Writing: Marketing and New Work
Coupled with a very positive review (9.5/10), The Second Law, Lynn Dayton Thriller #3 was a quarterfinalist (top 7%) in 2019 for The BookLife Prize in the mystery/thriller category!
I finished the year with signings at Barnes & Noble stores in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Plano, Texas; and Midland, Texas. In 2020 I’ve joined a local critique group, begun work on a revamped website, participated in DartFrog’s display of The Second Law in twenty independent bookstores and completed an online interview with fellow author Vincent Lowry at E-Author Resources.
Mainly, I’m writing the fourth book in the Lynn Dayton series and outlining a short story or two.
Promotions: please do join me at Goodreads if you haven’t already. Because my Goodreads group is 4900+ that’s where I announce all book and short story discounts and giveaways.
Reading
In the last six months I’ve read 21 books, including seven nonfiction. Among the fiction, I liked the newest in Brad Taylor’s series, Hunter Killer; The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (which reads especially well as Canadian retribution for the War of 1812); The Night Fire by Michael Connelly; Lethal Agent by Kyle Mills in Vince Flynn’s series; The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides; and the lightly fictionalized autobiography On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.
In non-fiction, I was especially impressed by the observations and insights in China’s Great Wall of Debt by Dinny McMahon. I was glad to read Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow, the journalist who spotlighted Harvey Weinstein’s abuse and helped start the #MeToo movement. Tammie Jo Shults’ Nerves of Steel was inspirational. Shults is the Southwest Airlines pilot who safely landed a flight from New York after an engine part pierced the fuselage, causing the entire airplane full of passenger to lose air pressure.
Energy
I continue to write three articles a month for the open (free) Seeking Alpha platform and five a month for a Marketplace subscriber platform, Econ-Based Energy Investing (EBEI). If you’re interested, here are the open platform and EBEI links: https://seekingalpha.com/author/laura-starks#regular_articles
https://seekingalpha.com/author/laura-starks/research
Until next time,
L.A. Starks
http://lastarksbooks.com
Fiction (books) by L. A. Starks–in reverse order
The Second Law (Lynn Dayton Thriller #3)
- Print ISBN 9780991110742, published by Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group LLC, October 2018, $18.95.
- E-book ASIN B07JLDGTVL, published by Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group LLC, October 2018, $8.99.
Strike Price (Lynn Dayton Thriller #2)
- Print ISBN 9780991110704, 2nd edition published by Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group LLC, March 2014, $18.95.
- E-book ASIN B01K5Y406A, published by Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group LLC, August 2016, $6.99.
13 Days: The Pythagoras Conspiracy (Lynn Dayton Thriller #1)
- 2nd Print ISBN 978-0991110711, published by Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group, LLC, August 2016, $18.95.
- E-book ASIN B015LI65GI, published by Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group, LLC, September 2015, $4.99.
Electronic and print editions published by L&L Dreamspell, Brown Books, and StoneThread Publishing are no longer available.
Short stories by L. A. Starks on Amazon Kindle, in reverse order
- “Josh Rosen & Bubbe” gives additional background on series character Josh Rosen and insight into his relationship with his grandmother when she falls ill. 2014. ASIN: B00O854YKA, $0.99.
- “A Time for Eating Wild Onions” introduces two key characters in the second Lynn Dayton book, STRIKE PRICE. The tragedy that befalls them profoundly shapes the next generation. 2007. ASIN: B003NE6DGA, $0.99.
- “Robert and Thérèse Guillard: Choices” is a story about 13 DAYS’ Parisian antagonist and how it feels to fly in a wing suit. 2007. ASIN: B003NE6D74, $0.99.
