Thank You, American Express

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Every year in America the holiday gift buying season traditionally kicks off with Thanksgiving's long weekend. This year the big box stores tried to get a jump on holiday shoppers’ money by opening on Thanksgiving. This move may have been responsible for the reported flat "Black Friday" sales. 

Thanks to American Express's Shop Small movement: AMEX card members are encouraged via incentives, to shop at small businesses that accept AMEX on "Small Business Saturday," occurring on the Saturday following "Black Friday." The 2014 program incentives for card holders with any AMEX purchase over $10 at a registered AMEX small business, the individual card holder will receive a credit of $10 on their credit card statement. Millions of individual card holders have helped small businesses capture sales activity that otherwise might have gone to bigger box retailers. American Express offers small businesses marketing activities for free so they can plan for a successful "Shop Small Saturday" experience. A win-win for both the consumer and small business in your community. 

The Internet makes it convenient to shop and big box stores have great sales. However, let's face it, if we as a community don't support local small businesses they will not be sustainable and we will lose small businesses that make a communities unique. 

What does Shop Small Saturday have to do with writing? I chose to participate in this year's AMEX "Shop Small" by making purchases at our local independent book stores. 

Why? I'm not just a writer, first I'm a reader. As a reader it's fun to spend time in a bookstore perusing through the offerings. Putting your hands on books, comparing cover art and reading the teasers on the back of the books gives you a sense of ownership in the gift you purchase. It also gives the author, in you a chance to do research. What cover art catches your attention? Would you have started the book with that first paragraph? Would you have rewritten the teaser of the latest best-seller?  

Of course, the interaction with bookstore employees can't be found via an Internet review. Sometimes a face to face recommendation is crucial in the search for the "perfect read" to match the right gift to each person on your gift list. Our independent booksellers gift-wrap as a perk which saves the effort and expense of gift wrapping.

Independent booksellers may only represent 3-5% of a publisher's sales but they are the locals, who can champion a publishers' titles and creating book buzz for authors. Word of mouth can be the vehicle to make a small book, huge. Your local independent book sellers, support local authors by publicizing and granting book-signings at their venues and highlighting them in their email newsletters. 

Independent bookstores matter to your community, to readers and you, the author. The only way they will survive and thrive is if we spend some of our gift-giving dollars within the walls of your local independent booksellers. 

How to Sell and Resell Your Novel

By Loree Lough

Every novel requires research and interviews that lend authenticity to storyline, character development/motivation, conflict, setting, time period, etc. And every author knows that too much detail bogs down the plot and bores the reader. Seems a shame to waste all that great information, doesn’t it.

What if I told you that with a tad more research, you could turn the hours spent into money. (I earned nearly $8,000.00 by selling and reselling research from one novel to 23 different publications. See sample query, paragraph 3, for list of publication types.) How? Like this:

Determine Which Publications Print Stories Like Yours. Find out which editor/department  accepts stories like yours.

Put together a solid query letter. One page, single spaced (double space between paragraphs). Paragraph one: outlines your article’s bare bones; paragraph two defines sources you’ll quote; paragraph three details why you’re qualified to write the piece. And it must be 100% error-free.

Know Your Rights. First North American Serial Rights? First Rights? First Use? One-time rights? (I don’t have the space here to explain these, but you can learn more by Googling ‘rights’.)

Do Your Best Work. If your piece piqued an editor’s interest, s/he will call to discuss the details. Get that story in asap, following requirements outlined during that call (length, tone, deadline, etc.). Your piece must be at least as good—and error-free—as others in the publication.

So in review:

Be informed…

1. learn as much about the publications you'll contact before you query them;
2. read mastheads to ensure you’ll direct your query to the appropriate editor. (NOTE: Don't count on Writer’s Market!);
3. make sure you know who reads the publications;
4. make sure your targeted magazines’ audiences are different.

