Tag: Midnight Ink

Home > ArchivesTag: Midnight Ink

The Joys—or Not—of Editing by Linda O. Johnston

February 6, 2019 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , , , , ,
The Joys-or Not-of Editing | Linda O Johnston | A Slice of Orange

The Joys—or Not—of Editing

I’m currently in the process of reviewing and responding to the copy edits for For a Good Paws, my fifth Barkery & Biscuits Mystery for Midnight Ink.  The process they use is a bit more complicated than many publishers I’ve dealt with recently since it involves making notes about things to change and not just redlining a clean version.  It takes more time, but it’s really not so bad.

For a Good Paws | Linda O Johnston | A Slice of Orange

I’m  a bit emotional about this one anyway, since it’ll be my last mystery for Midnight Ink because the publisher is sort of closing–at least not buying any more books, although they may continue to market existing ones for a while.  So far, I haven’t requested my rights back and probably won’t immediately. 

Will I do more Barkery mysteries?  I’d need to get at least some of my rights back to do that, and I’ve got other ideas to work on first–so I’m not sure. But if not, I’ll miss them!

These days, I’m sitting at my computer a lot working on those edits, which are due soon.  Recently, we’ve had a lot of rain, so sitting at my computer is a good place to be.  Since I’m in LA, I didn’t experience the Polar Vortex first hand but I’m sending hugs to those of you who did.  We have family near Chicago, so I got to hear some fairly scary stories—but all came out of it okay.  Hope that’s the same with you and yours as well.

And yes, the year marches on.  No, it’s not March yet, but it is almost Valentine’s Day.  So hug your sweeties, stay warm and dry—and read, write and/or edit some good books!

1 0 Read more

Thanks for California Dreamin’

April 6, 2015 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston, Writing Conferences tagged as , , ,

I’m not the only one who enjoyed it. I’m not the only one to thank the four wonderful Southern California RWA Chapters. But I want to express my thanks to everyone involved in the wonderful California Dreamin’ Conference!

I knew it would be fun, since, as I said last month, I was on a wonderful panel about writing series with Judy Duarte and Janet Tronstad. I hoped our audience members enjoyed it as much as I did.

Even more, I found it great fun to get together with long time romance writer friends and make some new friends as well. The sessions and panels I attended were mostly about promotion, and I learned a lot there. I did some traveling between the time of the conference and now so I haven’t been able to try to implement what I learned, but I hope to soon.

I also had a lot of fun at the book signing–and even sold some books.

So, again, many thanks for an absolutely delightful conference. And now I’m looking forward to 2017!

Linda O. Johnston

Linda’s new Barkery and Biscuits Mystery series from Midnight Ink starts in May with BITE THE BISCUIT. 
 It’s about veterinary technician Carrie Kennersly, who seizes the opportunity to buy a bakery from a friend about to leave town. She changes half of it into a barkery that sells treats for dogs, including some healthy ones she created as a vet tech. But not everyone in town is thrilled with her new venture and yes, since it’s the beginning of a cozy mystery series a murder occurs.
0 0 Read more

More Meeting Uncertainty

January 6, 2015 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , ,

I love OCC.  But I’ve been missing a lot of meetings lately for a variety of reasons, and am unsure about the upcoming one.  Why?  Family!  My holiday season has been extended thanks to my son, d-i-l and grandsons coming in January for their celebration here in Southern California.  Depending on their schedule while here, I might make the morning part of the OCC meeting but I won’t know till I’m on my way.
 
Meantime, I’ve got a couple of Feb. 1 deadlines so I’ll have to depend on naptime for time to work.  Fortunately, I’m close enough that it shouldn’t be an issue… I hope!
 
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season and my fingers are crossed that you have a really Happy New Year!  Why are my fingers crossed while I’m typing?  In case you didn’t recall or didn’t know, I’m now writing Superstition Mysteries!  I’m also writing for two Harlequin lines, Nocturne and Romantic Suspense, as well as another mystery series that starts this year in May, the Barkery and Biscuits mysteries.
 
Okay, enough about me.  I’m looking forward to attending lots of OCC meetings this year as well as the California Dreamin’ Conference.  Hope to see you at some or all of them!


Linda O! Johnston
LindaOJohnston.com 
0 0 Read more

Time Passes

July 6, 2014 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , , , ,

Hi.  This is Linda O. Johnston.

It’s July already, and I’m a bit obsessed about how quickly time has been passing this year.  Not that it hasn’t in other years.  But I also blogged this week on the same topic at one of my other blogs, Killer Hobbies. 

I didn’t blog here at a Slice of Orange last month, unfortunately.  I’d mentioned in my May post that I had family coming to visit, and their delightful presence not only prevented me from doing much writing for a couple of weeks, but it erased some of my concentration.  I didn’t get to the OCC meeting at all, and I neglected to even write my blog. 

And now it’s July 6.  The year is a little more than half over.   

I still have a lot to accomplish in 2014.  I have several important writing deadlines to meet, as well as editing stuff I’ve written, some before I turn it in and some after getting feedback from editors.   

Then there’s promotion.  I’m delighted to say that I have a new Harlequin Nocturne being published next month, LOYAL WOLF, my second this year.  And October 2014 is the publication date of my first Superstition Mystery for Midnight Ink, LOST UNDER A LADDER.  I want to make sure the world knows about both of them!  Plus, I recently self-published my first story, a novella in my Pet Rescue Mysteries, CHIHUAHUA CHAOS. 

One thing that I hope will help is that I now have a street team.  It only started a couple of weeks ago and I’ve lots to learn, but so far it’s been fun. 

I’ll be at OCC this month.  And at the end of the month I’ll be at RWA National in San Antonio, which should also be fun. 

How about you–will you be at RWA National?  What do you have to accomplish by the end of this year?
0 0 Read more

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

April 6, 2014 by in category Events, Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , , ,

by Linda O. Johnston

I’m sorry to say I won’t be at the OCC meeting this month.  But I’m happy to say that the reason is an event I really enjoy: the L.A. Times Festival of Books.

 
The LATFOB is a two-day event.  This year, those two days are Saturday, April 12, and Sunday, April 13.  I’ll be there both days, which means no OCC meeting, and, as it turns out, no Los Angeles Romance Authors meeting either, since it was changed to the second Sunday of the month rather than its usual third Sunday, which this month happens to be Easter.
 

I often try to schedule everything I want to do at the LATFOB on the same day, but that didn’t work out this year.  I’ll be signing at two mystery booths and helping to staff the Mystery Writers of America booth, and the schedule worked best for me to do some on Saturday and some on Sunday. 
 

Fortunately, I live not far from a Metro stop, so I can take the subway and train to the USC campus, where the festival is now held.  It was at the UCLA campus for many years but that changed a few years ago.

 

I keep hoping for more of a romance presence there, too, but sponsoring booths is expensive.  Harlequin had a presence last year but I don’t see them on the list of exhibitors this year.  I know there was some talk of a bunch of us contributing to sponsor a booth, but I don’t think that materialized, at least not this year.

 

Even if you’ll be at OCC this month, come to the USC campus on Sunday and say hi and check out the many wonderful booths.  There are also speakers, although you generally have to sign up in advance for those programs.  But why not plan ahead?  And, yes, there is a romance panel on Saturday that includes some OCC members!
0 0 Read more

Copyright ©2017 A Slice of Orange. All Rights Reserved. ~PROUDLY POWERED BY WORDPRESS ~ CREATED BY ISHYOBOY.COM

>