C.J. Petterson's Blog: Book launch scheduled

cj Sez: I really like this graphic for a proposed twenty-dayreading schedule for a children’s book. I’m reproducing it here with permissionfrom Author Chris Grabenstein and also giving credit to Read to Them (they didthe actual schedule) and St Patrick Catholic School, Grande Prairie, Alberta,Canada, for the art.
  Maybe a children’s author or a library, public or school,might consider adopting/adapting a similar schedule to pique youngsters’ readinginterests. Hmmm?
§§

 

Here’s a follow-up on the publishing problem for the printcopy of my latest novel, A Time to Die. 

 

  Seems that some AI bot scraped the internet, picked up mycover and ISBN, either through my ordering proof copies to approve or through myregistering the ISBN, and then sent the data to a company in Australia whoadvertised it, cover picture and all, on their online sales site as"available for preorder." 

 

  When I reviewed the KDP proof I had ordered, I realized Ineeded to submit a revised manuscript, and then I could approve it forpublication. When KDP’s bot was verifying my approval to publish, it misinterpretedthe "available for preorder” as my print book had been already publishedby some other company. I tried a phone call to the Aussie company with noresponse. No amount of texting telling they needed to take down the ad, thatthey were advertising a pirated and as-yet unapproved, unpublished book couldget past the Aussie’s AI responses. 

 

  I ended up having to abandon the original ISBN and attachinga new one to the manuscript before KDP would accept it for publishing...whichthey did.

 

  The “real” print version of "A Time to Die" is nowavailable for preorder as is the ebook.
(Side note: I made a promise to myself for my son Mark that I'd finishthe book he kept looking to read, and now the novel will finally launch on May5, almost four years after he died. When my author copies arrive, I will dosome crying and praying, grateful I was able to get it done.)

 

§§

Anthropic News

  Any authors remember the suit filed by Simon & Schusteragainst Anthropic for pirating their authors’ books for AI training? I hadforgotten about it until a few days ago when a fellow S&S author remindedme to check to see if any of my books were in the Anthropic CopyrightSettlement. Yep, I found one. The last day to file a claim was March 31, and Ifiled my form March 18, claiming sole ownership because I had gotten my rightsback.

 

  On March 25, I got an email that my claim had been received.Still wondering what that means.
§§

Top-of-the-mind topic for readers and writers:
   “If you primarilylearn about generative AI and large language models from social media, or fromthe opinions of average people, then it’s likely you are misinformed about it,”says publishing guru Jane Friedman. She also says, “Even agents and editors getbasic things wrong about the law surrounding AI.” You can read the rest of herarticle here: https://janefriedman.com/ai-and-publishing-faq-for-writers/ 
§§   That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same.
cj  Sez: Raising prayers for a Blessed and Happy Easter and Passover. 
  Just a reminder: Lyrical Pens blog for readers and writersis now a monthly issue, kind of like a newsletter. I’ll be aiming for the firstof the month, whatever day that is, so watch for it please. That said, thankyou for stopping by Lyrical Pens today. I really do appreciate each and everyone of my visitors. Drop me a comment or question, and we’ll talk.
➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    Amazon CentralAuthor Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6 