Be specific…

1.     queries are one page, period;

2.     queries provide a clear, concise overview of your article, and prove that you know the publications' rules (tone, word length, department that best fits your piece).

Be persuasive…

1.     attach writing samples and/or credentials that highlight your skills/reason(s) you're qualified to write the proposed article;

2.     provide a short list of other publications where your work has appeared (if any);

3.     list potential sources you'll interview.

Be prompt…

1. when an editor shows interest in your article, reply as quickly as possible;
2. nail down the deadline, amount you'll be paid, rights, and approximate print/payment date;
3. submit the article on time with a cover letter (see below).

I wish you all the best in selling and reselling your research data!

Sample Query…

Date, Your Name, Home address, Phone/cell, email

Publication Name, Editor's name, Publication Address

Re: Proposed article "Vet Turns Dreams into Reality"

Dear Editor's Name (Do not precede with Mr./Ms.):

Young Blaize McCrandall's life changed forever when he found a barely-alive rabbit alongside of the road. Gently swaddling it in his t-shirt, he carried it home, where his dad explained why Blaize should have left it to die. Even at age 8, Blaize wasn’t a quitter: He convinced the local vet to show him how to save the rabbit and, after a month of tedious care, Blaize carried it into the woods. “Would you believe,” he recalls with a grin, “the ungrateful thing bit me before he hopped away!”

I'd like to propose a 1,000 word story for your "Right Here in Town" about how Blaize McCrandall—son of a disabled Vietnam vet and an alcoholic Avon lady—turned his dream of becoming a veterinarian into reality….

By dint of drive and determination, Blaize worked construction, waited tables, dog-sat, and performed janitorial duties (and more) to earn his degree, then put hard-earned skill to use, building the clinic where he still practices veterinary medicine.

Thank you for considering “Vet Turns Dreams into Reality” for publication in (name of periodical). I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely, Your Name

Now you wait…and hope the editor replies within the time frame spelled out in the publication’s Submission requirements (aka Guidelines). Let’s presume the editor calls to 1.) find out more and/or 2.) offer you a slot in a future issue. Get that article to your editor on time. Nothing more, nothing less than s/he asked for. And you’ll send it with a cover letter:

Sample Cover Letter

Date, Your Name, Mailing address, Phone/cell, email

Publication Name, Editor's name, Publication Address

Re: Article for “Right Here in Town”, Vet Turns Dreams into Reality

Dear Editor's Name (Do not precede with Mr./Ms.)

Per our conversation on (date), please find the above-referenced article, (#of words) in length.

Feel free to call with questions or comments.

Sincerely, Your Name

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With nearly 5,000,000 4- and 5-star books in circulation, reviewers and readers alike have called best-selling author Loree Lough "a gifted storyteller whose novels touch hearts and change lives." Her 103^rd and 104^th novels (Currency of the Heart, #1 in the “Secrets on Sterling Street” historical series, Whitaker; Once a Marine, #1 “Those Marshall Boys” contemporary series for Harlequin Heartwarming) will reach bookstore shelves in January. Loree lives near Baltimore and loves spending time at her little cabin in the Allegheny Mountains, where she delights in showing off her “identify the critter tracks” skills. She loves interacting with readers on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, and via email (she answers every letter, personally!) c/o http://www.loreelough.com. 

Some of the Blogging Rules May Be Changing

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine

I was reading Salma Jafri’s post on Search Engine Watch dated August 13, 2014. All right, I am behind on my reading, but I’m trying to catch up!

She indicated that blogging is changing. In other words, some things that use to be rule of thumb may not be now. Salma went on to suggest we sit back and look at our own blogging. Things such as how often we blog and is it producing more followers? Is our content producing what we want?

We all know content is important and it’s what will draw people to want to read your blog. It needs to pertain to what their interests are.

Marie Smith who writes the newsletter The Social Scoop asked an interesting question. She said, “Do you provide regular invitations on your Social Media to come read your blog and join your email list and, of course, ultimately do business with you!”

