Heavy Weather’s Shiny New Badge from The MAGGIE!

Finalist NSRE pub

 

Y’all have seen this before, back in 2014, when Sailing out of Darkness finaled in the Maggie. Even if Heavy Weather doesn’t win, I consider it a huge honor to be short-listed with WFWA (Women’s Fiction Writers Association) girlfriend, Barbara Claypole White and her delicious book, The Perfect Son.

 

This is a happy year for my book baby — remember the Colorado Award of Excellence final earlier in the year?

Heavy Weather

 

Stay tuned for a celebratory contest–coming soon!

 

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkZ3YvApaYk[/embedyt]

 

 

 

Writing in a Void: Why Reviews Matter

I live on a creek. At any time during the work day, I can turn from my computer and look out over the expanse of water and refill my beauty-hungry soul. Granted, today it’s all slate on slate with the gray broken by splashes of white, because even our shallow body of water can form whitecaps when the wind pushes hard through the creek’s mouth.

Toward the west
Toward the west, clouds but no wind

But even with the beauty, even with the blessing of marriage to a best friend who encourages me (as does my dear mama who has been my cheerleader forever), writing can be a lonely pursuit. I mean, husbands, children, mamas, and good friends are supposed to support us, aren’t they? So you write, I write, and we send our words out…

Will they touch anyone at all? Will our book(s) be found? Be read? Be loved–or hated?

 

Will our words hover or land gracefully?

 

 

 

We shouldn’t be so insecure. But I don’t know a single writer/artist/musician who sits in a void, untouched, uncaring.

We care. We care.

 

Open Book

Which is why readers who leave reviews are so very, very important. You nurture the place that remains wary in every writer. No matter how many books we publish, no matter how many accolades we receive, there’s always the fear that this time, no one will care. This time, no one will want to read our story. This time, the void will swallow our words. iStock_000002803956XSmall

 

With that fear real in my heart, I have waited for reviewers’ words.

 

 

 

And then these first reviews came from the TLC Blog Tour (still ongoing):

Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews: “…Part romance, part mystery, and all fast-paced, this novel is a fabulously spun tale that will reel in the reader and keep them hooked to the very spine-tingling end…”

Patricia’s Wisdom: “…An excellent read…”

Queen of All She Reads: “…Part literary romantic suspense and part coming of age story, Ms. Fischer’s story grabbed my attention from the first page.  Likeable characters, good dialogue, an intriguing mystery and just the right amount of tension, kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next.  If you like exotic locations, good food, and romantic suspense, this is a book you won’t want to miss….” [Emphasis mine!]

Redhead with Book :  “…This story will keep your heart thumping…a fast-paced, believable and intelligent read…”

Reading Is My Superpower: “… Two From Isaac’s House reads like Southern fiction but is very much a novel of international intrigue. You will want to curl up with it and absorb the delicious way the writing lilts across the page, but at the same time Fischer’s command of international suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat. And then there’s the new romance and the new friendships – sweet in a way that wraps you in an old & comforting quilt but never so saccharine that it makes your teeth hurt. In a book that could go political in a heartbeat, the plot stays just outside that line and instead whispers a few subtle hints toward the spiritual that both surprised and touched me with their presence. Normandie Fischer’s latest book is definitely a dichotomy of genres, but I loved the result!

“The author’s writing style is so beautifully descriptive (without over-telling) and immerses readers in the scenes – the sights, the smells, the sounds, the emotions.  Wry Southern humor subtly peppers each chapter, providing delightful relief in the midst of suspenseful tension.  Fischer’s words lilt in a pleasing meter that, as I mentioned earlier, makes you want to curl up and settle in….”

And from Romantic Times Magazine:

 


NormandieFisher

 

I am so grateful. Grateful for the time to write. Grateful for the friends my writing has given me. Grateful that I can, from the isolation of our creek house, travel the world, share tea or coffee (or even a glass of wine) with new friends, and be part of something that feels so like a gift from God.

 

Would you consider becoming part of my community of reader-friends? If so, will you send me a note and let me know? If you do, I’ll certainly return the favor with a reply.

Reaching out. Touching hearts. Getting to know strangers. Finding common ground. Becoming friends.

light in trees

 

Encouraging one another to be a light — or to find the light — in the darkness.

I look forward to hearing from you!

 

 

 

 

Available for Pre-order NOW! HEAVY WEATHER for Kindle

With the release date approaching–March 15–the Kindle version of Heavy Weather has been approved for pre-order. The print should follow soon.