cj Sez: The ebook of my new, soft-boiled mystery, A Time to Die, is available for preorder.    Click on the following link to find your favorite spot to order: https://books2read.com/u/bxL9xv
Reiterating some "sigh" news   The print book of ATime to Die may or may not happen unless I can find a work-around. Itappears some AI bot scavenged/pirated the title and ISBN for a company inAustralia called Dymocks, who then listed it as available for preorder. KDP’s verificationprocess believes that advertising the book as available for preorder means thebook was “already published” by some other company, and I can’t publish it onAmazon’s KDP.
  I tried contacting Dymocks’ online presence, explaining thatthe print book is not available for preorder, that their advertising iserroneous and illegal, and insisting they remove it from their online site.Their AI response directed me to call customer service. So I called Australia.Found out they were closed for the day (I have to find out what the differencein time zones is). I sent them a “take it down” email, but until that issue isresolved, I’m stuck with not being able to get this print book done. I have towait and see.
  Ask me what I think of AI now.§§Readers and Writers:  My ebooks are now available on Bookshop.org. That meansyou can now buy ebooks through Bookshop.org while supporting your local bookstore.But, wait! There’s more!***  You don’t want to miss this: My ebooks also will be featured(at discounted pricing) in the upcoming Smashwords “Read an Ebook Week”, aweek-long celebration of ebooks and the readers who love them. Watch for it: Theevent runs from March 1 through March 7.*** Speaking of March 7:   If you’re in or near the Gulf coastcity of Mobile, AL, on Saturday, March 7, you’re in for a treat.
 Mobile’s BenMay Library is hosting the Mobile Writers Guild and a bunch of famous/favoritepublished authors for the 2026 Mobile Literary Festival.
  Reader, writer, hope-to-be-author, this one-day FREE event haseverything a reader and writer wants to know about writing in multiple genres andthe business of getting published.  Look for me. I'll be there, too. §§
Ad info:
  In Musical Pieces, the seventh installment of the Pieces anthology series, Mobile Writers Guild members paytribute to some of their favorite song titles (using only the titles forinspiration, not the copyrighted music or lyrics). My inspiration title was “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”
   This anthology is a collection of 28 pieces of poetry andshort stories, and the paperback is available on Amazon.  BUYMUSICAL PIECES NOW
  My thriller / suspense novels with a touch of romance, The Dawgstar and Death on the Yampa, are available onAmazon or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore.
  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author andowner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books instock. TO ORDER, contact:    https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
                                                                 §§  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same.cj
Just a reminder: Lyrical Pens blog for readers and writersis now a monthly blog, kind of like a newsletter. I’ll be aiming for the firstof the month, whatever day that is, so watch for it please. That said, thankyou for stopping by Lyrical Pens today. I really do appreciate each and everyone of my visitors. Drop me a comment or question, and we’ll talk.
➜ Follow me on  ➜ Amazon:    Amazon CentralAuthor Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

 

cj Sez: Coming soon! After a five-year novel writing dearth,I have a new book coming out. (I’ve been writing short stories for anthologies inthe interim.)

 

 

A TIME TO DIE is a Southern, mystery/romance novella with a StephaniePlum-style protagonist.
  I’m still putting the finishing touches on the publicationrequirements and waiting for a proof copy. Watch this space and my Facebookpage for news about the launch date. I love this story and hope you will, too.
  Next on my to-do list are the promotions and setting up anauthor landing page. The landing page website is a maybe, however. I am notparticularly techno inclined. If you have any suggestions about an easy way to accomplishthat, please let me know.
§§
Writers:
  It’s officially tax season, so I thought this informationfrom Kaye George (National Best-Selling &Agatha-Nominated mystery author) might be of interest for our fellow authors.
Kaye George says:
  “I HOPE you all knowthat you should ALL be deducting your writing expenses on a Schedule C, nomatter whether or not you're published, no matter whether or not you're makingor losing money! There are MANY CPAs who do not know that writing is NEVERconsidered a hobby, as long as you are seriously trying to get published. Thehobby rule does NOT apply to authors.
You canrefer to my last yearly tax related blog post, from ‘Travels with Kaye,’ that Iused to do. https://travelswithkaye.blogspot.com/2022/01/
Showthis is your CPA or tax preparer if they need to see it.”
Plotting assist
  From the archives: Back in 2020, Lyrical Pens quoted thefollowing David Mamet thoughts on plotting. Since then, the wise words havemade their way into and out of a lot of other mouths, including YouTubers.Still good info, whomever you choose to cite.
  “When you’re plotting . . . if you replace the W in what,when, and where with T, you have the answer to all those questions.”
§§
Readers:
  Mardi Gras is celebrated on February 17 this year. Otherwiseknown as Fat Tuesday, it’s the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning ofLent. 
  While some people celebrate Mardi Gras on only that Tuesday, along theGulf Coast—from Florida to Louisiana—Mardi Gras is a Season, and the parades andfestivities have already started.


