Maria Murad
Maria Murad
Writer, Editor
March Blog
March Blog
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm half-Irish so I'm feeling lucky. This month, I am announcing the launch of three new books on Amazon.com
They're available in paperback and as e-books, but if you'd like an up close and personal look at them, come join me at the Rosemount Writers Festival, Saturday, March 19 at the Steeplechase Center (adjacent to the Rosemount, MN library). From 9:00 a.m.-4:30, many authors, including me will be available to chat and sign books. I hope to see you there! You can also take workshops and listen to great people talk about writing. More info at www.rosemountwritersfestival.com
March always means Spring to me. As Shelley put it: If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
Field of clover image by Jeon Song-O from Pixaby
My First Blog
Welcome! I will be writing this page at intervals to let you know what I'm thinking about, what I'm reading, and what I'm writing. Look at it as a sort of conversation between you and me. Comments are encouraged at my email: mariamuradwriter@gmail.com I've just published three books on Amazon, available as paperbacks or ebooks on Kindle. I used WriteIntoPrint to format my copy and they did a spectacular job at a very reasonable price. I highly recommend this company. Currently, I'm writing the third book in the Suzy the Detective series. The working title is Suzy Continued, but that will change. I often start out writing a piece with a title that will be completely different. And on the subject of writing, I'll say right now, I'm a "pantser" writer -- no outlines, just words as they come. Which is not to say I don't edit and revise, just that I usually have an idea of where I'm going, but not necessarily all the details. I don't have set hours to write, either. I write when the spirit moves me, but I mull over my story ideas and plot point when I'm not at my computer. That's another point: I can't write longhand on a yellow tablet as many writers do. Just doesn't work for me I'm a fast typist and words come more quickly to me that way.
I read a lot of books, and usually have three or four on Overdrive/Libby available. I like to have different genres up to give myself a break. I am a big fan of thrillers and can't wait to see the new Reacher series on Amazon Prime. The author, Lee Child, is one of my faves, along with Lawrence Block and Jack Finney.
My all time favorite books: Time and Again, All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
My First Blog
Welcome! I will be writing this page at intervals to let you know what I'm thinking about, what I'm reading, and what I'm writing. Look at it as a sort of conversation between you and me. Comments are encouraged at my email: mariamuradwriter@gmail.com I've just published three books on Amazon, available as paperbacks or ebooks on Kindle. I used WriteIntoPrint to format my copy and they did a spectacular job at a very reasonable price. I highly recommend this company. Currently, I'm writing the third book in the Suzy the Detective series. The working title is Suzy Continued, but that will change. I often start out writing a piece with a title that will be completely different. And on the subject of writing, I'll say right now, I'm a "pantser" writer -- no outlines, just words as they come. Which is not to say I don't edit and revise, just that I usually have an idea of where I'm going, but not necessarily all the details. I don't have set hours to write, either. I write when the spirit moves me, but I mull over my story ideas and plot point when I'm not at my computer. That's another point: I can't write longhand on a yellow tablet as many writers do. Just doesn't work for me I'm a fast typist and words come more quickly to me that way.
I read a lot of books, and usually have three or four on Overdrive/Libby available. I like to have different genres up to give myself a break. I am a big fan of thrillers and can't wait to see the new Reacher series on Amazon Prime. The author, Lee Child, is one of my faves, along with Lawrence Block and Jack Finney.
My all time favorite books: Time and Again, All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
This is where I work, mess and all
This is where I work, mess and all
HAPPY FALL !!
HAPPY FALL !!
I've had a busy summer, so I hope you'll bear with me at the lateness of My Blog. I've published three new books on Amazon, in both ebook and paperback form: Suzy the Default Detective, Suzy the Super Sleuth, and Lighting Out. The two Suzy books are part of a series of three. I'm hard at work writing Suzy #3, with a title yet to be chosen. I've also been submitting essays to WOW (Women on writing) and a novella to FairLight books. I don't know yet if any have been accepted or published, but it's important to keep putting my work out there. And that's good advice for any of you who write. I've also been asked to review a poetry chapbook (Walking the Labyrinth) and I'll let you know when that will published.
