So Long, Santa Baby

On December 22nd of 2008, my guest post, Santa Baby for Writers, appeared here at The Muffin. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, y’all! And gosh, it’s been quite a journey since. 

Fifteen years ago, my byline was Cathy Hall. Within a year, I’d add the middle initial to differentiate me from all the freelance writers (and general population) of Cathy Halls out there. And now, as an author of cozy mysteries, I use Catherine C. Hall. (Honestly, it still throws me to see an email with a Dear Catherine.) 

Fifteen years ago, I had one blog, all about me and my freelance writing, at Cathy C.’s Hall of Fame—and it’s there now, on Blogger, though it only exists as a landing page, sending people to my current spot on the web. But that wasn't until 2013. Somewhere in between, I started a Wordpress blog where I promoted my children’s writing. After five years, I streamlined, exporting ALL my posts from both blogs to a Wordpress website. Yep, Cathy C. Hall Writes, where you’ll find an awful lot of fun writing stuff. Like Tooting My Own Horn Tuesdays, What Not To Do Wednesdays, Finding Something Fridays…Ah, good times. 

Fifteen years ago, I had a separate website at Cathy C. Hall, with my bio and a list of writing credits. And it still really annoys me that someone bought my domain within a few days of letting it drop while I sorted out the move to the new website. And then, this year, when exploring domains for the brand-spanking new website (where Cathy C. Hall was once again available!), I didn’t jump on it immediately and some BOT bought it. 

But if you’ve been reading The Muffin all these years, you know these stories. You’ve read about my techno difficulties, my umpteen rejections, and so many “What Not To Do’s” (where I learned lessons the hard way) that I could fill a book. But you also know the value of persevering, of picking oneself up and try, try, trying again. I’ve shared plenty of my Tooting My Own Horn stories, as well as other writers’ success stories. Which brings us back to Santa Baby. 

Fifteen years ago, I asked for all that a writer could possibly want…contracts, a book of my very own, an agent, and an angel editor, plus a stocking full of web promotion. Oh! And a ring—on the phone—from Oprah. 

I did get contracts through the years; I even snagged an agent. But when I wrote an adult cozy mystery, I said so long to Santa Baby. I found my own editor, and I didn’t ask Santa (or an agent) to believe in me; I believed in myself enough to publish a book of my very own. Thanks to WOW!, I found my sparkly web promotion. Well, you’ve heard all those stories, too. 

And now it’s time for me to finish the next story, the one where I write, write, write and get another book done in The Ladies of SPI series. So I’ll be stepping back from The Muffin—though if Oprah gives me a ring, you’ll be the first to know!—but truly, there’s nothing more I can tell you that you don’t already know, friends. 

Just keep writing—and thanks for reading my writing for the last fifteen years. ♥

~Cathy Hall

  Cathy C. Hall

  Catherine C. Hall

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8 comments Agents, blogger, Catherine C. Hall, Cathy C. Hall, Editors, Oprah, the muffin, Wordpress, writing advice

All I Want for Christmas Is...Reviews!

A friend sent a page from her 2022 Page-A-Day calendar since we’d been talking about my book and reviews. I laughed out loud, because this, I imagine, is what the typical reader thinks an author expects:

When in reality, most authors would be just as happy to have a review like this: 

Now, I do have a respectable number of reviews for my debut cozy mystery, Secrets Laid to Rest, and I appreciate each and every one of them! But compared to the number of books sold, well…that’s another story. 

So who are the people who leave reviews for an indie author like me? 

Regular reviewers, whether they consider themselves professional or hobbyists, can provide quite detailed and well-written reviews. If you’re looking for reviewers, research your genre. Many reviewers just love to read, and getting free books is payment enough for them. 

Or consider a promotional book tour like we have here at WOW!Women-on-Writing. It’s a great way to not only get reviews but also build followers and get a book noticed out into the wide web world. (And it pays to remember those followers when one needs a review for upcoming books. How do you recruit them? That’s what social media and newsletters are for, y’all.) 

Writer/author friends make great reviewers! These reviews often read like a blurb from the back of the book. I’ve certainly written my fair share of reviews for my author/writer friends and I try to think in terms of attracting a new reader. I tend to keep reviews pithy; a few sentences, a handful of stars, and if a book is on Goodreads, I’ll post there and on Amazon. So if you’re a writer, join your pro organizations, make friends. Support your buddies and they’ll often do the same for you. 

Lovely readers—perhaps your friends, your family, your co-workers who didn’t even know you were a writer—make up the rest of the folks who might leave a review. The above review, with the “so far, so good” remark came from family. Honestly, I love that he took the time to leave a note when he received that Amazon email asking what he thought of Secrets Laid to Rest. He’d only read a few pages of the book but he figured he should say something. (More importantly, he left stars. Yay!) 