Put the following books on your buy/to-be-read list to helpyou join in Mobile, Alabama’s festivities.
MARDI GRAS PIECES 
  Tis Mardi Gras Season, so grab this bookwhile the grabbing’s good and learn more about Mobile, Alabama’s authenticconnection to Mardi Gras.
  Everyone from Mobile, Alabama, has a Mardi Grasstory. In this second installment of the Mobile Writers Guild PIECES anthologyseries, the guild members share their stories—some true and some fictional,some funny, some touching, and some downright chilling.   The anthology is stillavailable (the Kindle version is only $1.99).       BUYMARDI GRAS PIECES NOW

 MASKED FLAWS and Other Stories
by prolific Mobile author Carrie Dalby

  Click on the Books2Read universal book link below to findyour favorite ebook seller.
https://books2read.com/u/318enM
§§
  That’s it for today’s post. You-allguys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.
cj



  My fast-paced novels, TheDawgstar (books2read.com/u/3LRRG5) and Death on the Yampa (books2read.com/u/bxe1AP ), are available through your favoritee-Tailer and bookstore. Amazon has paperback copies as well.
  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITAAward-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copiesof my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
Just a reminder: Lyrical Pens blogsfor readers and writers is now a monthly blog. I’ll be aiming for the first ofthe month, whatever day that turns out to be, so watch for it please. Thatsaid, thank you for stopping by Lyrical Pens today. I really do appreciate you. . . and you . . . and especially, you.
➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

 

cj Sez: Onward! Looking hopefullyforward to a Far-Better Year . . .

 I do not make New Year’s resolutions. To me, the word implies apassive ending, something already resolved. My career in a corporateenvironment taught me to use the word “goal,” a word that infers action, aconstant striving to reach that target or be defeated. I will change directionand adjust my expectations if necessary, but I will not be defeated.

§§
  I love words. Even more so than the plot of a story, the syntax andcadence of a well-crafted sentence, paragraph, chapter, story invites me toread those lines over and over.  But mypersonal writing enthusiasm wanes and ennui waxes when I contemplate finding acritique group/partner and beta reader then going through the tedious processesof self-publishing and marketing of novels. Besides the time it takes, marketingdollars are the main deterrent for me. I think I earned less than $20 inroyalties last year, which leads me to another of my goals for 2026: Make amonthly budget/placement plan for maximum return on marketing dollars spent.
“Goals aredreams we convert to plans and take action to fulfill.” Zig  Ziglar
§§
Book Review

 I've had the book for a couple of months, but I just finished ADANGEROUS HOMECOMING yesterday. (Yeah, I know. I’m a slow reader and writer.) 
My take:
  Oh what a tangled web of plot twists and turns Susan YawnTanner expertly weaves. An elopement fated to fail. A quest for a murderer. A love story decades in the making. 
  Tanner’s charactersare 3D perfect as is her latest novel in The Bellamy Legacy series, A DANGEROUSHOMECOMING. 5-Stars!  
BuyA Dangerous Homecoming now 
§§
Etcetera
  When I first saw the picture of Mr. Scrappy Rooster onFacebook, I wasn't sure if he was the winner or the loser of that fight.    
  I look a lot like him as I skid into 2026.
  Then I realized,he’s not only upright, he’s strutting. He’s definitely the winner.
  I’m hoping 2026is a winning year for you, too.
§§
   Iwant to end this first Lyrical Pens post of 2026 with one of Billy Graham’sprayers for a new beginning for all of us in another uncertain and turbulent year.
   “Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of thisnew year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face thefuture. We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead ofus—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us thestrength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us tohumbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will forour lives during this coming year. In the midst of life’s uncertainties in thedays ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.” —Billy Graham
§§
 That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’lltry to do the same.
cj
  My fast-paced novels, TheDawgstar and Death on the Yampa,are available on Amazon or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore.

 Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  

  Just a reminder: Lyrical Pens blogsfor readers and writers is now a monthly blog. I’ll be aiming for the first ofthe month, so watch for it please. That said, thank you for stopping by LyricalPens today. I really do appreciate you . . . and you . . . and especially, you.
➜ Follow me on         ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

cj Sez: December 1, 2025, and my yard is just about flooded.Over the last four hours, we’ve had more than three inches of rain in myneighborhood, and the forecast is for more tomorrow. We’ve been in a droughtfor a few weeks, so this deluge will definitely help. The rain-to-snowcalculator on Google says “Typically, 1inch of rain is estimated to equal about 10 inches of snow, but this can varybased on temperature and other atmospheric conditions. In some cases, the ratiocan range from 6 to 18 inches of snow for every inch of rain.” Thatequation makes me kind of happy I’m not living in a snowy state.

§§

Real life:

  I’ve acquired a new name: “Great Grandma.” My granddaughterJohanna gave birth to sweet Rosalie today. I’m anxious to meet her.

Reel life:

  I was hopeful I was going to put the final touches on mynovella (I’ve got a cover designer working on ideas), but today I tore out anentire exciting scene, 1,146 words gone with a poof. I’ll have to start workingon replacing all those words . . . maybe tomorrow, or maybe I’ll just give it anotherrest.

§§ Wordsmithiness

  I love words (especially those I make up). I love thedefinitions, spellings, usages, inferences, and the syncopation of sentences.Here are some words I recently ran across.

  Mantel refers to a shelf above a fireplace, while mantlerefers to a cloak or covering, as well as metaphorically to roles orresponsibilities. They are distinct words with different meanings despitesounding alike.

  Do you know thedifference between “hang” and “hung” and when to use them? A May 21, 2025,article by Samantha Abernethy on WordSmarts says: 

English is full of tricky choices: Is it “peak” or “peek”?(“Peek” is a quick look and “peak” is the top of a mountain.) Or is it "pique" (to challenge or arouse). Should you use“compliment” or “complement” when giving someone praise? (Compliment.) When itcomes to “hanged” vs. “hung,” though, there’s only one very specific usage forthe former. Both are acceptable past-tense versions of the verb “to hang,” butthey are not interchangeable. The word “hanged” is grammatically correct inonly one context: when referring to an execution by hanging. For example, “Inthe Old West, outlaws were hanged at high noon.”

In all other contexts, “hung” is the correct choice. Think of this line in theclassic tale “The Night Before Christmas”: “The stockings were hung by thechimney with care.”

  I leave you dear visitor with a link to the Word Smartswebsite which is a wonderful source of information. https://wordsmarts.com/

What I have read:

SHE HAD TO DIE

Book 2 of the Hugo August Detective Series 

My Review: 
  Rebecca Barrett’s latest Hugo August novel, She Had to Die,is more than a murder mystery. It’s an exposé of people who will go to anylengths to hide indiscretions and preserve illusory reputations. If you’re notfamiliar with Hugo’s section of L.A. (that’s Lower Alabama to the uninitiated),you soon will be. Barrett’s descriptions of people, places, and things are spoton, as are the clues, red herrings, and plot twists that make this story anenjoyable 5-star read. 
BuyShe Had to Die now What I'm reading: 
  Susan Yawn Tanner’s A DANGEROUS HOMECOMING, book 3 in TheBellamy Legacy Series. 
  I love the beginning of the blurb: A few words can upenda person’s world. It’s a routine day at the office for Jade Bellamy when thesecond note arrives . . .  and am looking forward to finishing the book.

BuyA Dangerous Homecoming now

Books, the gift that keeps on giving

Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes: A heartwarming holidaymemoir collection filled with nostalgic childhood memories, uplifting familytraditions, and comforting stories that celebrate the true spirit of Christmas.

  The anthology is still available—on Dec. 1, the Kindle version was 99 cents.

  My story, “Dancing With Daddy,” is a favorite and precious memorywritten under my maiden name, Marilyn Olsein. I’ll be reading an edited downexcerpt from the story at the December meeting of the Mobile Writers Guild. Iwill probably cry again.
BuyChristmas Through a Child’s Eyes Now

§§

  Okay, that’s it. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’lltry to do the same. Raising prayers for  happy and safe days for you and yours.

cj

  My fast-paced thriller novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, areavailable on Amazon or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore.