CLICK HERE TO BUY

It takes a town to save a child. That town is Beaufort, North Carolina.

Annie Mac’s estranged husband vows that nothing will stop him from getting his baby girl. Not Annie Mac and certainly not that boy of hers.

Only four blocks away, Hannah Morgan lives in comfort with her husband and dog, making pottery and waiting for her best friend to come home. When she discovers the two children cowering in the bushes and their mama left for dead, it doesn’t take her long to set her coterie of do-gooders to some extra-strength do-gooding. Add in Clay, a lonely police lieutenant yanked out of his comfort zone and into the heart of this small family, and who knows what will happen?

From the author of Becalmed comes this latest tale of the Carolina coast, introducing some new characters to love–and to loathe.

If you haven’t read  Becalmed, the publisher has listed  it  for 99 cents for Kindle.

Heavy Weather 2

Cover Reveal: Heavy Weather

I’ve shown this cover as it’s been developing, but I finally have the ready-to-go front. The fonts have been tweaked, and I really like them.

What do you think?Heavy Weather 2

Another Carolina Coast story from the author of Becalmed

It takes a town to save a child. That town is Beaufort, North Carolina.

In this love story about a small Southern town that takes care of its own, the Beaufort folk reach out to embrace two children and their battered mama.

Annie Mac’s estranged husband has come to get his baby girl, and he’ll stop at nothing to have her. When childless Hannah Morgan discovers the two children cowering in the bushes and their mama left for dead, she rallies the sleepy town of Beaufort, NC, and sets her coterie of do-gooders to some extra-strength do-gooding. Add in a lonely police lieutenant yanked out of his comfort zone and into the heart of this small family, and who knows what will happen?

Moving Forward with Book 3: Cover Design

Girl in White Dress in Storm HW 4

I’ve been through a million iterations of this cover. Loved one image but couldn’t determine ownership. Loved another but found someone else had used it in a very unfortunate way. So, I went back to this one, which really represents the story in a more compelling way than the other two.

I used the image of transparent innocence to show how two women see themselves: Annie Mac, an abused wife and mother who lost her innocence at a very young age, and Hannah, a childless woman whose best friends are now pregnant. The metaphorical sea rages as the women come together when Annie Mac’s estranged husband tries to kill her and take their little girl and Hannah rallies her coterie of do-gooders in Beaufort–including Detective Lieutenant Clay Dougherty (who had a bit part in Becalmed) to try to save them all.

The title is a sailing term. Becalmed, my first Beaufort book, showed the becalmed, windless life of Tadie. (Find it here.) Heavy Weather picks up the story two years later with Tadie’s best friend, Hannah, trying to help two children and their mother escape the machinations of a murderer. Heavy weather, all right.

What do you think of this cover? Would it make you want to buy it? Does it intrigue you?

 

 

 

 

Learning a new skill: The Trailer Revisited

(Or, it’s back to school for me.)

Editor Linda Yezak donned a flak jacket before writing to tell me what was wrong with the Sailing out of Darkness trailer. When I said that I LOVE constructive criticism, she breathed a sigh and shed the jacket. “I was sweating in there.”

I don’t know about you, but when someone I respect makes suggestions, I’m going to listen. Why? Because I want to learn to be the best “me” possible. I knew I wouldn’t be sending my work to Hollywood, and I also knew professionals could have done a better job than I, but I can’t afford the professionals and thus am grateful for all the help someone offers.

Now, it’s time to move on. Get back to my rewrites. Get the house cleaned for my daughter’s visit. In other words, stop tinkering with Animoto and get to work.

But before I do that, here’s the shortened, updated, edited version. What do you think?

 

 

Marketing, Stage 2: Becalmed’s Book Trailer

 

Some authors and social media experts have suggested that book trailers aren’t worth the effort in terms of sales. Maybe not, but I love watching them. And I’ve wanted one for my books. Only, I hadn’t a clue how to make one. Until today.

I’ve been studying trailers, and I really love the ones that use live action and actors. But I don’t have that capability myself, nor do I have the money to pay an expert to do it for me.

So. I looked at several how-to videos and picked the method that seemed most user friendly for a novice videographer. Yes, I upgraded from free to not-as-free-but-still-shy-of-the-pro-version of Animoto. And I paid for a couple of videos from istockphoto. But we’re not talking big bucks. And this, my friends, is what I produced. I do hope you like it, because I’m feeling like a proud mama.

 

 

 

Becalmed