FREE BOOKS DURING READ AN EBOOK WEEK!

FREE ebooks are back again at Smashwords.com.  For the week of MARCH 7-14th, Smashwords will be offering designated eBooks free on its website and two of my books are included.

In the Sin Series, you can get SWEET SACRIFICE for FREE, and in the Grandmothers, Incorporated cozy mystery series that I co-write with fellow author/playwright, L. Barnett Evans, our book, SAVING SIN CITY, can be gotten for FREE.  The other novels in the Sin Series and the Grandmother, Incorporated Series are on sale during this week. 

Take advantage of this special if you're looking for romance and laughs.    

BACK AGAIN and HOPEFULLY BETTER THAN EVER

I missed  the January 2021 post because I wasn't sure I wanted to continue this blog.  I've been so busy writing during the pandemic that the extra time it takes to attend to this blog hasn't always been there,  but then I thought, what the hell.  Some of my readers actually look at my blog.  So, I'll see if I can maintain it another year.

In 2020, I've been blogging about writing my latest Stillwaters series book, Someone Like Them.  I finished the book, and then sent it to the best editor I've had in a long time for her review.  To make a long story short, I have some work to do on Someone Like Them because I don't want to make the mistakes I've made in the past--and believe there have been many.  

In sending my two former Stillwaters series books, Someone Like Me and Someone Like You to the new editor, she found mistakes that had been overlooked in both those books, and I was truly embarassed that those books were released with too many errors.  There is nothing I can do but take full responsibility, go back, fix those mistakes and release the books again on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.  I am in the process of doing that now.   So, those of you who may have read these two books that had such blatant errors, I apologize.  

I take pride in being a good writer, and I should have been paying more attention.  I'll do my best not to let that happen again.  

THE END OF THE ROAD

I've been writing this blog since 2012, and I think I've come to the end of the road on this site.  How I've managed to keep up amazes me,  especially in 2020.  This is the year that the pandemic seems to have put me on what I call creative crack.  My creativity has soared.  I finished  Someone Like Them a romantic suspense novel, (or is it Women's Fiction , I'm not sure anymore.)   I finished writing a mystery novel with my writing partner, L. Barnett Evans.  I also started two new novels.  One is a historical mystery and the other one is general fiction with political and social overtones.  Plus, earlier this year I wrote a play titled Ebony Eagles, the third work in a trilogy of plays I started in 2017.  All three plays have won or been finalists in  national play festivals.  I wrote Ebony Eagles in March 2020 and the play has been a finalist in two festivals and has won a third. I couldn't be happier with those results.  It has been quite a year.  However, I think it's time to find a new name for this blog, a new direction since I'm expanding my writing muscles, and probably a new blog platform. 

In 2021 Someone Like Them should be released, and if we can find an agent, hopefully, the thriller Retribution, written by L. Barnett  Evans and me, should be released by 2022.  In addition, I was the recipient of a prestigious award from my local Arts Council to indulge in a creative endeavor that will keep me on the road for a while.  So, I'm not sure if I'm going to keep up this blog or start a new one.  I have yet to decide.  Meanwhile I do have a website which I would like readers to visit:  www.crystalrhodes.com.  

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year.  s we all know, the year 2020 has been one for the ages.      

A NEW COURSE OR THE SAME OLD DIRECTION

 I love to write and at times I admit that I overdo it.  Right now I'm doing the 5th edit of my romantic suspense/women's lit novel, SOMEONE LIKE THEM, which I've been writing about all year and have yet to deliver (but it's coming).  I'm doing edits on one of my old romantic suspense novels, SMALL SENSATIONS, for re-release in the future.  I'm working on completing the edits on a thriller co-written with my writing partner, L. Barnette Evans, from the Grandmothers, Incorporated cozy mystery series.  I'm turning one of my plays into a general fiction novel, which is easier than I thought it would be.  I'm busy entering my latest full-length play, Ebony Eagles, in playwriting contests and I recently received word that it is a finalist in one of the competitions.  On top of this I've also committed myself to writing a brand new play for one organization and working with a theatre to set up a reading of another play. Those two things happen if I win monies from two different arts organizations.  Yeah, I'm overextending myself, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  

The other day I received information about an on-line book app that specializes in hooking readers up with romance novels.  Of course I had to look into it.  I liked with I saw and now I'm considering re-releasing some of my former novels, SIN, SWEET SACRIFICE and SINFUL INTENTIONS, among others, on that app--with rewrites and updates of course.  At times it seems that although I'm setting a brand new course for myself as a writer in some areas, I'm still steeped in the same old direction in others.  Oh, well!  That's my life, and I LOVE IT!  