  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author andowner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books instock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us   

§§ Just a reminder: Lyrical Pens blogs for readers and writers isnow a monthly blog. I’ll be aiming for the first Sunday in the month, but itmight wind up being a Monday, so watch for it please. That said, thank you forstopping by Lyrical Pens today. I really do appreciate you . . . and you . . . andespecially, you.
➜ Follow me on        
➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page
➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor
➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson
➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

cj Sez: Well, didja? Didja turn your clocks back one hourlast night? I did, but the pets’ internal clocks could not care less about thatextra hour of sleep I thought I was going to get.

   I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get back into therhythm of blogging, so I’ll just put my bottom in the chair and my fingers onthe keyboard. After such a long hiatus from writing, I’m hopeful the ideas and fingers will move forward again. The reason I’ve been absent for so long is that my real life overpoweredmy reel life. 
   Lyrical Pens blogs for readers and writers will turn fromweekly to monthly blogs, though. I’ll be aiming for the first Sunday in eachmonth. That said, thank you for stopping by Lyrical Pens today. I really do appreciateyou.
§§
Real and reel:
   My real life had some ups and downs this year. My brotherdied in June after suffering through debilitating illnesses. He had been underhospice care since January. Stoic Swede that he was, his only complaint wasthat he couldn’t get up when he fell down. We’d been separated by distance fora long time, but never apart by heart.

   I lost my sweet cuddle kitty, Cato the Cat, in January whenhe suffered the sudden onset of an illness neither the vet nor the veterinaryhospital could diagnose.

   On the plus side in my reel life, in May, I finally tookrenewed interest in finishing the mystery that’s been idling on my computer formore years than I can remember. I entered the first chapter in a critiquecontest and was told it finished at number 17 out of 119 entries. I was cocky enough to hope for an honorable mention, but the result encouraged me to finish the story.After I typed “The End,” the story also received a positive beta read with goodquestions that needed to be answered (“I enjoyed it. It’s a good story.”). ATIME TO DIE is now out to a couple more beta readers—in another state, so nolocal influencing there. I hope their comments are as helpful as the firstreader’s.
§§

   Since I am in the process of collecting (reminding myself of) everything I need to do to get a novel ready for the publisher, I resurrectedthis article from Jane Friedman’s blog that I mentioned in December last year.Perhaps other authors will also find a useful nugget in it.  https://janefriedman.com/writing-the-authors-note-for-a-novel/
§§
   Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’lltry to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe Thanksgiving celebrationfor you and yours.
cj
Blatant Self Promotion:  
MUSICAL PIECES is a collection of 28 short stories and poemsby Guild members whose inspiration came from their favorite song tiles. It isthe seventh installment of the Mobile Writers Guild themed-PIECES anthologyseries, books in which I have stories.  
Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Birthday/whatever day, books aregifts that keep on giving year-round, and anthologies are even better becausethere’s more than one story to read, perhaps by an author who could become anew favorite.
BUY MUSICAL PIECES 




   My fast-paced thriller/suspense novels with a touch of romance, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, areavailable on Amazon or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore.
   Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author andowner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books instock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
§§
FYI . . .  An announcement in the interest of transparency (derigueur word these days). This is something that I only recently learned: Ifyou buy ebooks from Amazon, you don’t own them. You've been given a license toread them. Amazon reserves the right to pull the book from sale at any time andprovide you zero compensation for doing so. Per their disclosure of licensing terms in response to aCalifornia law:
“Amazon clarifies that Kindle purchases are licenses, notownership, allowing the company or publishers to revoke or alter e-books at anytime.”
Amazon’s recent update to its Kindle store in the U.S.now includes a disclaimer: “By placing the order, you’re purchasing a licenseto the content.”  (cj Sez: I didn’t seeany verbiage on other countries.)
Source: https://www.newstarget.com/2025-02-26-amazon-users-dont-own-kindle-ebooks.html
  I’m happy to announce that when you purchase one of my booksfrom the D2D Smashwords.com store, the buyers owns them, “without exception”D2D told me. The buyer keeps the ebook she/he purchases and can load it onto aKindle or whatever device.
➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

 

 

cj Sez: NaNoWriMo writers, raise your fingers. The race tofinish the National Novel Writing Month challenge is over.

