Jo Dereske's Winter 2013 Newsletter
January 15, 2013
Happy 2013, Friends!There’s always a sense of optimism on the threshold of a new year. We love the possibility of fresh starts, new chances. I always spend New Year’s Eve looking back at the closing year and trying to figure out what I’ve learned, or. . .well. . . hoping I’ve learned a thing or two!
Beginnings - and a Gift for You
Inevitably, there's some truth in every tale a writer writes, even if it’s only a kernel, so I’m offering you three free ebooks, along with a brief bit of background as to their inception. I'm sorry these books are now only available to Kindle readers - and I hope later to expand these offerings for others.
Kindle readers: For 24 hours, on January 20, THREE ebooks will be FREE in the Amazon Kindle store:
MISS ZUKAS AND THE RAVEN’S DANCE, which is the fourth Miss Zukas mystery and one of my favorites. Although it is definitely fiction, it grew from my experience working in the library on the Lummi Reservation in Washington State. In this book Helma is “drafted” by her sneaky library director, Ms. Moon, into completing a book cataloging job at the new Native American Cultural Center. What happened to the last cataloger? Murder, of course!
The second free ebook is SAVAGE CUT, originally published by Dell, which is the first entry in the Ruby Crane mystery series. Forgery expert Ruby reluctantly returns to her rural Michigan home with her brain-injured daughter, hoping for a peaceful recovery. The story takes place in the logging industry, and draws heavily on my brother’s career as a consulting forester. As I began this book, two horrible accidents happened within a week of one another: a good friend hit an antelope on his motorcycle, and a nephew was in a head-on automobile collision. Both suffered brain trauma and generously shared their experiences with me.
And finally the third is a young peoples’ science fiction book (ages 8-12) THE LONE SENTINEL. It grew from a road trip across the plains states, when my young son looked dreamily out the window at a tower in a distant field and said, “Look at that lone sentinel.” The story suddenly appeared in my head fully formed (as stories rarely do!) and I pulled off the road and jotted a plot outline. I’m proud that THE LONE SENTINEL was nominated for several book awards, translated into Spanish and was a Junior Library Book Club selection.
So there you have it: three free books for one day - January 20th - only. These three titles are also available to borrow free for the next two months in the Amazon Lending Program.
Bowling Green for Library Week
I'm thrilled to be part of Bowling Green, Ohio's Wood County Public Library's Library Week celebration! April 16-17, 2013. More details soon.
A new short story, “A Tree in Texas” will be published in KWIK KRIMES, an anthology edited by Otto Penzler. All short stories in this collection are only 1000 words long. This was a fun challenge! Look for KWIK KRIMES in spring, 2013, both in print and ebook format.
As we begin another busy year (my resolution is to stick closer to my computer!) I wish you peaceful and fulfilling 2013. jo
Please keep your emails coming - I'll always answer. jo
www.jodereske.com