Writing and Finishing by Margot Justes

 There is a sense of relief, once the end is typed, and the manuscript is finished, well at least written. I'm at that stage now. 

English is not my first language, and when I came to this country (a few years-as in many- years ago), students were put in a class based on age-and the grammar part has long past.

I have been assured by my editor that my grammar is not that bad, and I think that is due to the fact that I love to read, but I digress...Finishing a manuscript is a wondrous sense of relief, because while writing, it seems as if it won’t ever happen.

I edit every time I sit down to write, and once the manuscript is finished it goes to my editor and she goes through it, then of course I read it and invariably make corrections based on her recommendations-especially in grammar. Then it goes back to the editor, well you get the drift. I have my final two, three, four reads and off it goes to the formatter.

I’m an indie author and my formatter does all the magical stuff to make sure everything is done correctly. Once he’s done I read it again, and invariably I find little errors, and back it goes. By the time I get the last peek, it really doesn’t matter because I expect to see all the words aligned perfectly, and in place.  

The writing process is humbling, I start off excited, I have an idea and off I go. Then reality sets in, I have to figure out what will happen and how will I ever tie all the pieces together. Since I write by the proverbial seat of my pants, the endings tend to surprise me. That was especially true in A Hotel in Venice.

One day the story is terrific, the next it is rubbish that no one will want to read, the next day, it’s not so bad, back to rubbish...you get the drift. It is a never ending process of self doubt, until finally everything falls into place, and then I wonder exactly how did that all work out? That being said, the doubts persist, at least for me.

A Hotel in Venice has been released, and now I’m working on A Hotel in Barcelona. I love the characters, Barcelona is beautiful, with an astounding zest for life, the architecture sublime, food delicious, what better place for a honeymoon.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Blood Art

A Fire Within

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

A Hotel in Venice

www.mjustes.com

Tall Ship visits Alexandria by Margot Justes

The French Tall Ship Hermione visited Alexandria, and the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Below are a few pictures.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Blood Art

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

A Fire Within

www.mjustes.com

margot@mjustes.com

This and That by Margot Justes

I haven’t posted any blogs for the last three weeks, went back to Illinois, had a book signing in Galena, visits with friends, and Printers Row in Chicago.

The best moment at Printers was when a woman who bought A Hotel in Paris on Saturday, came back for A Hotel in Bath on Sunday, and took information on A Hotel in  Venice, scheduled for release later this month.

Working on the release details for A Hotel in Venice, I wonder if offering the first book in a series free on Kindle is worthwhile. I know it’s important to build name recognition, and increased long term readership, but do people that download the books for free actually even read them?

I’ve heard pros and cons about the free promotion and tried it twice-not sure it was worth  it.  I do like the idea of posting quotes from the book on Twitter and Facebook.

My little niche market is growing, and I’ve been told by readers that they love my art world, and while reading my books they have learned a little about art. That pleased me more than anything.  I always tell anyone who will listen, art is everywhere we turn, and that it is highly therapeutic.

Price is important too, a reader is more likely  to give a midlist author a chance if the book is priced reasonably, a dollar, two, three or four-the price of coffee depending on what you buy. I’d never say substitute coffee for a book, after all my heroine is addicted to the brew as is her creator-but...

Back home and my normal schedule, I stepped out of my comfort zone, and finished a first draft of a thriller  sans romance. I was asked to do it, and before I knew it I was writing the story.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

Hearts & Daggers

Blood Art

www.mjustes.com

A Hotel in Venice Cover Reveal by Margot Justes

A romantic gondola ride on the Grand Canal, a shimmer reflected in the moonlit night, and the beginning of murder and mayhem for Minola Grey and Peter Riley.

I thought I'd share with you the cover for A Hotel in Venice, scheduled for release end of June.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Blood Art

A Fire Within

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

www.mjustes.com

Pictures from Montserrat, Spain by Margot Justes

I thought I'd share a few pictures of breathtaking Montserrat, Spain. If you're ever in Barcelona, make the effort and visit, you will not be disappointed.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Blood Art

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

A Fire Within

and coming in June A Hotel in Venice

www.mjustes.com

Tenerife, Canary Islands by Margot Justes

Tenerife, is the largest of the Canary Islands, and according to our guide has a population of about 800,000 people.

The capital and major port is Santa Cruz, that is where we docked and spent the day touring. It is a the major port of the island, and Santa Cruz has a population of about 220,000 residents.

It is bright, lively, like many tourist attraction there are beaches, high rises-at least high rises for a volcanic island-shops, gardens, restaurants along with many houses that have staircases that seem to climb up to infinity-a perfect venue for rest and relaxation. The climate and landscape are very diverse, and there are more things to see here than the other two islands I visited.

A short bus ride took us to the beautiful market, neatly laid out, one aisle after another offers produce, meat and sausages, cheeses, flowers, spices-you can stop for coffee and soak up the atmosphere. The items for sale seem never ending, and the aromas were divine, especially from the spice areas.

The next stop was the Archeological Museum that has impressive exhibits of the life and death of the Guanche society-the first inhabitants of the Canary Islands dating back to the 1^st and 2^nd centuries BC.

A fascinating exhibit that lists many of the plants found on the islands, reminiscent of the Audubon style, they were beautifully drawn and labeled and framed. There is a knob on each of the framed exhibits and when you pull on the knob you open a door, and it has a picture or drawing of the discoverer of the plant. Very neat indeed. This museum serves as a learning center for all the schools in the Canary Islands. 

Our next stop was La Laguna, a World Heritage Site. Designated a site because of the buildings, the intrinsic layout of the city, its colorful and distinctive architecture and beautiful patios. Smaller than Santa Cruz, it is more intimate and somewhat less touristy.

We stopped and visited another market square, this one smaller and older, but equally charming. Then on to the Cathedral and a couple of the famous interior patios. We had a few minutes to shop and stop for coffee. I opted for the coffee and a wonderful local delicacy, fried bread that I swear had custard inside, it was soft, gooey and delicious.

 Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Blood Art

A Fire Within

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

and coming in June A Hotel in Venice

www.mjustes.com

Pictures from Tenerife, Canary Islands by Margot Justes

I  wanted to post a few snapshots from Tenerife, is vibrant and  colorful, and they serve a good cup of coffee. Next week, I'll post a blog about a unique and delightful place to visit. Hope you enjoy these pictures.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Blood Art

A Fire Within

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

coming soon A Hotel in Venice

www.mjustes.com