Think about it, if you want someone to come to your house to visit, don’t you have to extend an invitation to him or her? So then shouldn’t we be extending those invitations for people to visit our blogs, sign up on email lists and tell them about our book…offering ways to purchase our book?

With blogging, to keep up with what is changing, don’t we need to find out how often we have to post to gain followers. If it is only once a day instead of five then look at the time we can save and spend on our writing. We are now finding out that each blogger is different–just like people are different. I may have to blog three times to get the numbers that you get and you only have to blog once to get those numbers.

Try out your blog…see how many times you have to blog and how many followers you get on that number…eventually you will see a pattern. And be sure and extend invitations when you are on your Social Media for people to visit your blog and join your email list…and ask them to check out your book.

Mixing It Up With Different Genres

By Kathy Bryson

Like most writers, I’m an avid reader and not just in my published genre. I read everything I can get my hands on and I’m always on the hunt for something different and new! So it’s not surprising I ended up blending genres in my work. I write romantic fantasy. And increasingly, I’m not alone in this.

Some genres naturally go together. Paranormal and romance are a match made in, well if not exactly heaven, someplace metaphysical. There’s a close correlation between attraction and safety. Women, and men, look for partners who make them feel safe. We feel protective of those we care about. It’s the same reason there’s a demand for military/police/law enforcement/secret agent – even biker – romances.

In fantasy, the central conflict is frequently a search, a search for the solution to a problem or the search for one’s self, sometimes both. Fantasy and science fiction purists may prefer the romance not take center stage, but the quest for love directly parallels the epic quest and can actually be the reason for the quest. It was pretty much the basis for all those Arthurian legends.

Some genres may have tension when blending. This holds true for suspense thrillers, even mysteries. Characters may be conflicted, but the reader can get confused if the characters are bouncing between wondering if they’re loved and wondering who did it. Romantic mysteries work when solving the mystery reinforces that sense of safety.

Balancing the demands of multiple genres requires thought. Time travel romances can wander dangerously close to Regency romances. The common element between genres can act as a bridge or the fulcrum that highlights the difference. Alpha males appear in many genres, but a good character won’t jump seamlessly between a space ship and a medieval battlefield without questioning more than the available selection of weapons.

Some cross-genre pairing wouldn’t seem to work at all. Consider horror comedy for example. This pairing ranges from unabashedly silly like Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein to biting satire like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. One benefit of cross-genre pairing is that juxtaposing one genre against other forces you to examine its conventions. Your characters, and your assumptions, will never be the same!

So, tap into the creative energy of mixing genres. Consider your characters and plot, and ask yourself, am I writing just a mystery? Is there a romance in here as well? If I blend them, will I get a richer, more vibrant story? An epic quest becomes a romance with the protagonists rescuing their love from dragons, or if the parties are under a spell, a romantic comedy. Mix it up and see what you get!

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Kathy Bryson knew she wanted to be a writer when she finished reading through her school and local children’s libraries. She spent 20 years honing her writing skills on marketing brochures, websites, and several unfinished manuscripts before going into teaching and finishing a book with all the stuff she enjoys most – from coffee to love to Shakespeare! Kathy lives in Florida where she caters to the whims of two spoiled cats and wonders what possessed her to put in 75 feet of flowerbeds. Her first book, Feeling Lucky, won the 2014 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award for Best First Book. Author Links – Blog - http://kathybryson.wordpress.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kathybryson22

Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+KathyBryson22 Twitter - https://twitter.com/kathybryson2

Your Book Cover Must Evoke Emotion and Memory

By Lynette Ferreira

The first impression of your book cover must create a stir of responses in the book buyer. An immediate feeling of emotion and connection. A book essentially promises to take the reader on a journey full of imagination, so you cover's message must be clear enough for the reader to understand they can experience everything they are looking for in it.

The book buyer decides within three to five seconds to purchase your book or scroll by.

