Sprites and Scuttlebutt: Magical Mystery Book Club
by Elizabeth Pantley
About Sprites and Scuttlebutt
Sprites and Scuttlebutt: Magical Mystery Book Club
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Independently Published (February 15, 2024)
Print length : 289 pages
ASIN : B0CJ5K611Z
Would you join a book club that gets absorbed right into their cozy mysteries? These people did, and now they are hooked on traveling into books to become the amateur sleuths!
In this journey, the book club travels to the Kingdom of Everglow, where the royal family is rocked to the core when a key staff member falls dead at a community event. In the turmoil that follows, any evidence of what happened is destroyed, so they must go by the recollection of witnesses who were too busy enjoying the celebration to offer any valuable testimony. The royal family is further distressed when they return to the castle to see signs of a break in that somehow defied their complex security system. They wake the next day to discover that one member of the royal family has fallen into a deep, deathlike sleep.
Can the Snapdragon Inn Book Club uncover the plot behind this attack on the royal family? Can they find the antidote to wake the princess from her supernatural slumber? Can they bring peace back to the worried royal family and the frightened community? Let’s hope they can, since they must solve the mystery and reach The End to get out of the book and back to their home in Colorado.
GUEST POST
Could YOU Really Write a Cozy Mystery Book?
By Elizabeth Pantley
Author of the Magical Mystery Book Club seriesHave you ever said to yourself, I read so many cozy mysteries. I wish I could write one! The thought percolates and grows, until you really want to give it a try. But how do you even begin?
There are many articles and books about the technical approach to writing. How to make a plot outline, build characters, create a setting. This article isn’t about any of that. It’s about getting off the ground and beginning to make your dream come true when you’ve never done anything like this before.
Everyone is different, of course. But if you’ve never written a book before, here are some tips for getting started from scratch.
First, You Read
Pick two or three of your favorite books and read them again. But his time, read to learn. Pay attention to more than just the story and take lots of notes. How does the author keep your attention from page to page? How does each chapter end, and each new one begin? What sentences grab you, make you laugh, or cause you to gasp? How does the dialog flow when characters are speaking versus the narration portions of the story? How does the author describe each new character – it’s more than listing height and eye color! How does the author describe the settings? What ways make it interesting to learn about a new character or place?
Examine your Reading History
What kind of books fill your collection? Plan to write a book in the genre of those you read most. If you mainly read books about witches, don’t write a book about dragons! Write what you know, and what you enjoy reading. Your book will have more meaning and writing will be easier.
Don’t Fight a Blank White Screen
It’s unlikely you’ll pen a bestseller from the first word on a blank page. It can be overwhelming to begin from nothing. A better plan might be to come up with a basic person and place, then a rough plot line.
Who is the main character? Where does she live? Who are the people in her circle of family and friends? Once you figure that out, plan a murder! That can be the fun part. Who gets murdered, why and who did it? Once you have these basics you can approach your book in a way that feels right to you. Some people enjoy a complete chapter-by-chapter outline, others prefer to be a “pantser” – writing page-by-page by the seat of their pants and letting their creativity flow.
Be Flexible
You might start out believing you’re a free-flowing writer but get stalled every day without a clear path. If that happens, try writing out your plot chapter by chapter and see how that feels. Until you begin you won ‘t really know what’s best for you.
To be a Writer you Must Write!
Set a plan or schedule for yourself. It might be an hour a day, or even just four hours over the weekends. Build a plan that works within your real life. If your goal is too lofty it might scare you away.
Then don’t be afraid to add more hours if things are going well and you have the time. The more you write, the easier it will get!
Read and Learn
Once you get rolling that’s the time to read some articles and books about writing a mystery. There’s so much to learn, so don’t get bogged down by doing too much research. Writing is your top priority. You can always edit later to make your manuscript better!
If you’re thinking it could take you a year to write a book, you’re right! It might take a year. But a year from now you’ll either have your book written, or you’ll still be thinking about maybe, someday you might write one. So, go ahead. Get started. Good luck!
About Elizabeth Pantley
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of fourteen fun, magical cozy mystery books, as well as the international bestselling No-Cry Solution parenting series.
She simultaneously writes well-loved cozy mysteries: The Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the Magical Mystery Book Club series.
Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest, the gorgeous inspiration for the setting in many of her books.
Author Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24811.Elizabeth_Pantley
Website: https://www.nocrysolution.com/books/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinyFallsMysteryandMagic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinyfallsmystery/
Amazon Purchase Links: US CA UK AU
All the books in this series are now available as Audio Books!
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
February 19 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
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February 20 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
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February 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST
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February 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
February 27 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST
February 27 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW
February 28 – ebook Addicts – REVIEW
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February 29 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
March 1 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
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Ruff Drafts 