Kristina Stanley's Back With a New Novel!

It’s my very great pleasure to welcome back mystery writer Kristina Stanley. Kristina has just released her third installment in her Stone Mountain Mystery series, and today she’s talking about writing a third book in a series.

For those who missed her first appearance, here’s a little bit about Kristina:

Kristina Stanley is the best-selling author of the Stone Mountain Mystery Series. Her first two novels garnered the attention of prestigious crime writing organizations in Canada and England. Crime Writers of Canada nominated DESCENT for the Unhanged Arthur award. The Crime Writers’ Association nominated BLAZE for the Debut Dagger. Her short stories have been published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and The Voices From the Valleys anthology. She is also the author of THE AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO SELLING BOOKS TO NON-BOOKSTORES.

Before writing her series, Kristina was the director of security, human resources and guest services at a resort in the depths of the British Columbian mountains. The job and lifestyle captured her heart, and she decided to write mysteries about life in an isolated resort. While writing the first four novels, she spent five years living aboard a sailboat in the US and the Bahamas.

Find out more about her at www.KristinaStanley.com.

Now, in Kristina’s words,

Thank you, Debra, for having me on your blog today. It’s an honor to be here and share your space.

Writing The Third Book In A Series by Kristina Stanley

An avalanche buries a man. The pressure from the snow is so great he can’t wiggle his toes inside his ski boots. His own breath will slowly kill him as his oxygen transforms into carbon dioxide. The deeper he breaths, the faster he will die.

Each novel in the Stone Mountain Mystery series starts with an inciting incident. DESCENT opens with a skier crashing while he’s race training at Stone Mountain Resort. BLAZE starts with Stone Mountain on fire. AVALANCHE begins with a man buried by an avalanche.

All three openings leave the readers asking if the incident is a crime – and it must be because I write murder mysteries – and leave the reader with an open question.

DESCENT: Is the skier dead?

BLAZE: Will Kalin find Chica (her dog) who is lost in the forest fire?

AVALANCHE: Will Roy be rescued before his air runs out?

These are not the main plot questions. They are questions about the inciting incident, which will lead to the main plot. I’ve been consistent with my opening structures, so a reader knows what to expect when s/he picks up a Stone Mountain Mystery.

While writing a series, you must consider your readers. If a reader has moved on to read book two in the series, that is a huge compliment. So you don’t want to disappoint the reader by changing the style or voice you write in. With a stand-alone novel, an author has the luxury of choosing any point of view, any voice, or any tense that best fits the story. With a series, you must be consistent in these areas or you might lose a reader.

By the third book in a series, the reader will be familiar with your style and be looking forward to the adventure you’ve created for them. I write the Stone Mountain Mysteries in close third person point of view with multiple point of view characters. It wouldn’t be enjoyable for a reader if I changed this for the 4^th book.

The Stone Mountain Mystery series, started out as a stand-alone novel, which then turned into a trilogy, and now that I’m 20,000 words into the 4^th Stone Mountain Mystery, it’s become a series.

When you start writing that first novel, keep in mind it may become more. Characters and settings have a way of intruding on your life and taking over.

A Little About AVALANCHE (Released June 25^th, 2016)

On a cold winter morning, the safe at Stone Mountain Resort is robbed, and Kalin Thompson’s brother, Roy, suspiciously disappears. As Director of Security, Kalin would normally lead the investigation, but when her brother becomes the prime suspect, she is ordered to stay clear.

The police and the president of the resort turn their sights on Kalin, who risks everything to covertly attempt to clear Roy’s name. As threats against her escalate, she moves closer to uncovering the guilty party. Is Kalin’s faith in her brother justified? Or will the truth destroy her?

Links to the Stone Mountain Mystery Series:

DESCENT: myBook.to/Descent

BLAZE: myBook.to/BlazebyKristinaStanley

AVALANCHE: myBook.to/Avalanche (on sale for a few more days only.)

Welcome Guest Blogger: Kristina Stanley

I’m delighted to have mystery author Kristina Stanley guesting again this week. Kristina’s doing something amazing by launching her second full-length mystery, BLAZE, just three months after DESCENT was released. She’ll also be hosting a Facebook launch book party (the link’s at the end  of her blog). Kristina’s written an excellent piece called “Launching a Novel”. Enjoy!

Somehow I thought once I had a novel published the stress would disappear. To use a cliché, the joke is on me.

BLAZE will be released one week from today, and I can tell you releasing a second novel is more nerve wracking than releasing the first one. For the first release, I wonder if people were nice to me because DESCENT was my debut novel. Now, am I expected to be good at book launching? This thought is what is stressing me out. So deal with it, right?  