  Now that you’ve reached your 30-day/50,000-word goal, orsome portion thereof, the NaNoWriMo organization has some tips on what to dowith your incredible manuscript: Take a breath and . . . “Step 1. Wait.”

https://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/180591717410/what-to-do-with-your-manuscript-in-december  

§§
Chicken Soup for the Soul has submission calls for 2025anthologies out right now. 
  Here’s the link to find out more:
https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics/
§§

  Jennie Liu, a young adult and middle-grade readers author,asks “Is it necessary to write an author’s note?” and answers “No, but somegenres and categories naturally lend themselves to further discussion.”
  She goes on to explain why, if you don’t already do so,you should consider writing what she says might be “an arduous task.”  Read the post here:  
https://janefriedman.com/writing-the-authors-note-for-a-novel/
§§
 With this year ofturmoil coming to a close, I’ve been thinking of the quietude of home andpeople I miss dearly—allyear long, but especially at this time of year.
  I think of childhood-me sleeping next to an open window under awarm quilt in the chill of a country starry July night in West Texas.   Ithink of adult me sitting around the kitchen table harmonizing some favoriteold hymns with my mother and my sisters. 
  Precious,precious memories.
  Where do your precious memories take you?
§§
  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
  Tis the season for holiday shopping but forget Amazon. Shoplocal. The best gifts are closer than you think (think your local indiebookstores), and books are gifts that don’t need charging and keep on giving. 
  Toorder one of my novels or a book by anyauthor and support a small business indie bookstore, contact The HauntedBookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
  Blatant Self Promotion: Books are gifts that keep on givingyear-round, and anthologies are even better because there’s more than one storyto read. With that in mind, let me help you out with a couple of ideas. Thestories in these Christmas anthologies may have a holiday theme, but each one isa year-round enjoyable read.  
Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes
  You’ll find 70 short stories written by adults recounting their extraordinary childhood holidaymemories.
  My story, writtenunder my maiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” andrelates how six-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish-born father after a thousand-mile,years-long separation.
  The anthology is available on Kindle click on ( Amazon.com: Christmas Through a Child's eyes )

Finally Home
  This anthology giftsyou with eight Christmas stories, all about our four-legged friends and thespecial people who rescue them. From funny, to sad, to romantic, there’ssomething here to tug at everyone’s heart strings.
  In “Puppy Love,” Iwrite a tale about a woman who is passionate about giving abandoned kittens asecond chance at happiness. My character’s carefully curated life is disruptedwhen she becomes a foster hu-mom to a puppy with an amputated leg. Then she issurprised by an even harder challenge when the man who broke her heart asks fora second chance, too.
FinallyHome Buy Now



  My fast-paced novels,The Dawgstar and Death on the Yampa, are available on Amazon orthrough your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore.
  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

 

 

cj Sez: Since we won’t be together for the ThanksgivingDay holiday . . .

  In the Did You Know Department: 

  In 1621, the Plymouthcolonists from  England and the NativeAmerican Wampanoag people shared an autumn harvest feast that isacknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

  For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving werecelebrated by individual colonies and states. 
  It wasn’t until 1863, in themidst of the CivilWar, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed anational Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

  “As an annual celebration of the harvest and its bounty, Thanksgiving falls under a category of festivals that spans cultures,continents, and millennia. In ancient times, the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans feastedand paid tribute to their gods after the fall harvest. Thanksgiving also bearsa resemblance to the ancient Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. 
  Finally, historians have noted that Native Americans had arich tradition of commemorating the fall harvest with feasting and merrymakinglong before Europeans set foot on America's shores.”
(Excerpted from: https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving)

§§

  Doubters, this post from Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears,Finding Inspiration (Bancroft Press, 2025) by Amy L. Bernstein offers hopeon how to deal with those negative thoughts.
“What do we have here?   A doubter’s manifesto. An article of affirmation. An artistwho says: I see you.  The hope is you see yourself, realize you are not alone,learn that doubt is not your assassin.”
Click the following link to read the post:  https://janefriedman.com/doubt-the-near-constant-companion-of-writers-and-artists/

