I was just browsing through a few of the alphabetical pages on the Cozy Mystery site, and was somewhat surprised at what I found. A few years ago, when I started the site, I (apparently!) didn’t add any information for some (as in “quite a few”) of the authors.
I cannot believe that the very popular Donna Andrews has this description: “One of her series involves a blacksmith theme (the Meg Lanslow series)…” OR >>> How about what I have listed for the wildly popular Mignon F. Ballard >>> “Her series features a guardian angel… Augusta Goodnight”… Hmmmm…..
Those “blurbs” are embarrassing to me! VERY embarrassing! What was I thinking about when I wrote those?!?!? Is that really the best I could do?!?
So, I have decided that I will slowly make my way through the mystery book authors’ alphabetical pages and try to remedy this problem of mine… I am going to try to update some of the authors whose descriptions are paltry. I will try to include something about the author’s “previous life”… other than the very obvious “I always wanted to be an author” type of information. Something that might give the prospective reader an inkling as to why the author ended up writing the types of books he/she does. Maybe a great gourmet is now writing a culinary mystery book theme series, or an ex-lawyer is writing a legal thriller series (à la John Grisham.)
This is not to say that I am going to change all of the “descriptions” of all of the authors. Take, for example, one of the blurbs that I would like to use as an example of what all of the blurbs should be: “Sharon Wildwind served as an army nurse in Vietnam and now writes a series featuring ‘Pepper’ Pepperhawk, a nurse returning from Vietnam.”
Ok, ok, I know I didn’t do a phenomenally great job with the above example, but it does provide a nice starting place for someone who is looking for a new mystery book author to read.
Petie says
Danna, I know I speak for alot of us when I say the website is absolutely wonderful the way it is – ‘blurps’ and all. I, for one, really haven’t noticed them but then I had my favorites and even found some new favorites thanks to you & your great site! Keep us the good work!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Petie…
We’ll see how much I get done… and how fast it’s done.
Thanks, again…
Anne says
I agree with that. I have a whole shelf full of books by authors that I had no idea existed until I found this site. So maybe the authors you skimped on were ones everyone should know anyway?? Just playing…well, sorta…Thanks for the work you do we appreciate it a lot.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I’ll go with your excuse, Anne>>> Certainly sounds good to me!
Dru says
This is my go-to site when I want to know more about cozy mysteries and/or check what other works are out there. I like your upcoming books post because it helps keep me on track.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Dru, I like keeping track of the new releases, also.
Sandra says
I don’t know what I would have done if I had not somehow discovered your site!!! I had gotten so frustrated not knowing how to keep track of new releases of my all time favs. Even more frustrating was the fact that it seemed like I didn’t know where to turn to find any new reading!!! I had tons of time on my hands since my permanent disability landed me in bed most of the time now…..but how to come up with new series to read???? You were my answer!! Thank you so much. I tell everyone about you!!! Don’t sweat any little mistakes YOU THINK you have made….I couldn’t have done 1% of the job you have!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Sandra >>> I’m sorry about you having to spend most of your time in bed, but it is a good thing that you are a reader! (I can’t imagine being a non-reader with your circumstances…)
Clare O'Donohue says
I’m so excited to find a blog like yours. I write, and read, cozy and it’s great to know that such a source exists for people to find authors like me, and for me to find new authors. Keep up the good work!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the site, Clare. I took a look at your website, and will be adding you to the site. Your Someday Quilts Mystery Series looks like it will fit right in!
linda says
Danna, Just wanted to reply to this old posting of yours. I love your forum. One of the may, many reasons is that when you list authors, you list their AKAs, too.
This is a good forum. Don’t worry about the miscues. These are minor!
I can remember awhile back in her blog, writer Earlene Fowler commented that she received a lot of complaints that one of her books had several grammatical errors. I read that book and I loved that book. I found not one error in that book, mainly because I love her books so much that I wasn’t looking for errors. I read her books for the story content, period!
Didn’t Abraham Lincoln say something about not being able to please all the people all the time? Well, in my lifetime I have found that some people just don’t want to be pleased!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, I am atrocious about finding errors in books. Sometimes the errors put me off so much, that I have to “regroup” for a few seconds… With an attitude like this, you would think my entries would always be devoid of errors… which they are not!!!