JENN: Thrilled to celebrate one of our own in the Jungle Red Community! Congratulations, Liz, on the release of your latest mystery Lie Down with Dogs!
LIZ: As always thanks to all the Reds for hosting me. I hope I don’t wear out my welcome. With two book releases a year, I feel like no sooner have I done a guest post, I’m beginning for another spot.
By now, you’ve seen Koda, my retired-racer greyhound. We adopted him in March of 2019 (trivia: Koda was the little bear in the “Brother Bear” movie and I think means “friend” in some Native American dialects). I think I’ve mentioned before, but this was the dog of my heart as I’d been wanting one for years. And make no mistake, Koda is my dog. He loves everyone in the house, but I am the alpha of the pack in his eyes.
Koda was three when we adopted him. We had to teach him a few lessons, of course. Like how to go up and down stairs. And that a house is just a bigger version of a crate, not somewhere to potty. And not to chew the furniture (or the power cord to your Roku).
But along the way, I’ve learned more than a few lessons from him, as well. (And if you think this post is just a shameless reason to share pictures of my pooch, well, I plead the fifth.)
Lesson 1: Get outside
Writing is a terribly sedentary pursuit. We sit at desks, on couches, in offices, at car dealerships, at coffee houses. Koda reminds me that you have to get up and move. Get out and catch some rays. Set a timer, use a FitBit, whatever works.
Lesson 2: Keep your friends close
Friends are essential. They celebrate with you, commiserate, provide advice, and sometimes are just there. Make sure you have a few in your life.
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Lesson 3: But don’t be afraid to meet new people
Friends are great, but you need to expand your social circle, too. Networking is, well, maybe not everything in this business, but it’s a lot. I’ve met a lot of people at conferences by simply saying, “Hi! How’s it going?”. Now that we are emerging from our pandemic shells, it’s time to brush off those people-meeting skills (yes, I know most of us writers are introverts, but we manage). You’ll need friends in your corner when you start querying/submitting/publishing/promoting/etc.
Lesson 4: Eat well
You’d think this would be an easy one to remember, but I’ve been so deep in the zone that lunch completely passes me by. Not until I have an upset stomach and a pounding headache do I remember, “Oh yeah, food.” Koda never misses a meal.
Lesson 5: Get plenty of rest
It’s tempting to power through until the wee hours, especially at a conference when all the action is happening that night, after the sessions, in the bar. But whether you need rest to be your most sparkling self at a conference, or you just need to refresh yourself after a long day of writing, don’t skimp on the z’s.
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Lesson 6: Don’t forget to have fun!
Writing is work. Sometimes it’s hard work. All that plotting and coming up with names and marketing and promotion and editing and submitting and deadlines. Whew! But it should also be fun. So never lose sight of that and make sure your hard work doesn’t eclipse your sense of fun!
Dog owners, any lessons I missed?
Book blurb: LIE DOWN WITH DOGS
Trooper Jim Duncan’s first day with the Criminal Investigation Division starts off with a bang when he is called to a murder scene with a badly decomposed body. After he finds an abused greyhound in the victim’s garage, the simple homicide becomes more complicated. Why would anyone want an unreliable racetrack employee dead, especially when greyhound racing is illegal in Pennsylvania?
Assistant public defender Sally Castle is facing her own career change. When she accepts a position with an old law school friend, her first case seems to be one that is exactly what she wants to do. Then she learns the greyhound adoption group her client may have embezzled from has ties to the shooting victim. What else is her client hiding?
Jim and Sally work their respective investigations, which may or may not be related. Along the way, they learn important lessons about themselves, those they work with, and the people they protect. But can they complete their tasks without falling prey to a killer?
Liz Milliron is the author of The Laurel Highlands Mysteries series, set in the scenic Laurel Highlands and The Homefront Mysteries, set in Buffalo, NY during the early years of World War II. She is a member of Pennwriters, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and The Historical Novel Society and is the current vice-President of the Pittsburgh chapter of Sisters in Crime. Liz splits her time between homes in Pittsburgh and the Laurel Highlands, were she lives with her husband and a very spoiled retired-racer greyhound.
http://www.lizmilliron.com/
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