What’s Happening With My New Thriller, Fool Her Once? An Update

If anyone thinks that for an author all the hard work stops when you’ve turned in your edits and revisions, think again. I was done with final edits and revisions of Fool Her Once by the end of July. I was ready to relax and enjoy the rest of the summer.

Not so fast. Suddenly there was a whole new set of tasks for me: A slew of sample covers to review; audio samples from which to pick a narrator for the audiobook version of Fool Her Once. Then, there were copy edits to review and page proofs to look through (Twice.) And, acknowledgments to write, and a Q&A with the author (me) to add to the back of the book. Oh, and how about some topics for book club discussions to add into the mix?

Quick week of R & R

So, excuse me, but just recently I decided to take some time off for a brief R&R. The photo above is from my #1 go-to place for leisure activities.

Sunrises in Palm Beach are quite spectacular.

Each one a little bit different. Each one gorgeous — so long as you’re up in time to catch the spectacular moment.

But so are afternoons when one can watch monster luxury yachts gliding along the Intracoastal. Or, watch the sunset.

And, there’s nothing quite like lolling around on the beach, relaxing and reading an award-winning thriller from a fellow CamCat Books author. This week, it was Susan Ouellette’s The Wayward Spy.

Back To Work

But then, it was back to work, re-visiting book locations with my Advance Review Copy to produce some nice Instagrammable images like below, at the Shinnecock Bay Inlet, in Hampton Bays, Long Island.

This one caught the eye of Rachel Fulginiti, wonderful narrator of the audiobook version of Fool Her Once.  Her comment on my Instagram page (authorjoannaelm): “BEST antagonist I’ve read in so long…”

Word of Mouth

Advance Review Copies have also now gone out to about a dozen members of the Racquettes Book Club. I am a member of the book club which is going to discuss Fool Her Once next month. Thrilled and a little nervous at the same time! Through word of mouth, another book club in New York, and a third book club on the North Fork of Long Island are considering FHO for their book of the month club discussions next.

Love Lane Kitchen

I also bumped into  Carolyn Iannone, owner of the Love Lane Kitchen, a lovely, friendly restaurant that’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, year-round — focussing on farm-to-table fare.

It’s right in the heart of the North Fork, where most of my thriller is set — and where the fictional Kings Inn Restaurant & Marina owned by my protagonist Jenna and her husband, Zack is also located.

I went there to pick up a black bean burger and we got talking about — guess what? Books — and the possibility of a launching and book signing for Fool Her Once at Carolyn’s restaurant next March. It’s a perfect idea for the North Fork just as the dark, cold evenings of winter are coming to an end. I can’t wait for March.