Your book cover is probably the most important thing in getting your book noticed out of 14,000+ books published on a daily basis. That image, which will now forever be associated with your book, is the single biggest piece of marketing your book will ever receive. For self-published authors who have not yet built up a big following, the cover may be the only thing that gets a reader or reviewer to click on the book and not scroll by. Most times books will sell based solely on its cover and your book needs a cover that readers want to know more about. If the reader does not know the author and if the book does not catch the reader’s eye, the reader will scroll right past. Game over.

Your book cover must arouse an instant response of emotions with the reader, to get the reader to click on it without scrolling past.

Studies have shown that books with flowers on them will appeal to women, but most men will steer clear. Adding the color red may evoke passion, heat, or intensity – but it can also look cheap and unappealing. Blue will be calmer and more relaxing. Purple is an eye-pleasing color. White can disappear on a screen. Small type is hard to read. Thrillers are generally darker, use large type, and depict shadowy men. At the moment, words (without any images) seem to be popular.

Novel readers are often looking for an emotional benefit.

As with any product, the consumer is looking for some kind of benefit. They will buy the book to be emotionally moved, so your cover needs an emotional hook – an image, a typeface, a color, or all three. Once the cover engages the reader emotionally, everything else is set in motion.

Books tell stories, so designers use a host of visual cues (image, color, and font) to articulate the essence of the book. The cover sets the story, so when the reader sees it, they should have an immediate flash of intuition. They should have a sense of the story already. Beautiful is not what the book buyer is looking for; they want a visual that pulls them into the story even before they have read the description.

So when you see your own book cover for the first time, don’t think about whether you love it or hate it. Consider this: Will this stand out? Is the cover’s message clear? Does this engage me emotionally?

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Lynette Ferreira is proudly self-published and writes young adult (teen) fiction. She worked as a Personal Assistant at a major international financial institution for most of her adult life, where she poured all her creative talents into proposals and marketing material. She has a Diploma in Marketing. In 2009 she self-published her first novel, My Recycled Soul. Since then, novels she has written include Would you Remember ME,When we Love, Guardian Angel, Fornever and Layered. Her Flash Fiction stories can be read on-line for free at Readwave. She now lives in theUnited Kingdom. Visit her at http://bit.ly/ReadwithLynetteFerreira

‘Tis the Season for Books

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

January book sales deal with the start of a New Year and books on self-improvement, business, weight loss, devotionals and the likes. March-June sales of books lean toward Mom, Dad, Easter, Grads and religion. This is the second highest seasonal sale of Christian Books due to the Easter observation. The sales during these periods are large but the Granddaddy of them all is the period from mid-August thru December or the Christmas Season.

Christmas sales are good for all books. The stores begin stockpiling the books in August and look for their prime period as early as mid-November. The books are there waiting for us now and matter of fact have been for a couple of months. You may have noticed the recent book trailers on TV. The book industry has taken the route of the movie industry and began the book trailers. All this is to get you focused on the Seasonal buying.

Now what books to purchase for your loved ones as well as what books you want to drop hints for yourself as a gift. That could be as easy as a simple Google of Top Children’s, Religious, Business, and Celebrity Books.  Google as specific a topic as you like and make your decision from there. Many will know the book they are hoping to receive and if you ask they may tell you. I would and do. 

As a matter of fact I leave a list of future book purchases in a MOLESKIN note pad near my favorite reading chair. I make sure it’s known and easily found. Over the years I have had great luck with this method. It also takes a lot of decision making worries off the shoulders of my family. I think they like it too.

So the time is here for Seasonal Book shopping and gifting. Whether you shop online or in the stores they are prepared for the rush. All you need is a list of your picks and get started. You can start your search with Southern Writers Magazine’s first holiday book catalog. Here’s Wishing you Happy Gifting and Reading this Season.      