My way reduce stress is to be organized, and since I’ve organized my thoughts, I’ll share and maybe I can help someone out there with their launch.

Here are the steps that led to launching DESCENT and BLAZE:

1. Sign with Imajin Books (http://www.ImajinBooks.com )
2. Submit full manuscript to editor (editor and I both did 3 passes at novel)
3. Send ARC to authors for a blurb to go on inside and outside cover
4. Cover designed and agreed to by all
5. Early praise received on ARC added to cover
6. Write dedication, acknowledgements and letter to reader for inclusion on inside of book.
7. Imajin Books sends edited manuscript to proofreader
8. Imajin Books publishes novel, and I sit back and relax (ha ha).

Basic Launch and Post – Launch Process:

1. Find places to guest blog and write a unique post for each site.
2. Create author page on Amazon (or update for second book).
3. Create a Facebook Launch party. Find authors who are willing to donate books for giveaways, advertise the event, and host the event.
4. Send copies of novel to reviewers. This needs to be done early.
5. Blog on my site 5 times a week. I used to blog twice a week.
6. Comment and follow other blogs about writing, reviewing, and publishing.
7. Participate in other Facebook launch parties and donate my novel as a gift.
8. Promote other authors’ books and book launches.
9. Promote novel on blog, Pinterest, Google+, Goodreads, Facebook (both personal and author site), LinkedIn, Twitter, online magazines, AuthorsDen, and Tumbler.
10. This may be obvious, but say thanks every time someone helps me in the smallest way.
11. I don't have an email list, but I probably should. This will be what I add next to my process.

 The journey of publishing is one big learning curve. So here is what I’ve learned so far:

• It’s easier to sell books than to get reviews.
• Other authors’ Facebook parties are a great way to increase visibility.
• Not everyone will like your marketing methods and negative feedback is never fun.
• I enjoy blogging and connecting with others online as much as I enjoy writing.
• There are many generous people willing to help.
• When Facebook friends shared they bought DESCENT others bought DESCENT too. This word of mouth concept really works.
• Promoting others widened my network.
• Marketing is hard work.

 In the spirit of launching books, my Facebook launch party for BLAZE (https://www.facebook.com/events/1630121803934943/) is next Sunday, October 25th from 4 to 6 PM EST. I would love to see you there.

For added Facebook excitement, Debra will be giving away a copy of DEAD MAN FLOATING at the BLAZE Facebook launch party. If you’re not familiar with a launch party, drop on by and chat with authors, maybe win a book, and socialize online. I’ve met some fun online friends this way.

Kristina’s Bio:

Kristina Stanley is the author of the Stone Mountain Mystery Series. Her books have garnered the attention of prestigious crime writing organizations in Canada and England. Crime Writers of Canada nominated DESCENT for the Unhanged Arthur award. The Crime Writers’ Association nominated BLAZE for the Debut Dagger. She is published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

Before writing her series, Kristina was the director of security, human resources and guest services at a resort in the depths of the British Columbian mountains. The job and lifestyle captured her heart, and she decided to write mysteries about life in an isolated resort. While writing the first four novels, she spent five years living aboard a sailboat in the US and the Bahamas.

BLAZE:

Instead of exchanging vows, Kalin Thompson spends her wedding day running from a forest fire near Stone Mountain Resort, and the pregnant friend trapped with her has just gone into labor. Meanwhile, Kalin’s fiancé, Ben Timlin, hangs from the rafters of a burning building, fighting for his life. Can the situation get any hotter?

When the fire is declared as arson, finding the firebug responsible becomes Kalin’s personal mission. In the course of her investigation as Director of Security, she discovers that some people will go to extreme measures to keep her from exposing their secrets.

DESCENT:

When Kalin Thompson is promoted to Director of Security at Stone Mountain Resort, she soon becomes entangled in the high-profile murder investigation of an up-and-coming Olympic-caliber skier. There are more suspects with motives than there are gates on the super-G course, and danger mounts with every turn.

Kalin’s boss orders her to investigate. Her boyfriend wants her to stay safe and let the cops do their job. Torn between loyalty to friends and professional duty, Kalin must look within her isolated community to unearth the killer’s identity.

I love to connect with people online. I can be found at: 

www.KristinaStanley.com

Follow me on twitter, let me know you read this blog and I’ll follow you back. @StanleyKMS

Or comment on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KristinaStanley.Author

If you're looking for something to read and you haven’t read DESCENT yet, now is your chance before BLAZE comes out. Find it at:  http://mybook.to/Descent

And if you have read DESCENT, I’d be very excited if you pre-ordered BLAZE http://myBook.to/BLAZEbyKristinaStanley

Thank you, Debra, for hosting me.