Keep in mind that it’s intimidating for non-writers to leave a review. They may tell you all day long how much they love your book but writing anything puts them on the spot. (And maybe they’re not even sure how to go about it!) 

Bottom line is that regular reviewers—unless they’re compensated—may not get around to your book. Your author friends have great intentions but busy lives; they, too, may not have time to write a review. And all those lovely readers might buy a dozen books from you but please don’t ask them to write a review! So what’s an author to do when all she wants for Christmas is reviews of her book? 

Just keep asking, y'all. (And it wouldn’t hurt to ask Santa, too.)

~Cathy C. Hall

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8 comments Amazon, book reviews, Catherine C. Hall, Cathy C. Hall, goodreads, indie publishing, Secrets Laid to Rest

Judging a Book By Its Cover

When I was a little girl, I put a lot of stock into the saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Though not so much with actual books; in my day, hardbound books were solid colors with those plastic covers that were always annoyingly falling off the book. 

But when it came to the spirit of the saying—that it’s what’s on the inside that matters—I was all in. As a quiet kid outside the home, I sincerely hoped that people would see beyond my shyness to the brilliant and flashy girl on the inside. 

And so it’s a little bit funny now that, as a self-published author, I’m singing a different tune. Namely, that the book cover matters. Quite a lot, actually. 

Oh, not if you’re a profitable author. I was reading Louise Penny’s The Madness of Crowds when I did my book cover research. It has an artsy, geometric design on the cover, and I remember thinking that I’d have no idea what the book was about, based on the cover. But it’s not the cover selling the book. It’s Louise Penny and Inspector Gamache. 

Catherine C. Hall might initially get readers from friends and family. But to attract readers who don’t know her from Adam’s house cat? That was going to start with the cover, a point made clear to me recently when I heard from my local library system. 

My library system serves one of the largest and most populated metro Atlanta counties; Lord only knows how many books—hardbound, digital, and audio—are in the system. When it comes to those of us outside the trade publishers—regional or indie published authors—it’s not easy to get a book on the shelves. But it is possible. One fills out the form and waits. 

So I filled out the form, dropped off a copy of Secrets Laid to Rest, and crossed my fingers. About a week later, I received an email, inviting me to give an Author Talk at one of our libraries. Not till March, but still, I was pretty darn excited! 

Just this week, the staffer called. We touched on timing, how I had wanted to release the book last fall but the cover took way longer than I planned. And she said, “Oh! It’s a great cover. I noticed it immediately.” 

She happened to be in the office of the staffer who gets the proposals and my book was on the desk. The cover caught her eye. I joked that it was worth it then, ‘cause that cover was a whole thing! 

“We get a lot of books here,” she added. “But few of them look as professional as yours.” 

Simply based on the cover, she had judged Secrets Laid to Rest to be professionally produced, a lesson to learn if you’re self-publishing. But I still think it’s important to look beyond the outside to what’s inside. So make sure the content of your book is as brilliant (and flashy!) as your cover!

~Cathy C. Hall

Author, Secrets Laid to Rest

A Ladies of SPI Southern Cozy Mystery

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8 comments book cover design, Catherine C. Hall, Cathy C. Hall, marketing, Secrets Laid to Rest, self-publishing

Ten Things I've Learned About Publishing a Book

1. Everything takes longer than planned. (You would assume by now that I’d just plan on an hour to get something done, but no, that would be learning from past experience. Apparently, I continue to cling to the hope that whatever it is, I can finish in twenty minutes.) 

2. A Technology Glitch will occur at the worst moment. (Which may or may not have some bearing on anything taking at least an hour to complete.) 

3. It is possible to find any answer to any problem. (The trick is figuring out exactly how to phrase the problem. Specificity is the key! And um… perhaps swallowing pride and checking before wasting that hour in the first place.) 

4. Comparison is good, up to a point. (Comparing book covers to determine likes and dislikes in cover design turned out to be a smart move. But constantly comparing rankings, sales, followers or any statistic in which one might compare unfavorably, is not so smart, and steals all the good vibes. As a smart Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”) 

5. Investing in the product is money well spent. (Using professionals for the book cover and editing, plus buying a pro formatting program, definitely paid off in a superior product. The self-publishing market is jam-packed, especially with AI now pushing out books in a matter of hours, but it’s obvious, even to the casual eye, the books that have been thoughtfully and professionally designed and produced.) 

