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05 June 2019

Simon The Time Traveling Cat Vs. Dewey The Talking Chameleon, PLUS A New Release | IWSG


The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a great place to mingle with like minded people each month during IWSG day.

Every month there's an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say.

This month's optional question is:

"Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?"
Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here. I didn't exactly answer the question, but I did write about my favorite genre to write in - cozy mysteries.

Simon the Time Traveling Cat vs. Dewey Decimal the Talking Chameleon


"Why aren't you rubbing my belly?" Simon asked as he dug his claws into my arm.

I pushed the large gray cat's paw away. "Hey! That hurts!"

"It's your own fault, lady," he said. "That's what you get when you pay attention to that stupid computer of yours instead of me."

"The world does not revolve around you, Simon," I said as I pulled him away from the keyboard. "I have other priorities."

"You call that a priority?" He batted at the screen. "These are stupid book covers. No one wants to read another one of your silly cozy mystery series."

"They might want to read this one," I said. "You know why? Cause it features a talking chameleon named Dewey Decimal instead of an obnoxious cat who is always demanding belly rubs and full-fat milk."

He growled. "Chameleons. What a dumb idea, lady. All they do is sit around and change color."

"Not this one. He lives in a library in North Dakota and helps the amateur sleuth find clues in books which solve murders."

Simon sprawled on the keyboard, erasing all my work. "Why don't you tell him to come down here to Florida and we'll have it out. A chameleon is no match for me."

"I'm not so sure about that. I've seen you hunting lizards before. They always seem to get away from you."

"Enough talk, lady," he said digging his claws into my arm again. "Time to rub my belly before my afternoon nap."

I shook my head and sighed. Hopefully, Dewey doesn't turn out to be as much trouble as Simon, I thought to myself. Imaginary creatures can be so unpredictable.

* * *

Yes, it's true. I've been distracted by a shiny, new object - namely, a new cozy mystery series. I even spent an hour or two procrastinating and creating mock-up covers for the Dewey Decimal Mysteries. I really need to focus on getting some more books out in my current series before I move onto a new one. How do you guys keep focused on what you should be working on instead of something new and exciting?

My Latest Release - Can You Help?



And in other news, Poisoned by the Pier is going to be released on June 28th. This is the third book in my Mollie McGhie cozy sailing mystery series.

I did something crazy and put it up for pre-order on Amazon before I have the final manuscript back from the editor (it's due back mid-June). Poisoned by the Pier will also be available on other eretailers (Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple Books and Google Play), as well as in paperback and large print closer to the release date. I've got a lot to get done this month before the release. Eek!

If you can help spread the word about my upcoming release that would be awesome! Drop me an email at ellenjacobsonauthor@gmail.com or leave a comment below with your contact details and I'll follow-up with more info.

BLURB

Life without chocolate and junk food—completely miserable. Finding someone poisoned by a cake—even worse.

Mollie thought she had enough problems to deal with when her husband threw out all of her chocolate and junk food. But when someone is poisoned during a cake baking competition, she’s thrust into another murder investigation.

While she tries to identify the killer, Coconut Cove’s annual boating festival is in full swing. In between getting ready for her first sailing race and cheating on her diet, Mollie and her cat, Mrs. Moto, uncover clues, interview suspects, and do their best to avoid rutabagas.

Can Mollie nab the murderer before someone else is poisoned?

Poisoned by the Pier is the third book in the light, humorous, and original Mollie McGhie cozy sailing mystery series. If you like kooky characters, adorable cats, and plenty of chocolate, you’ll love this cozy mystery. Buy Poisoned by the Pier today and laugh out loud from the first page to the last.

Spoiler Alert: You’ll never look at rutabagas the same way again after you finish reading this book!

Pre-order your copy on Amazon

Find out more at ellenjacobsonauthor.com

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Add Poisoned by the Pier to your Goodreads TBR list

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88 comments:

  1. I don't think my cat would know what to do if he came across a chameleon.
    Sometimes you just can't fight the shiny stories! It's totally fine...for a day or two, at least.
    Congrats on the upcoming release!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think it's extremely cool that another idea has captured your attention. Go for it! The series sounds like fun. With the way you've written your first three books so quickly, I have all the confidence in the world that you can handle another series at the same time. You rock, girl!

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  3. I doubt a chameleon would be as much trouble as Simon.
    I'll be happy to spread the word for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the offer, Alex. I'll shoot you an email with details.

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  4. Simon is something else. He's so cat like.

    Oh a third book. I'll have to add it to my collection.

    Have a fabulous day, Ellen. ♥

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  5. I'm glad my two aren't so demanding.

    Another series - how fun!