The Writing Process-You Can't Do It All At Once

By Meg Gardiner

Writing is a process, we hear. But what does that mean? That writing is like assembling cars on a factory line? Like baking a cake, or giving birth?

For me, process means I spend months brainstorming ideas for a novel, and sketching character biographies, coming up with plot twists, and researching topics that range from cryptology to cat burglary. It means I outline the story: the beginning, the middle’s big turning points, and the ending. It means I pound out a rough draft. (So rough, I could glue it to a belt sander and use it to grind down metal filings.) It means I revise that draft once, twice, maybe three or four times, adding more plot twists, pruning dead ends, and turning cardboard characters into living, breathing, bleeding people who launch themselves at the world and at each other.  

Process means that writing a novel is a multi-faceted, multi-layered endeavor. Which means you can’t do it all at once.

So, if you’re gazing into the abyss that is your writing project, feeling overwhelmed, lean back. Repeat after me: One-step at a time.

It took me years to figure this out. When I first attempted to write a novel, I had no idea what I was doing. I just hammered out a story featuring an embryonic version of my series heroine, Evan Delaney.

In the first version, Evan’s entire family disappeared. Ooh… it was a mystery. The problem: Evan spent 20 pages sitting in her brother’s empty living room, having flashbacks about her childhood, before noticing that nobody was home. It was lumpen. In the second version, a bunch of amateurs pulled off a sting. That version had witty dialogue, a cast of hundreds, and a major issue: I called the novel a murder mystery, but nobody in the book actually died.

In still another version, I spiced up a slow scene by introducing a revving engine and a blinding set of headlights. The characters dashed to safety, and then the would-be thriller screeched to a halt, because I had no idea who was at the wheel or why they were after anybody. I was a deer in those headlights, broadsided by the realization that I had no plot.

That’s when I taught myself to plan novels so they have a beginning, a middle, and an end. And as few blinding headlights—and other clichés—as possible.

I learned how to construct a plot: a big, strong story that builds to a conclusion that’s surprising yet inevitable, with strong, sympathetic characters in action under pressure, facing the hardest choices of their lives. Now, with twelve novels published, I know that this is the work I’ll tackle whenever I start a new book.

Process means that your writing has to develop, evolve, and grow. All that takes time. One step after another. Embrace the journey. You’ll get there.
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Meg Gardiner is the author of twelve acclaimed thrillers. Her novels have been bestsellers in the U.S. and internationally, and have been translated into more than 20 languages. CHINA LAKE won the 2009 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original. THE NIGHTMARE THIEF won the 2012 Audie Award for Thriller/Suspense audiobook of the year. Her current title, PHANTOM INSTINCT, was chosen one of O, the Oprah magazine’s “Best Books of Summer.” She lives in Austin, Texas. You can connect with her on www.meggardiner.com  and Twitter: @MegGardiner1 and Facebook.com/MegGardinerBooks

The Phrase That Pays

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


"What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?"
"Baby, you're the greatest."
"Yabba Dabba Doo!"

Chances are, these famous lines effortlessly brought up images of Gary Coleman, Ralph Kramden and Fred Flintstone, even if it's been decades since you last heard them.  From the earliest days of entertainment, the catch phrase has been a staple of dialogue for popular characters. From Fonzie's raspy "Ayyyy!" to Lucy's toothy "Ewwww," we're reassured by their familiarity and disappointed if we don't hear them.

 Today the catch phrase remains as popular as ever.  "The tribe has spoken," "You are the weakest link," and "Is that your final answer?" entered our modern lexicon through reality and game shows. Meanwhile, both sitcoms and dramas continue to feature main or secondary characters known for  repeating pet expressions.

The characters we write can likewise benefit from this verbal quirk.  We ourselves have a habit of saying certain phrases, so why not give your protagonist the same liberty?   Some of literature's most beloved characters weren't slow to indulge in slogans. The potential of a good catch phrase to weave its way into our hearts is elementary, my dear Watson.

