Dear Readers and Friends,
Big book news today! ODE TO THE BONES (May 26) goes on sale today. Here’s the link: ODE TO THE BONES. If you happen to order it today, you would be doing me a real solid. First day sales are really important in this crazy business. This book ends in a real cliffhanger, but bear with me, the final book, JOY TO THE BONES (Oct. 27) brings it all to (what I hope is) a satisfying conclusion. I’ve known the arc of this series for a long, long time, and I absolutely wanted to end the series when Sarah Booth figures out what happened to her parents on the long ago Delta night when they died in a car wreck.
Sarah Booth perusing my other books
Well, the calendar page has turned again and this month I am 73. Not an age I ever aspired to, but one I’m glad to have reached. I was never a child who wanted to be older. Not for a minute or a day. I did a lot of things very young that other kids didn’t—like photographing spot news for the newspapers (and I am NOT telling all of the things I shouldn’t have been doing). I worked as a radio DJ and a cub news reporter when I was still in high school. Working for the newspapers, I saw a lot of stuff at a very young age that probably shaped who I am. Whether it is good or bad, I can’t say. I can only say it is what it is. I will add that my childhood was the most perfect Southern gothic life I could ever have invented.
There are drawbacks to 73. Muscle tone, stamina, etc., etc. fall by the wayside. But one of the great gifts is a calmer acceptance of who I am. No need to pretend to be more or less. No need to shape myself to the expectations of others. Small and silly self-doubts are gone. I am comfortable in my own skin. This is freedom.
My writing ambitions are changing. Concluding the Sarah Booth mysteries after 31 books gives me a sense of satisfaction that was missing in my younger days. I look back and think how Sarah Booth has been my close friend and co-conspirator in so many places of my life. But I ended the series the way I intended to do it. The conclusion is bittersweet but also satisfying—to me. I hope the readers feel the same way.
I’m working on a new novel with co-writer Daryl Marcus. Priya, president of KaliOka Press, experimented with A.I. to generate a temporary cover. Daryl and I are writing as Dean Carroll. We’ll submit the book to publishers, and if it is bought, the publisher’s art department will create a cover, but that event is far down the road. This “starter” cover is for us to use when we talk about the book. I absolutely love it! I think it captures the essence of the book. What do you think? It’s a supernatural thriller, so a little creepy, a lot thriller!
I’ve been working hard on the farm. This spring has been incredible—dryer and cooler, and I am taking advantage of that to try to get some things done, like clearing out fence rows and just basic farm chores. I dread the summer—and hurricanes. I won’t lie. The moment the calendar shows May 1, I can feel apprehension building. The storms have become so huge and unmanageable. They aren’t like the intense, devastating storms of my childhood like Camille. It tore Biloxi, Mississippi, to pieces, but it was small and covered less area.
Katrina wrecked everything from New Orleans to Mobile. I guess I have hurricane PTSD. But it’s either deal with the storms or move, and if I had to choose between wildfires and a hurricane, I guess I’m going with the water. I’m not in a place that floods. Thank goodness.
Don’t forget that Priya and I are putting up a ton of books (older books whose rights have returned to me) at rock bottom prices for folks who enjoy thrillers, historical thrillers, romantic mysteries, crime novels, etc. Keep checking my website at www.carolynhaines.com and please tell your friends to subscribe to my newsletter. I don’t bombard people with emails—just the monthly newsletter. And you’ll be the first to know when we reissue a book from KaliOka Press.
I went to see Matt Fraser the first week of May with my friend Dee Dattilo Hearndon. I had such a good time, and it was wonderful to just go out and do something. Fraser was such a high, high energy. Honestly when he put his arm around us for a photo, it was almost electric. He didn’t read for Dee or me, but his readings for others were interesting. I have friends who are psychic mediums and I am always interested in their perception of events and circumstances. So my birthday month kicked off to a great start!
What kinds of plants are you growing lately? I’ve had this plant for five years. It is very slow growing. This is the first year I’ve seen it bloom like this. I may have planted it in the wrong place (very shady) but I do love how beautiful it is. I will snip the berries off. I already have popcorn, camphor, and privet driving me crazy.
My magnolias are the size of dinner plates. The coral cockspur is coming along beautifully. And I’ve never seen gardenias bloom so early, but I’ll take it.
Well, I’ve managed to booger up the freezer in my computer room. I crammed too much stuff in it, and it froze up, so now I am hauling all the frozen food to an ice chest or the other refrigerator/tiny freezer, etc. Pain in the ass. It seems I have to do this every year to prove to myself that:
a) I am a dotard.
b) I am a food hoarder. But only for the dogs. But I accept this about myself, even though it annoys me.
You guys have a terrific early June. Litha/Midsummer is almost here. Incredible! It was 1971 only a few weeks ago. (And yes we did have the best music, the coolest clothes, and the very best young adulthood ever.)
See you next month, from Carolyn and the Critters. Here’s a song for you—I told you we had the best music! Click on this: The Animals – House of the Rising Sun
Here’s Priya!!!
Hi guys! I’ve been a busybody asking folks for their opinion on artificial intelligence. As you just read, Carolyn and Daryl are collaborating on a book project and one of the benefits of working for Carolyn is I sometimes get a sneak peek of her upcoming books. I wanted to read The Aggrieved on my e-reader, so I thought I’d dabble with A.I. to generate a cover for it (just for fun!) so it would look presentable in my e-book gallery. And it got me to thinking: how do readers feel about book covers made with the help of A.I.?
I feel strongly there is a market for both human artists and A.I. It cannot be denied a book cover is essentially a marketing tool that helps promote the real product, which is the writing contained in the book. For example, no one cries foul when they see a mannequin (and not a live human) model the clothing that is for sale. A mannequin in a shop is a vehicle to promote clothes, the same way a book cover serves an author’s story. Yet I have noticed some keyboard warriors who are livid that human artists aren’t utilized for certain book covers. But I must point out that many self-published authors do not have the budget to acquire a cover to correctly market and represent the book. So what are they supposed to do? Suffer the consequences of having an inadequate cover? Many authors have to take on side hustles and other jobs to support themselves and their families because it’s difficult to make a living in the writing profession. My perspective is that A.I. is a blessing for authors on a budget. Not everyone is fortunate to be backed by a traditional publisher with a solid art department. And I love and support artists 100% and I firmly believe there will always be a demand for art made by real people.
Artists will never become obsolete. I feel the same way about physical books. Yes, e-books are convenient but they pale in comparison to the palpable joy of a book. A hardcover or a paperback is already the perfect technology. And bonus, it creates incredible ambiance in a room. The feel of the paper, the turning of a page, the smell of the ink, the beauty of having books displayed… simply delightful treasures they are. And for the e-books, the amazement of having hundreds of books on a lightweight device that you can throw into your purse. Our ancestors would be in total disbelief at this wild reality that we get to live in!
All of this to say, there is room for both types of books. I’m perfectly fine with that. I’m curious if you feel the same way.
Time to curl up and read some more. For the next story that you read, I am cheering you on, whether you reach for an e-book or a physical book. Reading in any format is to be celebrated. To imagine that your favorite books were written by humans living alongside us on this planet– it is magical, isn’t it? For someone’s imagination to create worlds and characters that we get to visit for a bit is fantastic and I will never take it for granted.
Warmly,
Priya