NOW! I have some fun news for anyone interested in my books: I've got a Giveaway of Suzy the Super Sleuth on Goodreads. You can head over to that site and enter the contest if you're so inclined. https://admin.goodreads.com/author/show/4455438.Maria_Murad
NOVEMBER 2022
NOVEMBER 2022
Welcome, all! I've not been as active on this Blog, but it's because I've been so busy writing. Book #3 in my Suzy series is a quarter done, but a ways to go before I can publish it. If you've read any of my previous books, you'll find this one a little different – Suzy's an NYPD rookie cop now, with all that entails. But she's still the irrepressible Suzy, into scrapes and situations. Tentative title is Suzy, the Gritty Guardian. That could change – especially if anyone would like to send me a different suggestion.
I have also submitted several pieces I've reworked –notably Prima Ballerina, which is a short e-book and paperback available on Amazon.com I've had another piece made available on Biblioboard/ Indie Minnesota. I've put the URL below. I think you may have to have a library card to access The Anniversary. Both of these efforts are completely different from the Suzy series. A writer needs more than one instrument to play on!
http://library.biblioboard.com/content/c33c27b9-17b1-4d56-be1a-4dd42db54263
I did some consulting the past few months. As you can see from the Services page, I offer writing and editing help, for a reasonable price. I have also started reviewing some poetry chapbooks. I do love poetry, although I don't write it. I love the spareness and the specificity needed to transmit a message. It's good practice for any writer.
Another book, which I wrote in collaboration with Jan McCarthy, is Leading Ladies: How to Manage Like a Star. I did the writing, she contributed a good deal of the content. This was initially published by Outskirts, but we've added some up-to-date information to the original text. It got good reviews when it was published, but a new cover and refreshing the text makes it almost new again.
I've uploaded a favorite photo of myself. It was taken after my hair grew back following chemotherapy in 2016. It came in curly, something I'd always longed for. My brother got my dad's beautiful, curly hair and he looked wonderful when it turned gray. Unfortunately, as you can see from other pics of me, the curls didn't last. Anyone else like me? Pining for what we didn't get?
I'd like to blow my own horn now. Last spring, I entered Suzy the Super Sleuth in the Writer's Digest self-published books. Just recently, I received a document with their reviews of the book. I didn't win any prizes, but I am delighted with the critique:
Several reviewers found the book "exemplary" in organization, plot and pacing. They also liked the cover (although I missed an opportunity to describe the book more on the back cover). They also liked the voice and writing style.
---30th Annual Self-Published Book Awards
It gives me motivation and inspiration for the next Suzy book, currently in draft. Suzy is available on Amazon.com
In both e-book and paperback.
AT ROSEMOUNT BOOK FAIR
AT ROSEMOUNT BOOK FAIR
THIS PHOTO IS MY TABLE (AND MY DAUGHTER/HELPER) AT THE ROSEMOUNT BOOK FAIR LAST SPRING. IT WAS SUCH FUN TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT MY BOOKS AND MY WRITING. SOLD OUT ALL THE BOOKS!
AUGUST 2023
She's Baack! Suzy, that is. I've just finished the draft of the third book in the series about Suzy, the detective and it's in the capable hands of a talented Beta reader. I've picked a new title: Suzy, the Super Cop and I needto get the cover underway. This time, she's traded in her sequin tennies and big silver bag for the uniform of the NYPD and she's got lots to learn about being a real cop in New York City. You'll find the other Suzy books on Amazon.com
On a different note, we've acquired a rescue cat named Spice, who has an aloof and indenpendent demeanor, very different from our beloved Cleopatra, whom we lost last spring. Spice loves boxes and bags, as you can tell from the photo.
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