6. Marketing is harder than it looks. (Harder in a gosh-there’s-a-LOT-to-do kind of way and just when one thinks one might have covered all the marketing bases, oops! Something else pokes its head up, like those moles in Whack-a-Mole. Which brings us back to #1 on the list.) 

7. Friends and family can be surprisingly supportive. (It’s remarkably humbling when people support you so much that they’ll buy your book even if they have no idea what a cozy mystery is. Or if they’re not really readers. Or if they haven’t seen you in years or honestly, didn’t even know you’d been writing for years.) 

8. Never underestimate old-fashioned word-of-mouth. (It only takes one or two friends talking about the book in a group to start the ball rolling, so to speak. Before long, everyone in the group wants to be part of the excitement. It’s the FOMO--Fear of Missing Out—phenomenon at work. And it’s something to see! 

9. Reviews are a tough sell. (All kinds of folks will buy and actually read a book and rave about it—but find it intimidating to write a review. No matter how much you explain that giving stars is enough or writing a few sentences is fine, some folks just will not write a review. And then one must remember why one published the book in the first place.) 

10. Publishing a book is amazing! (And fingers crossed, you’ll remember everything you learned before you publish the next book!)

~Cathy C. Hall

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3 comments book publishing, Catherine C. Hall, Cathy C. Hall, e-book publishing, Secrets Laid to Rest

Secrets Laid to Rest by Catherine C. Hall: Blog Tour & Giveaway

At WOW, we are beyond excited to announce the latest blog tour. It's featuring a book published by one of our very own! Catherine C. Hall (or Cathy, as many of you will recognize from blog posts!) has just released her cozy mystery novel Secrets Laid to Rest. This book is perfect for the reader who loves a spirited paranormal mystery with a golden girls touch of fun and of heart full of southern charm (and pie).

You will have the chance to find out more about her book and writing process in our interview together. You'll also get to enter to win a copy of the book too. 

But first, here's more about Secrets Laid to Rest:

Fall is in the air, the scent of autumn leaves, apple pies, and a brand new business is opening its doors in small-town Sutter, Georgia!

But not just any business. It’s the Golden Girls meet the Ghostbusters when four women find themselves in an unlikely career: Southeastern Paranormal Investigations. Ree Lane, a stylish widow, is more cynic than true believer, while her childhood chum Elle Harper has a knack for getting sensitive info with the help of her homemade pies. The preacher’s wife, Betsy Jones, can’t be seen with SPI unless she’s in her disguise as Nora, a psychic-in-training with a gift for Tarot. And the recently-returned-home Gillian Buchanan is a whiz at technology, especially of the supernatural sort.

Their first case lands on the doorstep when neighbor Doris Tucker is sure her prized vintage dolls are haunted. But there’s hardly time for ghost-hunting when the bank director’s wife mistakes SPI for a private eye venture. Now they’re also hot on the trail of a misbehaving husband. It’s a wild ride as the sixty-something sleuths start digging into the past. But have the Ladies of SPI gone too far? And how far will Sutter go to keep its secrets dead and buried?

ISBN-13: 979-8987214206

ASIN: B0CJLKZ7JQ

Print Length: 276 pages

You can purchase a copy of the book in print and as an ebook on Amazon. Make sure you add it to your GoodReads reading list as well!

About the Author, Catherine C. Hall

There’s a great song, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” made popular by Johnny Cash (and a couple commercials). If you put the song in Georgia, it would be about Catherine C. Hall, starting when she moved to the Peach State at eight-years-old.

She grew up in Savannah, Georgia, where you can’t throw a stick without hitting a ghost. Even when she was a little girl, Savannah was known for its haunted history and she was hooked!

Broadcast Journalism hooked her as well, so she studied at Valdosta State University way down in South Georgia where it is the heat and the humidity. She worked in a few radio stations but it was WNEX Radio in Macon that turned out to be life-changing. She met a cute deejay from Sandersville, Georgia, and married him a year later.

They moved above the Gnat Line (Oh, it’s real) to the Atlanta area, where they grew their family to two boys and a girl, and she took a turn in the teaching world. And then whoosh! She met the half-century mark wondering what to do? Maybe it was the merlot talking but after years of reading mysteries, Catherine thought it was high time she write one. And she did; it was awful. (And way too short. Who knew readers expected 70, 000 words?)

So she learned her craft, starting with flash fiction, then moving on to short fiction, where she won a few awards. She wrote essays that ended up in books like Chicken Soup for the Soul. She penned assorted humor columns and continued to freelance. And then one day, she wrote another story that wasn’t exactly novel-length but it wasn’t a short story, either. It was a children’s book.

