Lexicon: Cozy

·         Cozy: a mystery novel generally set in a small town following an amateur sleuth who just happens to get involved with a current police case. 

      Usually not very graphic about the crime/murder and often humorous. 

      Examples: Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie, Body Movers by Stephanie Bond, and Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates.

Suggestion: Web Presence is Mandatory

I am very much a follower of "do only what you can maintain" but, at this point in civilization, if you are an author, you must have a website (Jeff Vandermeer's Booklife exemplifies this principle).

This includes four key items:

Author Bio - can be exactly what it says inside your books.

Book Blurbs - can be exactly what it says on the back of your book. Right after the title of your book, make sure to mention if it is part of a series and what number it is.

• If this character has had a major role in a different book, you must put a footnote at the bottom of your blurb. (Ex. If you're character would not be who they are now without the scene you've written in a different character's book - the reader has a right to know that, and read your series in order. If you don't tell the reader, you risk losing them because they didn't have the opportunity to live that moment with your character.)
• This information needs to be upfront for the reader, but not spoil the plots of the books, which is why I very strongly suggest a Book List.

Book List – a published order of your books is sometimes helpful, but the chronological order for your series is more important. Make sure to mention in which books important characters appear.

Upcoming Releases - you want the reader to know you have plans to keep writing. Even if you only know that the next book will be released in Fall of 2017 - put that down. You can always change it later if need be.

You don't have to start blogging or tweaking your page every week. Having a website that displays these four key items will make your writing more accessible and that always leads to more satisfied readers.

With the internet so easily accessible today it is ludicrous to think you don't need your own website. Just because Amazon and Barnes & Noble sell your book, does not mean they are displaying all the information your reader needs.  You can hire someone to make a website, or take a week to make your own through places like Weebly. Who knows, you might even find you like having complete control over your site.

In short: you can make a website because you already know all about these four key items (and have probably already written them).

Books: The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference

The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference
My Verdict: Skim It

If you've ever wondered how to start researching a fantasy novel that you want to set in the medieval ages then The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference: An Indispensable Compendium of Myth And Magic from the editors of Writer's Digest Books is a good place to start. If you are not concerned about politics, clothing, and creatures from the Medieval and Middle Ages, don't bother reading this book. This collection of essays is meant to give you a historical approach to accurate settings for fantasy writers.

This reference book focuses on Europe, but Chapter 2 takes a brief world tour of other cultures that might inspire your own story (one culture per continent). 

Most of the book is bulleted with lists of professions, titles, clothing, anatomy of a castle and much more. If you are planning to use the right names for such details, this will be an indispensable book.

Personally, I feel you can skim or skip Chapters: 3, 4, 6, and 7. 

• Chapters 3 & 4 record the pagan magics in a very dry format. They don't evoke the wonder of using magic, instead they state historically when and where certain cults and societies developed. 
• Chapters 6 & 7 list different races of creatures (ones that obtained societies and civilizations) and monster creatures (horrors to be defeated or understood). If you are unfamiliar with fantasy, the chapters will be helpful. If you've grown up reading fantasy, you will find the lists too short (there are entire dictionaries of fantastical beasts and their origins).

If you'd enjoy a history textbook trimmed down to the essentials for historical world building, this book is for you (and I'd bump the rating up to Read It). It was published in 1998, but is still a good place to start your research because it explains so many terms.

Homework: decide how detailed you want your story to be. Will it be filled with lots of attention to detailing proper names for everything or only a few details sprinkled in to make it faster paced? (Always think back to the audience you are writing for: if you need more than one page to define new terms to the reader you are writing for a smaller more specific audience [perhaps people who have studied or previously enjoyed reading about Ancient Egypt].)


Rating Scale: Keep On Desk, Own it, Read it, Skim it, Don't Bother