Bazinga.

One thing to be careful of is to avoid having more than one character use the chosen phrase.  If your hero has a penchant for saying "Holy moly!" it dilutes its power and confuses the reader if the next door neighbor claims it too.

Like anything, catch phrases can be overdone to the point of irritation.  But tastefully timed appearances are a welcome insider's wink to our readers as well as a reinforcement of a character's unique personality.  Who knows?  Maybe your hero will utter the next catch phrase that will catch on.

How to Remain True to the Art of Writing and Still Be in the Business

By Martha Carr

It’s possible to write what you love and sell a lot of books. It doesn’t have as much to do with what you do but the intention you bring to the table.

Are you here to tell a good story and let readers find you? Or are you setting out to find readers? I don’t mean that you can write a book, put it on the internet and then wait for the checks and applause to come rolling into your inbox.

You will need to set up a website devoted to the genre you’ve chosen and become active in social media, tweeting and blogging about the topics in your book, not just about the book itself.

But are you doing all of this in order to find readers? It’s a reversal of the process and can lead to a lot of frustration as we search for people to like our books, and even, like us. There is another way.

It starts with asking yourself the most powerful question there is, and then listening to the answer. What do I want to write?

I had to make a U-turn after several books in order to find the balance between art and business. To get there I had to start trusting my own instincts more. The result has been a series of thrillers, the Wallis Jones series, about an ordinary family who find themselves in an extraordinary conspiracy. Would you be willing to risk a comfortable, happy life, in order to do the right thing? It’s a fun question to answer in a thriller and the audience for them is steadily growing.

Here are some tips I’ve learned to love what you write and still grow an audience.

·        Pick a genre you like and stick with it. If you like it, there must be lots of others as well. It doesn’t matter if it’s not what someone else would choose. If an agent or a critic doesn’t like it, that’s okay. There will be a crowd who does.

·        Set up a website with a blog devoted to this genre. Let your enthusiasm for it shine through and have a singleness of purpose. This is not a time to write about everything under the sun. Stick to your topic and relate the topic back to your book.

·        Be consistent so readers can find you. Set up something like Hootsuite so that you post to Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and so on, regularly. Always include a link to your blog.

·        Blog the same time, every week and keep it to 300 words or less. A lot of readers are looking at posts on their smart phones these days.

·        Get out there and be seen, even if it’s virtual. Guest blog, participate in online workshops, take out an ad, start GoodReads discussions and ask to be on podcasts. Be prepared to explain your book in one or two sentences.
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      Martha Carr is the author of five books and is a speaker, columnist and blogger. Her first book of the Wallis family saga, The List, and continues in The Keeper, is the second thriller in the Wallis Jones series. Martha is currently at work on the next installment, The Circle, due out in early 2015. Martha is also a melanoma survivor, Chi runner, occasional rower and skydiver and mother to Louie. She resides near her family in Central Texas, where everyone is always welcome to stay for dinner. Her social media links are; http://www.wallisjonesseries.com/
http://blog.wallisjonesseries.com/   @MarthaRCarr  +MarthaCarr
 
 

Shopping and My Christmas List of Books

By E.E. Kennedy

Don’t hate me—but I have all my shopping done.

Not everybody likes shopping, but I happen to love it, especially at Christmas. Recently, I embarked on an expedition to ferret out gifts in my favorite category: books.

Books make wonderful presents. They’re easy to wrap, easy to mail, you don’t have to know sizes and with a little thought, you can find the perfect one for each person on your list. You can find pages of books from Southern Writers Magazine’s first annual holiday catalog for your shopping needs.

They can be economical, too. If you’ve found the ideal book for a person, what does it matter if you found it at Barnes & Noble, on Amazon, Southern Writers Magazine's Holiday Catalog, in a thrift shop, a used bookstore or at a yard sale? I learned this from my sister-in-law. One year, she made a specific request for a hard-cover copy of Josephine Tey’s mystery, Miss Pym Disposes. I found plenty of paperback copies—I had two in my own personal library—but a used hardback copy was finally located online. It was such a satisfying treasure hunt; I decided to stage the same search for every friend and family member.

