Tag Archives: Secrets and Lies

Novel Research: the fun and the strange

“What’s the strangest tidbit you discovered in researching your novel?”

That’s a question I like to ask other writers in interviews. Or, “what’s the most interesting thing you learned,” or “what was the most fun to research?”

Today I’m asking myself those questions. Writing suspense novels means most of what I research is unpleasant. Sometimes I even wonder if someone in a uniform will show up at my door to take away my laptop. I try to get the difficult topics out of the way first, so I can reward myself with the lighter things.

So… here’s what I’d call the most fun… and the strangest:

Heaven’s Prey: most fun: definitely the racing. In the name of research, I attended the movie Kart Racer, about a boy learning to race competive go-karts. Much later in the process, I discovered a slew of online videos on driving tips and engine sounds.

Secrets and Lies: most fun: spending a day with my husband, visiting the Centre Island Park where Carol and Joey picnicked in the novel.

Paddleboard and sailboat as seen from Toronto's Island park.

Carol and Joey may have seen views like this.

Without Proof: strangest: causes of small plane crashes. In all seriousness, plane crashes are not funny. People get hurt or killed, costly damage happens. But setting the tragedy aside momentarily, some of the circumstances of these accidents are highly amusing. My favourite, I think, is the crocodile incident as described below:

A passenger brought aboard a crocodile hidden in a sports bag. The crocodile escaped, causing a panic among passengers who all rushed to one end of the plane. This caused an imbalance in the aircraft which led to loss of control and a crash.
[source: http://www.planecrashinfo.com/unusual.htm]

The article at the PlaneCrashInfo.com site is lengthy, but it’s an interesting history of unusual accidents from 1933 to 2010. Some are sabotage, others are stupidity. If you’re so inclined, there’s a lot more things to check out on the site.

What about my new series? The crime and health resources would give spoilers for the books, and they’ve been neither fun nor strange so far. One thing I’ve been looking at is dory photos, to find out what the boat looks like in front of the Green Dory Inn. (The boat’s not seaworthy, and the owner has turned it into a flower garden.)

Oh — and what I think may be the most fun research? I’d like to know what the best chocolate dessert is in the Town of Lunenburg, and where it’s available. Who says research can’t be hands-on?

Cocoa White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Each novel in my Redemption’s Edge series has a recipe that’s significant to one of the characters. In Secrets and Lies, Carol does a lot of baking, at the café where she works, at home, and even a private catering stint. Baking is one of her coping mechanisms, and if she can give away the results, it’s less for her to eat. These are similar to the cookies she dropped off at Joey’s radio station for him and his co-workers. Recipe: Cocoa White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (from Secrets and Lies, Redemption's Edge Book 2)

Ebook sale!

If you’ve been waiting to read my Redemption’s Edge novels or the Hot Apple Cider anthologies, now’s the time. KOBO has a worldwide half-price sale on select ebooks, including Heaven’s Prey, Secrets and Lies, Without Proof (preorder), and Hot Apple Cider with Cinnamon.

Not a Kobo reader? Did you know the Kobo reading app is free for your electronic devices? Plus, if you’ve never tried them, they’re also offering a $5 bonus!

See below for codes and dates:

Canada: October 28th – October 31st
Promo Code: CA50SALE

United States/Australia/New Zealand: October 27th – October 30th
Promo Code: GET50SALE

United Kingdom: October 30th – November 2nd
Promo Code: UK50SALE

Tell your friends, and happy shopping!

Flash Sale on Kobo Ebooks

Extra post this weekend… because I found out that my books are included in a half-price sale in the Kobo store! [Don’t have a Kobo? They have a free app to download for your tablet, phone or computer.]

If you wanted to read them before Without Proof comes out in November, now’s your chance. The following links are for the Canadian store, but Kobo sells worldwide. Outside of Canada, just go to your country’s Kobo store and search “Redemption’s Edge Sketchley”.

To buy: add the book(s) to your cart, proceed to checkout, and scroll down to see where to add a promotion code. Type SALE50 and you’ll see the discount apply. It works on more than one book, so stock up for fall reading! Sale ends August 31.

My Canadian Kobo links: Heaven’s Prey and Secrets and Lies.

Christian Suspense Giveaways

Just a quick post to let you know about two opportunities to win a copy of my books:

At suspense author Patricia Bradley’s blog: one copy of Secrets and Lies (Canada and US only, ends Aug. 16)

At the Koala Mom’s blog: one set of Heaven’s Prey and Secrets and Lies (Canada and US only, ends Aug. 31) There are plenty of other giveaways at this site, too, since author Bonnie Way is celebrating a blogging anniversary.

Don’t Annoy the Novelist

Want to know why? Or, if you’re a fiction writer, do you find ways to release real-life frustration in your stories? Pop by James Callan’s The Author’s Blog to read my guest post and leave a comment. One commenter will win a copy of Secrets and Lies.

Link: Don’t Annoy the Novelist.

