October and November were makeover months for me. I took a new publicity photo, rebranded my series, and created a new website and blog. I had a lot of help with the website from a charming man named Chris, but the design decisions are mine, so I hope you like it. If you were subscribed to my old blog, please resubscribe here. If you had my blog bookmarked, please note my new address. It hasn’t changed much, but the new url will be more friendly to search engines. (https://ljsellers.com/blog) Read more →
The new Jackson story is nearly finished, and I’m happy to report I have a title, a cover design, and back cover text. I’m also still on track to release the novel late next month, and my new website will be up next week. I’m excited about all the changes, and I hope you will be too. Here’s the preview of Liars, Cheaters & Thieves. Read more →
In this rapidly changing industry, writers must adapt on a near-daily basis and continuously search for new ways to reach new readers. In that mode, I’ve decided to re-brand my Detective Jackson series by listing Secrets to Die For as the first book and creating a new cover for it. The old cover was never meant to be the final product, but that’s another subject. Read more →
I’ve joined a group of bestselling authors on Readers Rule. I love this title and philosophy! I’ve always tried to put readers first, to respond to every reader who contacts me, and to give away as many books as I can. These authors have all sold 100,000 books/ebooks, so they must be doing something right. We’re just getting started and will soon add a regular book giveaway and monthly newsletter. I hope you’ll check out the site. 
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This contest had the most names ever submitted, making it harder than ever to pick a single favorite. I’m so glad I decided upfront to use as many of the names as I could and to send everyone an ebook.
Before I tell you the winner, I’d like to point out some of my favorites first. Prescott Sutton for the homeless guy. Priceless! I will use it, but I may also let him keep the “street” name I gave him. Read more →
I spent an hour looking through the phone book for names, then realized I hadn’t held my usual “Name That Character” contest for this book. I’m writing a new Jackson story with the working title Liars, Cheaters, & Thieves, and I need lots of names. Suspects, victims, and witnesses.
I don’t want to give too much away, but the story involves three men, friends since high school. I’ve settled on the main character’s name, Read more →
True or false? The closer you are to your target, the more effective your hit with a Taser will be. Strangely enough, it’s not true. I’ve been writing about Tasers in my police procedural novels for a few years, and only last night in the Eugene Citizen’s Police Academy did I learn how they really work. The sharp probes are fired out on very thin wires, which I knew, but they’re designed to fly at an angle. Read more →
On one of my mystery listservs, participants shared their local “stupid-criminal” stories, which I love! These made me laugh out loud, so I thought I would share.
“A man was arrested this past week in U. City (a St.Louis suburb) during a burglary. While stealing the home’s stuff, the guy found a pound of bacon, which apparently he just could not resist. Read more →
When my readers commented about how much they enjoyed my blogs, I decided to combine the best of my nonfiction—including all the posts I wrote about my journey to become a full-time novelist—into a book. I thought my readers would like to know more about me, and authors would find the writing, editing, and promotion advice helpful and inspiring. Read more →
Maintaining an email newsletter list and sending out professional, attractive emails is critical for nearly anyone who likes to stay in contact with a group, whether it’s a book club or fan base. Many providers offer this service, and a few offer it either free or for pennies on the email, making it an affordable option even for Christmas newsletters. Read more →