§§

  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj

  Tis the season for holiday shopping but forget Amazon. Thebest gifts are closer than you think (think your local indie bookstores), and booksare gifts that don’t need charging and keep on giving. To order a book by any author and support an indiebookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
  Blatant Self Promotion: Here are a few books to put on your shoppinglist. The stories in these Christmas anthologies may have a holiday theme, buteach one is a year-round enjoyable read.
Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes

  You’ll find 70stories written by adults recounting their extraordinary childhood Christmasmemories.
  My story, writtenunder my maiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” andrelates how six-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish father after a thousand-mile,years-long separation.
  The anthology is available on Kindle.
Amazon.com: Christmas Through a Child's eyes


Finally Home
  This anthology giftsyou with eight Christmas stories, all about our four-legged friends and thespecial people who rescue them. From funny, to sad, to romantic, there’ssomething here to tug at everyone’s heart strings.
  In “Puppy Love,” Iwrite a tale about a woman who is passionate about giving abandoned kittens asecond chance at happiness. My character’s carefully curated life is disruptedwhen she becomes a foster hu-mom to a puppy with an amputated leg. Then she issurprised by an even harder challenge when the man who broke her heart asks fora second chance, too.

FinallyHome Buy Now


  My fast-paced novels,The Dawgstar and Death on the Yampa, are available on Amazon orthrough your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore.
  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
  P.S.: Pop on over tomy Amazon Central Author Page for links to anthologies in which I have a shortstory.
➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

cj Sez: I found the questions below at another blog andthought, "What a great idea." So, here are some questions for you authors andreaders.  

What makes you want to buy a book? Is it the cover or theblurb on the back of the book?

  For me, it's both. The cover has tograb my attention, then the blurb has to make me want to know more about thestory, so I browse through the beginning pages and a few more.

When you get into a story, what keeps you reading? Is it the bad boy hero orthe tough, strong-willed woman or the cast of characters that help push thestory forward?

  Really doesn’t make any difference tome. That said, whether heroine or hero, I am drawn to a fast-paced story, and Ihave to find a plot. I also like to find humor and some quick repartee in eventhe darkest of moments. It’s kind of a release valve from the danger.

What makes you like one author more than another?

  I’m a wordsmith. That is, I want to beenchanted by the author’s voice and choice of words…how she/he uses a fewprecise words and syntax to evoke some visualization and/or visceral reactionin me.

If you’re into reading a series, when do you get tired of it…or do you?  
  As long as the author keeps the storylineand characters fresh, I don’t have a problem with continuing to read a series.It’s when the storyline get stale. The characters change but the story takesthe same direction over and over. Sometimes stand-alones have that sameproblem, and that’s when I’m on to the next author.

Which brings me to reviews: Do you take the time to write a review?

  Without readers,authors have no audience, and without an audience, authors are out of a job. Honestfeedback—Amazon,Facebook, Goodreads, etc.—iswhat keeps us going. We want to know our strengths and our weaknesses. We’repolite; we say please and thank you. . .  except to trolls. A Facebook friend once wrotethat someone seemed to have joined Goodreads just to give her latest book aone-star rating. The problem was, the book hadn’t even been released.

  I’d love to knowyour answers to these questions. So write in, already.

§§

  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.

cj

  Books make perfectgifts for everyone, and it’s not too early to do some holiday shopping.

Blatant Self Promotion: 

  Here are a few books to put on yourshopping list. ( T he stories in the Christmas anthologies may have a holiday theme, but each of them is a year-round enjoyable read.)

Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes 

  You'll find   70 stories written by adults recounting their extraordinary childhood Christmasmemories.

  My story, writtenunder my maiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” andrelates how six-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish father after a thousand-mile,years-long separation.

  The anthology is available on Kindle at

Amazon.com: Christmas Through a Child's eyes

Finally Home

  This anthology giftsyou with eight Christmas stories, all about our four-legged friends and thespecial people who rescue them. From funny, to sad, to romantic, there’ssomething here to tug at everyone’s heart strings.

