My Book Covers for Fatal Catch, Leave No Trace and History Lover's Cookbook

 

 

 

My Writing Process Blog Tour

My Writing Process Blog Tour March 31, 2014

First, I would like to thank my wonderful author friend, John R. Lindermuth, for giving me the opportunity to post about my writing journey. John is the author of several novels including seven in the Sticks Hendrick mystery series which I loved. He is a retired newspaper/editor/writer and now librarian of his county’s historical society. Check him out at:
http://www.jrlindermuth.blogspot.com

What am I working on?

Good question! My writing life isn’t simple or straightforward. It is as colorful as my last name, Peacock. My genres vary from mysteries, non-fiction to science fiction.

Where do I begin? My cookbook, History Lover’s Cookbook, has been a top 100 paid Best Seller on Kindle most of 2013-14. It has over 150 full-color photos which are creating havoc on getting the pdf file for print to have the same quality color as the eBook. I have viewed two CreateSpace proofs which the photos came out either blackened or neon orange. Currently, I have two wonderful computer specialists not only creating my new pdf file but making me a special template for future cookbooks. Speaking of future cookbooks, I hope to have Smokin’ Good Eats and Cooking to Live available sometime this summer. Cooking to Live is about my journey to lose 100 pounds by eating healthy cooking. Smokin’ Good Eats is just that. My husband and I have three smokers and are cooking everything lip smakin’ and cracklin’.

My mystery, Fatal Catch, is in the process of becoming an audiobook. I had an offer from a fabulous narrator which fits my protagonist perfectly. We hope to sign a contract shortly. And then there is my newest venture, science fiction. I absolutely despised all things science fiction growing up. But today there are so many wonderful, new authors on the subject, I gently falling in love with this genre. My favorite book I have read so far is Mila 2.0.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

We will do the mystery genre for this question. Fatal Catch is in first person, thirteen-year-old female protagonist with a slight hint of a southern drawl set in the 1960’s. Most mysteries are written in the twenty-first century, present day.

Why do I write what I do?

For torture! With that said, we will do mystery genre, Fatal Catch, again. Fatal Catch is dear to my heart. I grew up in the 1960’s in Grand Detour, Illinois along the beautiful Rock River. My home resembled John Deere’s home so tourists were always stopping at our house. The original John Deere home is now a museum.

Summers were spent along the Rock River behind Castle Rock in Oregon, Illinois with  family member trailers and campers all lined up in a row. I didn’t know it at the time that my great grandfather, Napoleon Bonaparte Franklin owned all the land around the area. I always wondered why our family got to camp there exclusively. A relative inherited the land and sold it. It is currently, Castle Rock State Park.

Our pay for camping and fishing was to go clamming and give the clams to my mom’s cousin, Sonny. We also had to give him all the fish eggs, cavier. We ate catfish, bass, frog legs, turtle, and yes, cavier. Everyone who caught the fish had to help clean them. Grandpa’s nickname was “bone”.

All the cousins loved playing on that steep, very dangerous rock, including me, barefoot. My cousin, Rick, reminded me awhile back about something I wrote in the story similar but with a male character. I didn’t remember what happened until my cousin refreshed my memory, hence one of the subplots in the book.

I was about nine at the time and again barefoot. My cousin, Rick and I were the only ones playing at the top of Castle Rock that day. I fell off the top of that rock to the bottom. Rick climbed to the bottom to look for my body. He said I was stretched across the white sand path which was about 30 feet out from the rock.

While on the rock, I kept backing up till my heels were hanging on the edge…backside where it’s flat on top but hangs over a sheer drop to the bottom. He told me I was crazy and was going to die…I just laughed at him and dropped out of site.

Not all that is in Fatal Catch happened. No one was murdered, thank goodness! But my childhood youth inspired Fatal Catch.

How does your writing process work?

For my mysteries, I think of a place I want to have the setting and research everything about the area. Next, I decide on the gender and age of the protagonist. What their ultimate goal will be at the end of the book. Who will be their closest allies, enemies, what they have in common. I write summaries about their personalities, what they like, where they go, what clothes they will wear, whether they will have a Southern accent, Midwestern, etc. Then I figure out main plot, subplots, etc. 

I write everything in spiral notebooks in my huge recliner stuffed with pillows, blankets, and usually my best friends, Spike and Simba. To the write I have a table with drinks, remotes, phone, Kindle and more so I don’t have to get up for a bit. After I have written several pages, I go to the computer and start the typing process. I print out what I have written and then revise. I repeat this process until the mysteries or science fiction projects are completed.