Where I’ve Been Lately

This post’s title makes me smile. Mostly where I’ve been, writing-wise, is hunkered in my writing corner, finishing the first draft of No Safe Place.

My writing nook: a chair under a lamp

My writing nook, complete with stuffed “muse.”

However, this introvert has taken herself and her books into the wider world, and found it’s not as scary as she thought. So far this year I’ve spoken to  a readers’ group at one local church and a seniors’ group at another. Most people at the first event had read one or both of my books, and it was so much fun to be able to talk about my imaginary friends without worrying about spoilers. At the second event, I shared my writing journey so far and reconnected with people I hadn’t seen in a long time.

I’ve also set up book tables at a couple of craft fairs and a conference. I’ll be at a Spring Craft & Business Fair tomorrow at Cole Harbour Place (click the link for details). If you’re in the Halifax area, stop and say hi. [There’s a $2 entry fee, the proceeds of which go to charity.]

Sharing a table with another local author, Cynthia d'Entremont

Sharing a table with another local author, Cynthia d’Entremont

In all honesty, I never expected to enjoy the public side of book promotion, but I’m having fun with this.

I’ve also done some “visiting” online:

Write Canada: 5 benefits, plus 1

One of the best things a writer (or wanna-be writer) can do is invest in a conference. Consider these benefits:

  • practical teaching on the craft
  • connection with other writers
    • making new friends and growing existing friendships
    • learning from those ahead of us on the trail
    • passing on what we’ve learned to those behind us
    • affirming that we’re not alone in our writerly oddness
    • opportunities to cross-promote our work, guest post on others’ blogs, etc.
  • connection with faculty
    • pitching ideas to editors and/or agents
    • critique feedback
    • advice on how to take the next step
    • learning about the publishing industry
  • recharging and inspiring our creativity
  • new ideas

Write Canada 2015 Canada's largest conference for Christians who write

Write Canada offers all that to Canadian Christians who write, and it adds another essential benefit:

  • spiritual refreshment through group worship and prayer times

This is my favourite conference, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve attended. This year I’m excited about something special — I’ll tell you about it when I come back with photographic evidence 🙂

I’m looking forward to the courses I’ve selected, and I’ll be part of a panel (Book Launches that Sizzle). My newest novel, Secrets and Lies, is short-listed for the 2015 Word Awards, which will be presented at a banquet closing the conference.

This year the conference will be held in Toronto, instead of its former venue in Guelph. I’ll miss that environment this time (and miss my friend Mary who lives nearby, who I won’t see…) but transportation will be easier, and the Novotel site looks great.

If you’re considering the conference, be warned that the early registration ends May 10. Why pay more? For more information on the conference and registration, click here: Write Canada.

What benefits can you add to my list?

Secrets and Lies Interview

Secrets and LiesRon Hughes from HopeStreamRadio interviewed me last month, and while it’s not archived on their site, I’ve posted it to mine. We talked about a few aspects of writing and about my novels, and I read an excerpt from Secrets and Lies. The interview is about ten minutes long, if you’d like to have a listen (just click the “play” triangle in the media player below).  And do check out HopeStreamRadio. They currently provide about two hours of content per day, which repeats throughout the day. There’s teaching, music, and a variety of interesting content (including author interviews!)

[Media player didn’t show up for you? Click here to listen to the interview.]

Book Giveaway: Clean Indie Reads

CIR Blog Hop March Madness

The Clean Indie Reads group is giving away over 40 ebooks! One winner gets them all, and will be well-stocked for reading for the next little while 🙂 The books for the Grand Prize can all be seen at the March Madness Grand Prize link.

You can enter at each stop on this blog hop, and the more times you fill out the form, the more chances you’ll have.

My contribution to the Grand Prize is a copy of my Christian romantic suspense novel, Secrets and Lies. 

Secrets and Lies, by Janet Sketchley

Carol Daniels thinks she out-ran her enemies, until a detective arrives at her door with a warning from her convict brother. Minor incidents take on a sinister meaning. An anonymous phone call warns her not to hide again.

Now she must cooperate with a drug lord while the police work to trap him. Carol has always handled crisis alone, but this one might break her. Late-night deejay Joey Hill offers friendship and moral support. Can she trust him? One thing’s certain. She can’t risk prayer.

Several of the Clean Indie Reads authors have dropped their prices for a sale at the same time. Grab a good read (or more!) now at the CIR sale site.

Enter below for the Grand Prize, and remember you can enter at each blog. So, once you’ve entered, click the blue frog image at the bottom of this post to reach the other stops on the blog hop. Contest dates: March 16-20, 2015. As always, contest void where prohibited by law.

[Edited: Congratulations to Shelly Hammond, winner of the Grand Prize package. Forty-one books… hmm… I’m not sure that’s a full year’s worth, but it’ll keep Shelly reading for a while. Thank you to everyone who participated in the blog hop. I hope you had fun and discovered some new-to-you authors.]

If the entry form doesn’t load properly for you, you can enter the draw by following this link.

Ready to hop on to the next stop?

 [Don’t see the frog? You can reach the blog hop list here.]