 

  In “Puppy Love,” Iwrite a tale about a woman who is passionate about giving abandoned kittens asecond chance at happiness. My character’s carefully curated life is disruptedwhen she becomes a foster hu-mom to a puppy with an amputated leg. Then she issurprised by an even harder challenge when the man who broke her heart asks fora second chance, too.

FinallyHome Buy Now    

  My novels, The Dawgstar and Death on the Yampa, are available on Amazon or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore.

  If you’re lookingfor free versions of these fast-paced reads, break out your library card. Youcan read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us   

  P.S.: Pop on over tomy Amazon Central Author Page for links to anthologies in which I have a shortstory.

➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

cj Sez: Veterans Day, Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, PoppyDay: They are different names for the same day, depending on in what country it's observed(and how old you are, I guess). On Monday, November 11, the U.S. respectfullycommemorates Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all the war veterans whoseheroism made and keep this country free. Amen, and thank you!

   “When first celebrated as Armistice Day, theday marked the end of World War I, formally recognized on the ‘11th hour, ofthe 11th day, of the 11th month’ in 1918. The U.S. continues to honor theoriginal connection to WWI, and Veterans Day is on the same day everyyear—November 11—regardless of which day of the week it falls.”  (Source: https://www.military.com/veterans-day)

 

  Excerpted from an AmericanLegion page: “Poppy seeds can lay fallow for years, yet bloom brilliantly whenthe soil is disturbed or when the soil is freshly dug. After the battles werefought in World War I, the blood red poppy flourished in France and Belgiumwhen battlefields became burial grounds. 
  The red flowers suddenly bloomed amongthe newly dug gravesites of fallen service members, turning the new graveyardsinto fields of red.
  Surviving soldiers came to see the poppy as more than a flower—–it became asymbol of their sacrifice; a tribute to the price of freedom.”

 

  Canada honorsits veterans also on November 11 by celebrating their heroism with “Remembrance Day”and wearing red poppies.

 

  In England, many peoplewear paper or ceramic red poppies also as they commemorate Sunday, November 10,as Remembrance Day.
§§

 

  For all you wordwarriors: NaNoWri deadline is still more than two weeks away. You have time toreach your NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words on or before November 30 . . . Keepup the good work…you got this!
§§
  November 30? Nowthat I think about it, since I get paid monthly, that means I have only onemore payday before Christmas. Aarrgh

§§

 

  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
  Now some words frommy sponsors:

 

  Books make perfectgifts, and it’s not too early to do some holiday shopping. Blatant Self Promotion: Here are a few books to put on yourshopping list:

 

Christmas Through aChild’s Eyes
  This anthology has70 stories written by adults recounting their extraordinary childhood Christmasmemories.

 

  My story, writtenunder my maiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” andrelates how six-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish father after a thousand-mile,years-long separation.

 

The anthology is available on Kindle. Amazon.com: Christmas Through a Child's eyes

 

Finally Home

  This anthology giftsyou with eight Christmas stories, all about our four-legged friends and thespecial people who rescue them. From funny, to sad, to romantic, there’ssomething here to tug at everyone’s heart strings.

 

  My story, “Puppy Love,”tells a tale about a woman who is passionate about giving abandoned kittens asecond chance at happiness. My character’s carefully curated life is disruptedwhen she becomes a foster hu-mom to a puppy with an amputated leg. Then she issurprised by an even harder challenge when the man who broke her heart asks fora second chance, too.
The anthology is availaable here: Amazon.com:Finally Home (Christmas Romance Anthology)

  The stories in thoseChristmas anthologies may have a holiday theme, but each of them is ayear-round enjoyable read.

  My novels, The Dawgstar and Death on the Yampa, are available on Amazon or through yourfavorite e-Tailer and bookstore.

 

  If you’re lookingfor free versions of these fast-paced reads, break out your library card. Youcan read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

 

  P.S.: Pop on over tomy Amazon Central Author Page for links to anthologies in which I have a shortstory.

 

➜ Follow me on        
➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page
➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor
➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson
➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6