Cookbooks are another issue entirely. I eat, breathe, collect and watch everything regarding to food. I conjure up recipes in my head. Next I go online to see if there is anything similar on the market. I write down the initial recipes, make a grocery list, comeback home and experiment. I always have the recipe I am going by next to me on the counter so I can make immediate changes. I have been known to make the recipes about four or five times. But that isn’t all! I have to have my photography equipment handy. Several hours of photos before I go to the computer, check for the quality. Then I print several of the over 200 photos out that I think are worthy of being in a cookbook.

I next figure out what I want to say about the recipes to make the book interesting. In History Lover’s Cookbook, it was based on nineteenth century recipes and the Civil War. It had to be historically accurate. The recipes would sometimes say, add an apron full of flour, or the size of a walnut, etc. It took many attempts to get the recipe correct. I made the recipes original but with modern cooking instructions.

Thanks for stopping by to read my Writing Process Blog Tour.     

To continue the Writing Process blog tour on Monday, April 7, 2014 go to:

Robert Walker--author of over 50 novels and short stories and currently placing 55 titles on Audible.com, iTune and more. Robert currently lives in Charleston, WV and grew up in the Chicago area. His books range from suspense thrillers to historicals. Read about his upcoming writing class on Monday, April 7^th blog when he walks about his writing process.

http://www.robertwalkerbooks.com

Candace C. Bowen—author of the historical romance Knight series, Jack of Hearts which is a romantic suspense novel, audiobooks and several other books. She has a new book, Voodoo Fire, which should be available in April 2014. Recently, Ms. Bowen was on Red River Radio where she was interviewed by the talented host, Dellani Oakes. She will be posting about her Writing Process, Monday, April 14^th. Check out her books at:

http://www.knightseries.com

Check out my mystery, Fatal Catch on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble in Kindle, Nook and print. Leave No Trace is available at Whiskey Creek Press, Amazon and Barnes and Noble on eBook and print. History Lover’s Cookbook is available on Amazon Kindle and hopefully in print shortly. I will be on Red River Radio, May 28^th, 4 p.m. Eastern and 3 p.m. Central to talk about History Lover’s Cookbook with Dellani Oakes. I am currently working on audiobooks with ACX Audio. History Lover’s Cookbook below:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZMT61M

http://www.civilwarcooking.blogspot.com

http://www.peacockspen.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/Leave-Trace-Roxe-Ann-Peacock/dp/1611600715

http://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Catch-Roxe-Anne-Peacock-ebook/dp/B0061TBRVA

 

Candace Bowen on Red River Radio Update and History Lover's Cookbook Free Date Info

My friend, Candace Bowen had an excellent interview on Red River Radio. Guess who is doing an interview about History Lover's Cookbook, May 28th, 2014, 4 p.m. Eastern and 3 p.m. Central. Yes it is me! I am not nervous at the moment but will have to read History Lover's Cookbook about five times prior and figure out questions Dellani Oakes might ask. I am also working on getting it in print. I am also working on getting Fatal Catch and Leave No Trace made into audiobooks. Will keep you posted.

History Lover's Cookbook is going to be a free Amazon Kindle download Saturday and Sunday, March 29th and 30th. Please share this info: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZMT61M

 

Here's the link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2014/03/26/rrw-whats-write-for-me

 

New Blog The Peacock's Pen

Check out my new blog, The Peacock's Pen. The blog is going to be about my journey to losing 100 pounds while cooking healthy. It is also the reason for the new cookbook, Cooking to Live, I am working on. It should be available early summer 2014.

Tom and I will complete Smokin' Good Eats early this summer when we can cook on the smoker again. The food isn't healthy but definitely tastes great!

There are several blogs with Peacock so make sure you copy this site correctly
Roxe Anne Peacock
http://www.peacockspen.blogspot.com

A "Writing Process" Blog by the Wonderful,. Talented Author John Lindermuth

Monday, March 24, 2014

A 'Writing Process' Blog

Today is my day to post and participate in the continuing series “My Writing Process” blog tour. My writing friend, Douglas Quinn, who writes mysteries, historicals and children’s fiction, posted last week. You may read his blog at http://obxwriter.webs.com/apps/blog/

What am I working on?

I generally have more than one project going at the same time. This is because ideas don’t develop and mature at the same time. The germ of a story may germinate for months or even years before it gets to the stage where I begin to put words on paper (or screen when working on computer). This also prevents what is commonly referred to as “writer’s block;” if I get stuck or bored with one project, moving to another soon gets me back on track. At the moment, my projects include:

An untitled seventh novel in the Sticks Hetrick crime series involving the murder of a young school teacher and birder in which Officer Flora Vastine is insisting on a more prominent role.