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    1. Your cats are adorable! We need more pictures of them :)

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  6. Woot on the upcoming release! That's fun!

    I know the lure of creating covers. I do it often enough, and the books aren't even written yet! Your covers are cute, I have to say. :)

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    1. I think I could spend all day creating covers. I'd like to learn some more graphic design skills at some point. Right now it's all pretty amateurish.

      Delete
  7. Hi,
    I love your idea about the new series. It sounds interesting, and it has made me curious.
    All the best.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fun idea and covers! A number of authors have more than one series going at a time, but I have no clue as to how they do it. I can barely get one thing done at a time!

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  9. Love the titles and covers of your books!

    How do I stay on track? I indulge myself when I get a new idea. I write on it for a day or even a few weeks. Then I always hit a point where I need to stop. That's when I go back to what I "should" be working on.

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  10. You hooked me at the Time Traveling Cat and reeled me in with the Talking Chameleon.

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  11. Love Dewey Decimal for a name for a library chameleon. Where DO you come up with these things? Quirky characters indeed. I just work on things I want to work on. Unless you have a contract that says you need to write another few books in the Mollie series, then go for Dewey. Sounds like fun to me.!! Looking forward to the new release!! Congrats!!
    JQ Rose

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My sister actually suggested I do a series based on the Dewey Decimal series - one book for each category. Then I'm not sure how it happened, but a talking library chameleon popped into my head and it all snowballed from there.

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  12. Poisoned at the Pier sounds like a wonderful read! I love mysteries.

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  13. Great post and promo. You've really grown as a writer. Can wait to read your next release! Cheers

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    1. Aww...that's really sweet of you to say. It's hard to believe it was almost a year ago that I published my first book.

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  14. LOL always love hearing from Simon. And the new series sounds fun. Good that the plot bunnies are working for you. I will happily help you spread the word about your upcoming release. authormekajames@gmail.com

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    1. Thanks, Meka - that's awesome. I'll send you an email.

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  15. How wonderful! Another Molly McGuire mystery!!! Just pre-ordered my copy. Of course, I'll help with promotion. (I'll email you.) Glad to see Simon is in rare form today. :)

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  16. Dewey Decimal sounds fun. Reminds me of the lizard in Death in Paradise. I can help with your new release on Twitter. I'll email you.

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    1. Thanks Gwen - that would be great! You're so right about the Death in Paradise lizard. I hadn't made that connection until now. Love that show.

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  17. Congrats on the new release! I'll be happy to help out with the release.

    I love your new idea - Dewey Decimal is just precious (which doesn't mean that I love Simon any less).

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  18. I'd love to help out with your new release!
    Dewey sounds like a fabulous character - hope he and Simon don't end up in a battle though :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dewey is going to be awesome - a snarky know-it-all :) Thanks for the offer to help. I'll touch base.

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  19. I'm happy to help with your new release! :) The new idea sounds like a lot of fun. Hopefully Simon and Dewey don't have it out.

    ReplyDelete
  20. A new series sounds like a great idea, especially if the ideas are already flowing. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I might have to see which one wins out and flows more. Or maybe I can write them at the same time?

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  21. I absolutely love cozy mysteries, and I'm ashamed to say I haven't tried any of yours yet. I'd love to help spread the word. Simply email me any details you want shared on my blog to: writinginwonderland@gmail.com. Happy Writing!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. No need to be ashamed - that's silly :) There are so many books out there, we can't possibly read them all. I really appreciate the offer to help spread the word. I'll shoot you an email.

      Delete
  22. I'm so excited to read your next book! I love your cozy mysteries. And Simon is hilarious, but I wonder just how well he'd fare against the chameleon. :)
    I don't have a good way of sticking with projects. I have a tendency to move from one to another every few weeks or months - which means my process overall is slow. Bright, shiny ideas are soooo distracting. Currently, I'm writing a MG fantasy novel and last week I was re-re-revising a YA novel, and then there's actually a picture book I wrote and sent out to agents, plus some short stories in the process of polishing, or out on submission. Again, I switch off every two weeks or every month, until I get things to a completion point. It's messy, but I have lists.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Please send me some pre-made tweets and let me know if you'd like a guest spot on my blog in July. I would be happy to help!

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    2. Thanks for the offer to help - much appreciated!

      Glad to know that I'm not the only one switching between projects :)

      Delete
  23. Ooh, library mysteries! Sounds good - though I never came across a chameleon while working in a library myself, there’s always a first for everything!

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    1. Dewey has the ability to become invisible which is why not everyone sees him. I bet your library had one too, you just didn't know he was there :)

      Delete
  24. Poisoning by cake is just despicable!

