Three Ways to Win

Follow me here or follow me on Twitter for your chance to win a hardcover copy of MISTAKEN IDENTITY, the third Lieutenant Lucinda Pierce mystery.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY, the third novel in the series, explores the depth of childhood emotional scars and the consequences of irresponsible parenting, as the Homicide Detective tracks down a killer seeking revenge.

And since it's the third book in the series, I'm giving away three books with three ways to win.

On Twitter, I'm hovering around 900 followers.  Sometime in the next month, I expect to hit the1000 follower mark.  Whoever is number 1000 will win a free book.

Also, on Twitter, I won't neglect the followers who have been with me from the beginning or who follow me on the path to quadruple digits.  I'm giving away one copy of MISTAKEN IDENTITY at random picked from my full list of followers.

And I'm not neglecting those of you who are not inclined to tweet.  If you follow my blog, you have a chance, too.  One lucky follower here will win a copy of MISTAKEN IDENTITY. 

All winners will be announced as soon as possible after my Twitter followers list hits 1000. 

The books will be shipped on or before the U.S. release date of May 1, 2010.

All winners will have the option of substituting any one of my other three mystery novels: BITE THE MOON, THE TROPHY EXCHANGE or PUNISH THE DEED

or one of my ten true crime titles. 

Of Cabbages and Writers

by Diane Fanning

It sounds odd to some but I've been doing book signings at HEB, a regional grocery chain, for more than three years.  This diversion from normal venues is a lot of fun since it is so unexpected.  No one blinks an eye when an author sits by a table of books in a book store.  Where else would you find a writer?  At a grocery store, however, you are a big surprise--people gawk, gush and sometimes collide with the carts of other shoppers.

During my last three-store HEB mini-tour, though, the tables were turned--the surprise was on me.  A young woman approached my table in Austin to buy a book and introduce herself.  I didn't know her--but I did know her mother.  We'd graduated from the same class at Perry Hall High School in Baltimore County, Maryland--half a continent away.

At a store in San Antonio, the arrival of  Texas Ranger Captain Shawn Palmer  topped that unexpected encounter.  He came bearing a gift for me--a copy of my book, A POISONED PASSION, signed by every Texas Ranger in the state.  It was one of those rare occasions when I was genuinely at a loss for words.  At home, every time I pick up the book and glance through the pages, I am overwhelmed once again with gratitude.

Fun and surprises aren't the best reason to do a grocery signing, though.  This unlikely locale offers new modes of access to  your readers and expands your reader base.  When planning this event , remember it will have a different dynamic than the traditional one at a book store.

It might seem logical, at first, that your signing table should be by the book display or book section in the supermarket.  However, that spot does not give you the maximum results.  Most of the people who walk into that area know where the book section is and go there specifically to find a book.  When you are situated in another part of the store, it is beneficial to you and to the retailer.  You'll get great exposure becaue you'll encounter people who did not know they wanted to buy a book, until they saw you; and the store makes gains in their customers' awareness of the store's book selection.

The best location is one with visibility and high traffic.  But all the spots that offer those assets are not equal.  If you are situated at a table near where lines are forming for the cash registers, you are readily seen, but many who pass your table are anxious to pay for the purchases and get out of the store--a state of mind that makes them more reluctant to stop and look at what you have to offer.

My favorite table position was a short distance from the entrance beside the produce department.  The psychology of that spot was perfect.  Most of the people there were in a more thoughtful frame of mind, selecting fresh produce one apple at a time.  In this slowed-down mode, stopping by your table to look over your books and chat seemed easier to do.

With your next book release,consider supplementing your book store effotrs with a grocery store signing.  Regardless of your opinion of the outcome, you'll appreciate one clear benefit you won't find anywhere else: if you need dozen eggs, a bottle of wine or a loaf of bread, you won't need to make an extra stop on your way home.

Favorite Reads

Everything in 2009 was not worth remembering but my year of reading was memorable.    My Favorite Reads 2009 list contains an unprecedented number of books--21 in all.  Believe it or not, I was pickier about the books in 2009 than any previous year and still the list was longer.

There were a number of books that I read that would have been included in other years.  For example, I really enjoyed reading UNDER THE DOME by Stephen King, but it didn't merit inclusion in 2009 because I was dissatisfied with the resolution of the book.  The same was true of THE HEART SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill.  Both well-written books from great storytellers--but just not my personal and subjective favorites as a reader.

Crime fiction is well represented in my top twenty-one because it is my favorite genre of all but it's not all new books, my choices spread out over the years even including a classic by Patricia Highsmith, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.

I didn't neglect books outside that genre.  It has been a very eclectic year embracing memoir, biography, literature, and even Fantasy/SciFi with my first Neil Gaiman book, AMERICAN GODS.

I do notice as I review my selections that I missed adding anything sciency.  I'll have to remedy that in 2010.   Rebecca Skloot's THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS appears to be a likely candidate.  I've read a lot of good commentary about the book and Rebecca is a consummate researcher and a gifted writer.

Although it's only January 3 and I haven't started a Favorite Reads 2010 page yet on my website, I already have the first book to add to it, WICKED PREY by John Sanford.  I could hardly stand to set the book down as it ricocheted from scene to scene.  It's a fabulous addition to the Lucas Davenport-Prey series that now has an amazing 19 titles.

WICKED PREY also included a line that made me laugh out loud.  A woman, Rosie Cruz, listening to a couple of guys banter about their sexual organs, said, "Ahh, God.  Men and their penises.  if they didn't have them, we'd have to sew one on, just to give them something to talk about."

Let me know what you think of my 2009 picks and send recommendations for what you think I should read in 2010.

And happy reading to you, all year long.