A third book in the Sheriff Sylvester Tilghman series (also untitled at this point) in which the body of Borough Burgess Zimmerman’s deceased mother-in-law is snatched from the funeral parlor and held for ransom. Lydia is also dealing with competition for Syl’s affection, which may prompt her to accept one of his many marriage proposals.

Closer to completion than either of these is a stand-alone historical mystery, tentatively titled “Something So Divine,” about a detective who finds himself defending a slow-witted boy accused of murder.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Difficult question to answer since I work in more than one genre. Probably a majority of mystery/suspense novels today are set in major metropolitan cities or exotic locations. My Hetrick series differs in being set in a small town, rural area—not that it’s unique in this. I could name dozens of other writers who’ve chosen the same type of location. My historical novels and stand-alones have also been set in smaller communities. These settings reflect the kinds of places I’ve lived over the years and not a particular distaste for the big city.

Why do I write what I do?

Though I read a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction, mysteries and history have always fired my interest and imagination the most. This may be a reflection of cutting my reading-eye-teeth on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alexandre Dumas, Robert Louis Stevenson, Washington Irving and the like. Over time, I was influenced to try emulating the writing of those I admired with stories of my own.

How does my writing process work?

I’m not generally an outliner. I may jot some notes, though they’re usually so scant they’d be meaningless to someone else. Often I’ve thought out the story line in my head long before I start setting it down. Other times I may pitch in with just an image of a person, place or situation in mind and let the characters lead me from there. I don’t want to know too much ahead of time. I like to be surprised by my characters and hope the twists that provides will be equally entertaining to readers.

To continue the Writing Process blog tour on Monday, May 31, go to:

C. L. Swinney, author of Gray Ghost, an Amazon bestseller, is currently assigned to a Department of Justice task force that investigates crimes ranging from street level drug deals to homicides and complex cartel cases. You may view his blog  at http://clswinney.wordpress.com/

Roxe Anne Peacock is the author of Leave No Trace, Fatal Catch and the History Lover’s Cookbook. Her decade-long participation in Civil War reenactments and an avid interest in history inspired the above-mentioned cookbook. View her blog at

at http://www.civilwarcooking.blogspot.com/




          

 

Free Kindle versions of Fatal Catch and Leave No Trace Today only

This is the deal! I need to get my sales rank up on Fatal Catch and Leave No Trace. I am looking for three people who want to read the Kindle version and two people who want to read Leave No Trace. And I certainly could use reviews if you want to leave your comment on Amazon. I will send the Kindle gifts through Amazon. They will contact you with the instructions. Just leave your name and email in comments or send me a message. peacockroxeanne@yahoo.com

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.
Roxe Anne Peacock

Fatal Catch Writing Process Blog Tour and Upcoming Information

 

I will be blogging about Fatal Catch and My Writing Process on the Writing Process Blog Tour at: http://www.erinalbertbooks.com/1/post/2013/10/my-writing-process-blog-tour.html on Monday, March 31, 2014. At the end of the blog, there will be a place to leave a comment. I will be giving away two print copies of Fatal Catch. Fatal Catch has just been reduced on Kindle to 99 cents for the next couple weeks. It is available on Kindle, print and on Nook but the price is different.

http://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Catch-Roxe-Anne-Peacock-ebook/dp/B0061TBRVA

 

Check out History Lover's Cookbook on Kindle. It has been a top 100 paid Best Seller on Amazon Kindle for most of 2013-14. Read some of the 56 reviews while you are there: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZMT61M

 

Monday, March 24th, my good friend, John Lindermuth, author of 12 novels, five of which are in the Stick Hetrick's series. Mr. Lindermuth is a retired newspaper editor/writer and now a librarian of his county's historical society. Please stop by and read his wonderful post. He is a very talented author.

http://www.jrlindermuth.net

http://www.amazon.com/author/jrlindermuth

 

We will both be writing about what we are working on, how our work differs from others in its genre, why we write, and how our writing process works.

 

Don't forget to check out my first mystery, Leave No Trace published by Whiskey Creek Press. It is available in print, Barnes and Noble-Nook, Amazon Kindle and at WCP.

http://www.amazon.com/Leave-Trace-Roxe-Anne-Peacock-ebook/dp/tags-on-product/B004SBOK4Y