She joined SCBWI, the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and had a wonderful career in children’s writing, including publishing six books. But in the midst of her last two book contracts, life changed unexpectedly when Catherine’s favorite deejay up and died.

When at last she wanted to write again, she heard four women of a certain age, each seeking purpose and joy in where they found themselves. Which for them was a small town in Georgia called Sutter. For Catherine, it was at home, still in the Atlanta suburbs, revisiting the ghost stories of her youth, and finally getting that mystery written. All 70,000 words of it!

You can find Catherine online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Catherine-C-Hall-Cozy-Mystery-Writer/61551890907288/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathychall/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cathyhall55/

Website (Psst! Sign up for Cathy’s Spirited Newsletter and get in on secret giveaways!): https://catherine-c-hall.com/

--- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: Congratulations on your book, Secrets Laid to Rest! I am so intrigued about what inspired you to write this novel, based on the little I've heard. Can you tell me more about that inspiration?

Catherine: Thanks so much, Nicole, it’s truly been a lot of fun writing it. As for inspiration, I’ll give you the shorter version or we’ll be here all day!

I do have a somewhat dark sense of humor when it comes to Mister Man up and dying on me, but the truth is, I wouldn’t have written this book if he were still here. Becoming a widow (Lord, it took a long time for me to speak that word out loud!) stole my joy. I wrote—or tried to work on my children’s novels—but I just couldn’t get my groove back. And then I started writing a novel about a woman whose husband had died; I filled up page after page in my marbled composition book and boy, it was intense and dark! It wasn’t a book I wanted to continue writing but it was cathartic. And funnily enough, I eventually had a character that I loved. Then the world shut down and I watched A LOT of sitcoms to keep up my spirits.

By the time the world opened up again, I had an idea about a widow (who became Ree Lane) and her Golden Girl friends. As for plopping them down in a small Southern town, that’s pretty much my backyard, and the paranormal element? I’ve been researching and writing spooky stuff for years. Secrets Laid to Rest practically wrote itself!

WOW: What an experience you had, and I'm so sorry for your loss. It's incredible the transformation that occurred afterward. What kind of challenges did you overcome, if any, when transitioning from writing children's books to cozy mysteries?

Catherine: The biggest challenge I faced switching from middle grade writing to adult mystery wasn’t so bad, as challenges go. Mostly, I needed to reacquaint myself with the target audience; I had to start reading adult fiction! I So I went back to my roots—adult mysteries—to see what was going on in that genre now. I didn’t intend to write a cozy mystery but the more I read, the more I could see where my style and voice fell.

WOW: Good idea on re-reading adult fiction again! So, I love the cover. It evokes the whole ambiance of the book. Were you involved in its design?

Catherine: Oh, thank you, Nicole, but that cover! I’m sure my hairdresser had to add extra color to cover all the new gray that came with that part of the project! But I can’t stress enough that all the time and energy that went into a.) finding who I wanted to make the cover and b.) working with the designer to make the cover (mostly) match the vision I had, were totally worth the madness. So yes, I knew I wanted elements that were representational of each of The Ladies of SPI as well as of the story. (I wanted boots for Ree but I could not get that element to work the way I wanted so finally tossed it). I knew the style I liked—I spent so much time looking at cozy mystery book covers!—and what I didn’t like. I also had to think about the book being the first in a series and how I’d go forward. There was a lot of back and forth with the cover and I’m sure the designer wished I hadn’t been so involved!

WOW: What a process! You decided to go the route of self-publishing. Why is that?

Catherine: I knew from day one that I’d self-publish. I’d done children’s books on contract so I was very familiar with the demands of deadlines and timelines; I wanted to work on my schedule. And I also knew the process of finding an agent and/or submitting to publishers who are open could be time-consuming. In the last couple years, I’ve felt time passing so quickly! So basically it boiled down to this: Life is short, I wanted this book out in the world—and I didn’t want to wait on anybody but me! (Well, there was the book cover designer…ha!)

WOW: How amazing! What does your writing space look like?

Catherine: Not only would I not have a book if Mister Man were still around, I wouldn’t have a great office, either! It took a minute for me to get used to writing at his desk, sitting in his chair…but little by little, I re-created the space to make it my own. I filled the bookshelves with my collection of writing craft books and the books I’m published in as well as my children’s books and now, Secrets Laid to Rest. But I also have Dave’s shelf, with all his “favorite things.” All of his music shares space with my music, and goodness, I’m still using up his office supplies (that man loved his office supplies)! And call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure he hangs out in here sometimes, keeping an eye on things. But mostly, keeping an eye on me—and I’m happy to have him!