   

FINDING MY WRITING STRIDE

My last blog stated how I was on my fourth edit of my next novel,  Someone Like Them.  Well, scratch that, I am now on my fifth edit and counting.  I've agonized on why this book is taking me so long to get right.  Why have I not been satisfied by the main character in this book.  The personalities for the protagonists in my other novels came so easily.  Eventually, it came to me.  The protagonists in Someone Like Them started out weak, and I cannot write about weak women, mainly because I don't know any.  I was raised by strong, competent, independent women who taught me to be a strong, competent, independent woman, and that's what I write about.  In Someone Like Them I was trying to create a character I really didn't know.  Thank goodness I've finally discovered who she is, and no matter how long it takes, Wanda Carson is going to shed her light brightly in Someone Like Them.

Meanwhile, for those writers of color who might be looking for a writing community to join, I would like to suggest  Crime Writers of Color (CWOC).  Most of its members write crime and mystery novels, which I write with the co-author of our Grandmothers, Incorporated cozy mystery novels.   However, I do believe that there are some writers who are members of the group who don't write mysteries.  Nevertheless, I think it is a group worth exploring.   I stumbled on CWOC by accident a few months ago.  I find the members to be very supportive of each other and the information they share is very helpful.  I've attended a few panels and workshops that the group has held via Zoom and I've been very pleased with the results.  It cost nothing to join the group.  Simply put Crime Writers of Color in the Google search engine.  The name should come up and you can read about them.   If you're interested, follow the directions regarding how you can become a member.    

 Until next time...  

COVID and BLACK LIVES MATTER CREATIVITY

Okay, so I'm still working on Someone Like Them.  I'm on my fourth edrt and going strong, because the critique on my first edit wasn't very good, and I'm waiting for the critique on my third edit.  This covid crisis has been good for me insofar as I've given myself more time to do just about everything, which improves the quality of what I do, from writing books to writing plays.  I'm proud of that, and it's a lesson I should have learned sooner.  But, better later than never.

The Black Lives Matters movement  has turned out to be quite an advantage for Americans in general, but for black creativity specifically.  I've never seen so many pubishers looking for African American material, or so many producers looking for African American content.  I'm thinking about acquiring a literary agent for Someone Like Them and for another one of my novels I hope to re-release.  I figure that I ought to strike while the iron is hot.  Who knows how long this interest in black writers will last.  If we go by historical trends in this country this interest in all things black coud be over by the end of the year.

That's all for now.  Stay Safe!             

A WRITER' S EBB AND FLOW

 It seems like I've been working forever on my latest novel, SOMEONE LIKE THEM .  This pandemic has heightened my creativity instead of lessen it.  I've been working on two books and a new play all at once, so getting my latest romantic suspense novel out has been slow since I'm doing so much.  However, I wouldn't do it any other way.  I'd get bored if I worked on one thing at a time.

I've made progress on each of my projects.  My latest play, Ebony Eagles, is finished, and I've entered it into several play contest.  I'm still working with my writing partner on our latest mystery novel, but  it's about to be completed very soon.  As for SOMEONE LIKE THEM, I'm on my third edit of this book. Each time it gets better and better, so I have no complaints.  I hoped to have the book out this year, but that may not happen.  I'd rather put a good book out there than a rushed book.  I want it to be a book that I am proud to have written.

Meanwhile, thanks to all of those people who went to Smashwords.com to get my books last month.  Two of them were free during the month of July, but there were a lot of sales of my other books as a result of readers liking the stories from my free books.    I really appreciate the support!