Showtime!

Yes, it's that time of year again. I have been awaiting what many people, especially fellow authors, refer to as the 'Festival Season'. That's when months of strategizing and organizing finally come together. Like Santa, I've been making a list and checking it two or even three times.

In some respects, I'll be reconnecting with old friends and returning to popular venues. And there will be some brand new locations on this year's schedule.

Recently a friend asked what the big deal is with participating in festivals or shows. They assumed it was simply a matter of pitching your tent (or booth as the case may be) then putting your books on display and waiting for the crowd of shoppers to rush forward with their cash or credit cards. They made it sound so easy!

It's anything but easy! That exchange reminded me of an author who showed up at an event years ago. He had one book on display, with both hard cover and paperback copies, stacked on his table. The guy perched on a director's style chair at the back of the booth and remained there during the six hours of the show. He didn't sell a single copy. The problem? He made no attempt to connect with readers.

It's critical to have a pitch in these situations. In some situations, it might be fine to use a

'one size fits all' approach. But that doesn't work well for me. I've got ten books on my table. There are two different series and now two standalone stories. Some of them will appeal to certain readers. Others won't. You never know until you interact with people. It's important to be friendly, to answer questions, to joke around a bit. To be approachable. And it's fundamental to understand that some people just want to be left alone. With practice, you can get a sense of whether someone may be persuaded to give your books a second glance. Or even make a purchase. I explained all of this to my friend. "It's like being on stage for however many hours the show runs. And there is no script you can follow. I consider it similar to improv. You have to be able to think on your feet, to attract attention, interact with people, make them smile or laugh. It's showtime!"

In some respects, it's always showtime. So far this year, I've done seven events. Some of these were at local libraries. All of these were indoors. But now it's time to break out the booth, load the car with tables, supplies, a chair, banners, display racks and of course, books. Extra copies are needed because you never can tell which books will appeal to readers at any given venue. The Festival Season is upon us. I am ready to rock! You can find a list of the upcoming festivals I will be at on the event calendar. Works In Progress

The third draft of "Agonasti's Dilemma" has been completed. It's now in the hands of my team of beta readers. This one took longer than I ever expected. But there were some worthwhile interruptions that include revising, editing and the publication of "Rules of Desperation" and writing, revising, editing and the publication of "Part-Time Criminal". So it's not like I was binge watching every "Mission Impossible" movie. That is a tempting idea.

When I get the reactions and feedback from the team, I'll make the necessary adjustments to the manuscript. Meanwhile, I will be crafting a query letter and identifying potential traditional publishing houses to see if there is any interest.

This is another standalone book. (Although my sister Helene, who is part of the beta team, read it and now expects a sequel!) Unlike the Jamie Richmond amateur sleuth mysteries or the Jefferson Chene police procedural mysteries, this one is a crime novel. Which could appeal to a different audience.

My favorite crime novelist was Elmore Leonard. That's him on the left. He penned a number of bestsellers, including Get Shorty, Maximum Bob, Out of Sight and Fire in the Hole. I had the great good fortune to meet him once and we had quite a conversation. Leo Agonasti, the protagonist in the story, makes his first appearance in "Your Turn to Die" which is the second Jefferson Chene mystery. Leo is a retired mobster who has an unusual friendship with Chene. He returns in "The Wayward Path". Readers liked the character so much they felt he deserved his own novel. This one is set back in 1992, when Leo is still actively involved in organized crime.

Meanwhile, I have written 8,000 words on what will become the fourth Jefferson Chene mystery. And this week I started working on a novella, centered around Ian MacKinnon, who is a secondary character in several of the Jamie Richmond books.

It's not uncommon for a writer to have multiple projects underway simultaneously. Time will tell which one sees the light of day first.