past while offering fresh perspectives, mystery-steampunk hybrids deliver exactly what our complex, contradiction-loving generation craves.

Respectfully Submitted,

L.J. Green, struggling author of Steampunk Mystery 

Friday Fun With Steampunk Limericks

 Steampunk mystery fans create art I create Limericks and Videos

I hope everyone has had a good week. We are all feeling some kind of way about the things happening in and around the U.S. I propose that we take the night off and do something just for fun. You may want to curl up with a good book, write on your own book, enjoy your favorite beverage while sitting in front to the television watching a funny movie or TV show. Whatever brings you joy I hope you get a chance to do. 

Share a picture of you and your pets doing somethin you enjoy.

#SteampunkLimericks #FunFridays #GetAwayFromTheNews

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