Blog Tour, Guest Post, & Giveaway for Running from Arrows by T.C. Wescott

 

WRITING A COZY SERIES

By T.C. Wescott

Are you thinking of writing your own cozy series? If so, you might enjoy these tips.

First of all, don’t spend a lot of money on ‘how to write’ books. They contradict each other and basically just allow you an excuse to put off your writing. Believe it or not, you already know 90% of what you need to know to write a novel. You’ve learned it from reading hundreds and hundreds of books across the course of your life. You instinctively know what works and what doesn’t, what’s bad and what’s good, and how each book and every chapter in it has to have a beginning, middle and end. The other 10% that you don’t know you’ll learn over time with the help of a good editor/proofreader!

Once you figure out what world you want your mysteries to take place in and you create a core group of continuing characters, you’re on your way. For Running from Scissors and Running from Arrows (the two extant books in my Running Store Mystery series), I decided from the beginning to approach it as a trilogy. This would allow me to have a continuing story arc across three books – beginning, middle and end. I have three main characters in the series, which is told first-person by the character of Lacy Purdy. I crafted her as sort of an everywoman and then put quirky and more unique personalities surrounding her. The reader, in essence, is Lacy. In the first book, Running from Scissors, Lacy is single as is her best friend Stax, a mouthy bookseller. In the second book, Running from Arrows, Lacy has a secret admirer (the prospect of love) and Stax has a boyfriend she met in the time between the two books. The third primary character, Ruby, is an elderly widow with an uncanny ability to sift mysteries. Even she has a romantic moment occur involving her long-deceased husband. I won’t say how these romantic arcs will work out in the third book, but I already had these stories in mind when I started writing the series. 

Knowing where I wanted their person story arcs to go took a lot of weight off my shoulders creatively and also gave me a framework to build on. Basically, before I even started outlining the second book, I knew where the personal stories were going to go and was able to focus on constructing the mysteries that occur around them. I haven’t started writing the third book yet, but by knowing the personal arcs in advance, I essentially have 30% to 50% of the book outlined in my mind and already possess a framework within which I’ll use to construct my mysteries. Such self-imposed boundaries are quite helpful for an author, believe it or not. It’s like being a filmmaker and having a limited budget with which to make your film—it forces creativity. 

Once the third book in the series is published, I plan to also create a kindle edition ‘box set’ of all three books that will stand alone even if I choose to write more books in the series. The same goes for the audiobook editions. The trilogy will likely sell better than the individual audiobooks because the listener will get more bang for their buck. Because the books were conceived as a trilogy, it will be more satisfying for the listener seeing the story arcs reach a satisfying conclusion while being treated to three disparate murder mystery stories. 

When you have three books out, focus your marketing efforts on the first (i.e. discount prices, BookBub deals, Amazon ads, etc.) and the readers who like the book will happily purchase the other two at full price, allowing you to profit from the marketing. Just because you would write without getting paid doesn’t mean you have to!

About the Book

 

Running from Arrows (A Running Store Mystery)  

Cozy Mystery/Romance/Humor 2nd in Series  

Better Mousetrap Books (January 7, 2019)  

Print Length: 192 pages 

Digital ASIN: B07KDYFYKB 

 

One of Lacy's beaus has a bow. Unlike Cupid, his arrows kill. There's more than romance in the air this Valentine's Day!

Running from Arrows is the fun, twist-filled, romantic cozy mystery romp you've been waiting for!

Valentine's Day is coming up and Lacy is single. If that's not bad enough, she has a secret admirer. Is it the compassionate, haunted detective, the ruggedly handsome businessman, the suave maître de, the guy in her running group who likes to stare, or maybe someone who's not on her radar? She'll find out soon enough because he's invited her to dinner. Now the question isn't how long Lacy will remain single but how long she'll remain alive.

During the Sweetheart Run through the town of Cedar Mill a fellow runner is murdered and a notorious burglar called the Black Cat is found dead with an arrow sticking out of him. Somehow these strange murders are connected to the ladies of Run For It - Lacy the divorcee, Stax the quirky bookseller, and Ruby the old-time mystery novelist. They're back in a race against time to catch an invisible killer and exonerate an innocent man!

If you love a delicious mystery dripping with romance, humor, and chills - and a Valentine's Day dinner no reader will ever forget - then buy Running from Arrows now and run it right to the top of your TBR pile!

You'll want to tell all your friends about Running from Arrows, but whatever you do, DON'T TELL THE SECRET OF THE SECRET ADMIRER.

Running from Arrows is part two in a series but can be read as a stand-alone.

About the Author

T.C. Wescott was born in Missouri but has lived in Oklahoma most of his life. Like pretty much every author who has ever breathed, he is an avid reader. His favorites are classic mysteries from the Golden Age, as well as just before or just after that period (which is widely considered the period between the two World Wars). His first mystery novel, Running from Scissors, was published in July 2018 and will be the first of at least three books in the Running Store Mystery series.

The Christmas Village Mystery series was launched in November with the debut title Slay Bells. The formula for his books is simple – mixing the classic, traditional detective fiction standards with all the trappings of the modern cozy mystery.

Wescott is also (under another name) the author of two award-winning non-fiction books as well as a slew of essays and articles.

• BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/t-c-wescott
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BetterMousetrapBooks/
• Website: tcwescott.com
• Twitter: @MousetrapBooks
• GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18176277.T_C_Wescott

Purchase Link – Amazon 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS  

February 6 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW  
February 6 – Mythical Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW  
February 7 – MJB Reviewers - AUTHOR INTERVIEW  
February 8 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER INTERVIEW  
February 9 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW  
February 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT  
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February 15 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT  
February 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT  
February 17 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST  
February 18 – Here's How It Happened – REVIEW  
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