Miss Demeanors

Category: Reading

Modern Day Robin Hoods?

June 22, 2022
Sharon Ward

People who return books they’ve already read are only hurting the author, not Amazon. Here’s why.

May 27, 2022
Sharon Ward

people have different rituals to mark the coming of summer. It could be ice cream, or the first day at the beach–or unlimited reading.

May 18, 2022
C. Michele Dorsey

When readers see authors asking, sometimes begging for reviews of their books, they may wonder why are they doing this? Let me offer five reasons why. 1. Improves the Relationship Between Writers and Readers Writers and readers have an unspoken relationship based upon communication. The writer “gives” the story to the reader who “receives” it. This creates a circle of sorts. Without reviews, which can be formal or informal, depending on the form of the review and whether it is being done by a professional reader (reviewer) or a consumer of books, the writer is left in a vacuum, not knowing whether her book pleased her reader. 2. Improves the Book’s Visibility Reviews provide visibility for books and the people who write them. If readers don’t know about a book or an author, they lose the opportunity to discover both, and the writer doesn’t get to connect with the people for whom she has toiled. 3. Visibility Results in Increased Sales Sales are what support writers and reviews help create them. Like it or not, money does talk. When readers see a review that demonstrates people are so excited about a book that they stayed up all night finishing it, […]

March 22, 2022
Emilya Naymark

I finally got to travel last week, and I loaded my kindle with plenty of reading material. Four in one week is not my personal best, that is reserved for the vacation where I read a book a day, ran out of books, and had to find a bookstore in a panic before the flight home. Obviously before kindles. I read a mystery novel (times 2), a memoir, and a sliver of vampire fiction by Octavia Butler, who never disappoints in the “taking a trope and turning it inside out, on its head, and sideways” department.

March 9, 2022
Emilya Naymark

Although many living things communicate with each other (my dog certainly feels a burning need to let me know the mail has arrived the very moment it does), humans, at least on this planet, are the only ones who have language. And novels. And stories. And Instagram.

February 14, 2022
Keenan Powell

Catriona McPherson asks the burning question: Now, as ever, when I think up a top five list, I am preparing to hear what I missed. Let me know your favourite romantic sub-plots and, once again, Happy Valentine’s Day!

January 10, 2022
Connie Berry

What could be better than curling up in an overstuffed chair with a steaming mug of tea and immersing yourself in the world of a book? Nothing in my opinion. But a close second might be discussing that book with a circle of friends in a book club. Who was your favorite character? Why do you think Aunt Bertie locked him out? Did you guess the outcome? Have you experienced something similar? I love book clubs. Mine, like so many others during Covid, has been meeting on Zoom. It’s not the same as meeting in person (no wine, no treats), but at least it’s accessible. Yesterday I was the guest author at an online book club. One member Zoomed in from Florida; two others joined from somewhere on their phones. Are you in a book club? I know one that has been meeting for almost fifty years. They have a waiting list. Instead of waiting for an invitation, why not try one of these book clubs? They’re looking for you! 1 BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB This one is the classic, founded in 1926. My mother was an avid member when I was in high school, and I still remember seeing the latest […]

January 6, 2022
Emilya Naymark

As the world continues to implode, I had to postpone my travel plans. Yet again. But nothing can keep me from my vacation reading.

January 5, 2022
Tracee de Hahn

I like receiving books as gifts, and the holiday season was a bounty of books which I am excited to share as good reads to start the year.

December 30, 2021
Sharon Ward

This New Year’s Eve will be especially exciting for me. First, because 2022 HAS to be better than 2021 was, right? We’ll be getting COVID under control, either through vaccinations or growing immunity, and soon we’ll have more options open for socialization and entertainment—at least I hope so. And there will be a ton of fabulous new mystery novels ready for publication, including Emilya’s Behind the Lie, coming February 8! The second reason I’m excited for 2022 is because book 2 in my Fin Fleming Sea Adventures Thriller series of books is coming out on January 31. I love the main character in this series. Fin Fleming is a very accomplished underwater photographer, but she has trouble achieving the recognition she deserves because someone stole her work and then accused her of plagiarism. She also struggles with self-esteem and feelings of abandonment. All the books in the series are rollicking adventures and mystery/thriller books, but the real underlying theme is Fin’s struggle to find acceptance and a sense of family. You’ll have to read the books to find out what sets her heroine’s journey in motion. Here’s the back cover copy for Sunken Death: A few months after a death in her […]