My dad is a musician and loves to sing the standards as he plays the piano. On Amazon, I found something called a fake book, which I learned contains the lyrics and music to several thousand standards and pop hits. He’s going to love taking requests at the family gatherings.

Next on the list is my husband, an engineer who enjoys military histories.  A nearby used bookstore called Mr. Mike’s yielded up two that will be perfect: Post Captain, by Patrick O’Brian (author of Master and Commander) and Mr. Midshipman by C.S. Forester, which introduces the character of Horatio Hornblower and kicks off a rip-snorter of a series. I’ll wrap them together.

I mustn’t forget the grandchildren. Fortunately, I have held onto a wonderful series of books by Beverly Clearly that my own children enjoyed and it’s time they were passed on to a new generation: Henry Huggins, Henry and Ribsy, Ribsy and Henry and the Paper Route, one for each grandson and Ellen Tebbits for my very feminine granddaughter. She will definitely identify with the prissy little girl’s hilarious efforts to stay clean, neat and ladylike.

Next up is my brother, an attorney and expert amateur chef.  As a teenager, he was inspired by a TV show, Graham Kerr’s The Galloping Gourmet. One New Year’s Eve, after our parents turned in early, he carefully prepared Kerr’s Steak Diane recipe for my sister and me. It was so glamorous and grownup; we ate at midnight. At our local thrift store (charmingly named The Guardian Angel) I located a Graham Kerr cookbook. It’s my way of saying I remember that sweet, long-ago evening.

My sister enjoys all things British. Earlier in the year at a yard sale, I found an elderly hardbound copy of P.G. Wodehouse’s humorous Joy in the Morning. The seller didn’t know the treasure he had; I got it for a buck. A critic once said that Wodehouse handled grave issues lightly and light issues with the utmost gravity. Either you get his humor or you don’t. My sister gets him.

My nephew, the outdoorsman, is next. He has a raucous sense of humor and if he doesn’t like the book I found at our local indie bookstore, I’ll eat my coonskin cap. A Fine and Pleasant Misery by Patrick McManus is a rollicking account of his childhood adventures in the wilds of Idaho and of his dream of becoming a Mountain Man like the legendary (though fictional) Rancid Crabtree.

My niece is a new mother and I ordered her present immediately upon receiving the baby announcement: Feed Me, I’m Yours by Vicky Lansky was a life-saver for me when my children were small. I was pleased to see that it’s still in print, albeit updated. This is the book that taught me how to make fruit juice gelatin cubes that saved many a long car trip. Her present is from one mother to another.

My daughter shares my enthusiasm for mystery, so I’ll be giving her A Presumption of Death by Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh, who fashioned a fascinating new mystery about the British home front from the late Sayers’ notes. Lord Peter, Bunter and Harriet Vane live again. It’s a few years old, but Amazon had new copies available.

My friend is new to writing, but as a retired nurse, she has a plethora of fascinating subjects swimming around in her head. This year, I’m giving her Mary Higgins Clark’s Kitchen Privileges, a light, easy-to-read autobiography to show her how personal stories can both amuse and inspire.

So now I’m done. All that’s left now is to break out the scissors, tape and brightly colored paper. I like to picture how Christmas Day will end at our house. The ribbons and paper will have been discarded, the carols sung, the stockings dumped out, the turkey consumed, the dishes washed and the only thing audible will be the soft, sibilant sound of pages turning.

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E.E. Kennedy is the author of the Miss Prentice Cozy Mystery series from Sheaf House. The third book in the series, Murder in the Past Tense, was released in September. She respectfully suggests it as an excellent gift for the mystery lovers on your list. Her website can be found at www.missprenticecozymystery.com