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  25. A chameleon solving mysteries. In the library. What a fun, original idea. Love your mock covers!

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  26. Best of luck with the new release (especially with meeting your deadline!)

    As for shiny new story ideas... follow them. Especially when they are as good-sounding as this one! Don’t drop what you’re supposed to work on, but make notes, start a new file or notebook or whatever you use and write stuff down as it occurs to you.

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    Replies
    1. A notebook actually sounds like a good idea. It would be "different" than my computer so I might be less tempted to work on the shiny idea.

      Delete
  27. Awww Dewey! I think it's great to let yourself go play with a new idea - for just a little bit. Sometimes the only way I can get myself back into focus is to force myself to work on the project for a set amount of time. Usually the progress starts out veeeery slow but eventually I find my way back...I say as I'm STILL not done w/ the novel I started in early 2018...

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    1. Hopefully, if I do play with the Dewey mysteries, I can do it for just a short period of time and get back to the current WIP.

      Delete
  28. If you are like me, you use structured procrastination and it all gets done. Dewey sounds like a great helper.

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  29. Congrats on all the writing successes!!

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  30. Hi Ellen, I'd love to help spread the word. jenniferlanebooks at gmail How cool you have a new release coming up! A battle between Simon and Dewey--this has potential.

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  31. You are so prolific, Ellen - despite Simon. I may not read many cozy mysteries but wish you well. Dewey Decimal Mysteries sounds like it might cross genres if a chameleon is involved.

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    1. Thanks, Roland! Cozies definitely aren't everyone's cup of tea.

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  32. Congratulations on the book, be happy to help! I'm also looking for guest posts about crime writing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the offer to help. I'll touch base.

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  33. I always enjoy it when Simon shows up in your posts, Ellen. It was a delightful and creative way to explain the new series you're considering. Dewey Decimal's name cracked me up! Congratulations on your latest book!

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  34. It's almost know-how exciting!
    I let myself not down my shiny new idea and then place it in my idea folder.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An idea folder is a good idea. Someone else mentioned keeping a notebook.

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  35. Oh wow, your new book sounds interesting. I wonder if there are any mystery readers among those I sail with... I am not generally a mystery reader, unless it’s funny. And this one sounds funny, despite dead bodies. Have you read Carl Haaisen?

    My go-to genre is non-fiction, especially history.

    www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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    Replies
    1. I have read Carl Haaisen - love the humor in his writing. :)

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  36. Replies
    1. Although Simon is very lazy. Maybe he'd nap instead of duking it out with Dewey.

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  37. My husband would throw out all my chocolate and junk food too, if he could. But I would just buy more. Unfortunately, the acid reflux is going to make me change my bad food habits before my husband gets the chance. Drat! Cough, cough.

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    1. I think my hubby would be scared to throw mine out :)

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  38. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog.
    I honestly don't know how I managed to complete and publish anything. I'm always distracted by something shiny and new. I work on multiple projects at a time. Sorry, I have no tips for helping to focus.
    I like the idea of Dewey Decimal. Whenever you get around to that story, I'm all in.
    Congrats on your upcoming release.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Simon the Time Traveling Cat vs. Dewey Decimal the Talking Chameleon - sounds like a possible educational children's series...

    I always have shiny new ideas. That's where the flash fiction comes in and helps lay the new idea to rest.
    P.S. I have no idea what a rutabaga is...

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    1. I had no idea that people wouldn't know what a rutabaga was! It's a root vegetable like a turnip.

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  40. Oh, I'd like to promote your book on my little blog. ~grin~ And that celebration looks delightful. Thanks for sharing photos. Be well!

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  41. I like the idea of coming up with ideas for books much better than the idea of writing them. Of course, you do both so well.

    I wonder what a chameleon would sound like? What kind of personality they would have? And I think it'd be fun to watch one change colors as they walked past the stacks in the library.

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    1. I think Dewey might sound like someone from the movie Fargo :)

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  42. Wow, Ellen! A second series. You are unbelievable. And, quite unpredictable. :-) I remain in awe of all the progress and achievements you keep racking up. Good luck with the release of Poisoned by the Pier. Your blurb is perfect! Did I ever tell you I had no idea what rutabagas were before reading your last cozy mystery? :-)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Michelle Wallace said the same thing in her comment about rutabagas. I hadn't realized it was a American (North American?) term. A bit of a worry as non-American readers might not get it.

      Glad you like the blurb - it's good to get beta reader views on whether it fits or not.

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    2. I’m pretty sure I mentioned this in my notes to you as well. :-) It sounds like an exciting vegetable and I had to look up what it was when beta reading. I thought you’d made it up at first.

      Delete

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