WOW: That's so awesome you have a space of your own! What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

Catherine: Happy to tell you that I’m working on the second book in The Ladies of SPI Mysteries!

Our Sutter sleuths are ready to enjoy the holidays but a young neighbor has a noisy ghost taking all the joy out of her inheritance. In Secrets of Cole House, the Ladies of SPI are hard at work, trying to oust a stubborn spirit. But is there more to this haunting than meets the eye? (Pssst! I can guarantee they’ll be Spirits, Secrets, and of course, Pie! And if you sign up for the Spirited Newsletter at my website, you’ll be the first to know when the second book releases, not to mention the secret giveaways. Sign up today so you don’t miss any of the fun!)  

WOW: How fun! I hope everyone signs up. Congrats again on your book and best of luck on the tour!

--- Blog Tour Calendar

October 13th @ The Muffin

Join us as we celebrate the launch of Secrets Laid to Rest by Catherine C. Hall. Read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book for yourself.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

October 13th @ Just Katherine

Join Katherine today as she shares an excerpt from Secrets Laid to Rest by Catherine C. Hall.

https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com

October 15th @ Book Divas Reads

Join Vivian for a spotlight of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://thebookdivasreads.com/

October 20th @ The Forgotten Books

Join Heather as she features a review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://www.instagram.com/The_forgotten_books_/

October 20th @ Author Anthony Avina's blog

Join Anthony for his review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/category/blog-tours/

October 21st @ A Storybook World

Visit Deirdra's blog for her spotlight of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://www.astorybookworld.com/

October 25th @ Candid Canine

Join Chris for a review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://candidcanine.blogspot.com

October 26th @ The Faerie Review

Visit Lily's blog for her review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://www.thefaeriereview.com/

October 27th @ Musings of a Literary Wanderer

Join Angela as she reviews Secrets Laid to Rest by Catherine C. Hall. She shares an excerpt of the book as well!

http://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/

October 30th @ Finished Pages

Join Renee as she reviews Secrets Laid to Rest by Catherine C. Hall.

https://finishedpages.com/

November 1st @ Chapter Break

Don't miss a guest post by Catherine C. Hall about how to develop a cast of characters over at Julie's blog today. She also reviews Catherine's book Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://chapterbreak.net/

November 2nd @ One Writer's Journey

Join Sue for her review of Secrets Laid to Rest by Catherine C. Hall.

https://suebe.wordpress.com/

November 4th @ A Wonderful World of Books

Visit Joy's blog for her review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

November 6th @ Lisa Haselton's Reviews & Interviews

Visit Lisa's blog for her interview with Catherine C. Hall.

https://lisahaselton.com/blog/

November 7th @ Pick a Good Book

Join Debbie over her blog for a review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://instagram.com/pickagoodbook

November 8th @ A Lit Life

Join Stephanie for a guest post by Catherine C. Hall about the cozy mystery food connection.

https://www.alitlife.com/

November 9th @ Deborah-Zenha Adams' blog

Join Deborah as she features a guest post by Catherine C. Hall about why it's never too late to achieve your dreams.

http://www.deborah-adams.com/blog/

November 9th @ Knotty Needle

Visit Judy's blog for her review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/

November 10th @ StoreyBook Reviews

Visit Leslie's blog for a review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://storeybookreviews.com/

November 12th @ Jill Sheets' blog

Visit Jill's blog for an interview with author, Catherine C. Hall.

http://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

November 13th @ Word Magic

Join Fiona's blog for a guest post by Catherine C. Hall about what's a nice catholic like her writing paranormal like this.

https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

November 15th @ Jamie Wong

Visit Jamie's blog for her review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://lifeaccordingtojamie.com/

November 16th @ A Lit Life

Visit Stephanie's blog for her review of Secrets Laid to Rest.

https://www.alitlife.com/

November 17th @ Just Katherine

Visit Katherine's blog again as she shares a guest post by Catherine C. Hall about why you need an editor and how to find one you can afford.

https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com

November 17th @ Live, Love, and Laugh for a Healthy Lifestyle

Nicole shares her thoughts about Secrets Laid to Rest by Catherine C. Hall.

https://liveloveandlaughforahealthylifestyle.wordpress.com/

***** $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD & BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the cozy mystery, Secrets Laid to Rest by Catherine C. Hall! Fill out the Rafflecopter form by October 26th 11:59 pm CT for a chance to win. We will choose a winner randomly the next day and announce in the Rafflecopter form. We will also follow up by email. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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36 comments Catherine C. Hall, Cathy C. Hall, cozy mystery, paranormal investigators, Secrets Laid to Rest