Wednesday, January 15, 2014

This isn't goodbye

The winner of a free copy of Poisoned Ground is Aubrey Hamilton. Aubrey, please send your mailing address to sparshall@verizon.net. Thank you all for reading Poe's Deadly Daughters! 
 
By Sandra Parshall


Sitting down to write my last blog entry for Poe’s Deadly Daughters prompted me to look up my first – a post about the transformation of a novel into a film and why it shouldn’t be regarded as an assault on the original, unchanged work of the author. 


That first piece was published on January 24, 2007. So long ago. So many posts between then and now.

Letting go of something that’s been a major part of one’s identity as a writer is a daunting prospect, and it’s not something any of us on PDD is taking lightly. Like all my blog sisters, I’ve enjoyed the camaraderie with our readers, getting to know new people, stretching my mind by tackling subjects from the familiar (writing; animals) to the professional (the impact of ebooks on the publishing business) to the thought-provoking (recent discoveries about the function of memory, a particular interest of mine). I hope all of you have enjoyed my posts too. Your feedback has always been appreciated – and yes, I’ll miss PDD and its readers.

But it’s time to make changes and shake things up a little. The simple fact that most of the comments about our blog entries are now being posted on Facebook rather than the blog itself indicates that readers are choosing new ways to communicate. And that’s what we’ll be doing: finding new ways to communicate with our friends in cyberspace. It’s not as if we’re moving to a Siberian outpost without internet access. We’ll be around, and most of us will still be blogging here and there. After a brief and much needed vacation from blogging, I’ll be doing some guest posts when my sixth Rachel Goddard novel, Poisoned Ground, comes out March 4, and I’ll have a personal blog on my snazzy new website, which should be unveiled sometime in February.


 

So it’s time to retire the Poe’s Deadly Daughters pin I’ve worn to mystery conferences. (If anybody wants one as a souvenir, I have half a dozen I can give away. Just ask.) Despite a tinge of sadness, my strongest emotions are pride in what we’ve done here over the years and pleasure in the friendships I’ve formed with my wonderful blog sisters and our readers.

To mark the occasion of my last PDD post, I’d like to offer a free hardcover copy of Poisoned Ground to one of our readers, to be delivered when I receive my author copies in late February. To enter the drawing, just leave a comment.

Thank you again for your loyalty to PDD. I know we’ll be talking again many times, in other places.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will sadly miss you, thanks for being here as long as you have been! I don't care for facebook that much but, will still read your books!
Lynn/MI

Anonymous said...

Forgot to ask if I could please have one of your extra Poe’s Deadly Daughters pin? Again, thanks!
Lynn/MI

Dru said...

I will miss the topics that always gave me insight with great feedback.

Lesa said...

I didn't comment often, but PDD is going to be missed. If any of you feel the urge to write a blog post, talking about mysteries or any subject around them, you can always do a guest post on Lesa's Book Critiques. I'd be honored to host you at any time.

Vicki Lane said...

Thank you, Sandy and the rest of PDD, for years of thoughtful, interesting posts!

Anonymous said...

Partly because I was intrigued by your title, I have read and enjoyed many posts on this bog since I first entered the world of blogdom, about three years ago. I and my colleagues on Crime Writer's Chronicle look forward to your visit to our blog Sunday, March 23 - at www.crimewriters.blogspot.com Thelma Straw in Manhattan

Aubrey Hamilton said...

I am so sorry PDD is ending, although I completely understand the logic for doing so. Blogging takes up a great deal of time that could be employed on the next WIP or petting cats or monitoring the Pandacam, all important activities.

I follow all of this group on Facebook so I will be hearing from you there.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear that there will no longer be any more posts from PDD. Have read a lot of interesting things on this blog. But, like you said, your not going anywhere. Please put my name in the pot for your newest release.

Terry P.

Sandra Parshall said...

Lynn/MI (and anyone else who wants one) -- send your mailing address to sparshall@verizon.net and I'll send you a PDD pin.

Lesa, thank you for the gracious invitation. And I want to thank you and Dru, and other book bloggers, for all you do to help writers get the word out about our books.

Peg Brantley said...

I'm guilty of reading the posts here much more often than my comments would suggest. And as a blogger, both individually and in a group, I know how important those comments are.

My best wishes for the continued success of all of you who made PDD a wonderful place to sip coffee in front of in the mornings.

Unknown said...

I know PDD will be greatly missed. It's an institution! Good luck with your new moves. I'll see you all around elsewhere. Sandi, as you said, "This isn't goodbye." Best wishes to all you move to your next phase of promotion.

L. C. Hayden said...

Just posted and forgot to say, Thanks for all the pleasure you gave us all of these years.

Gram said...

We will miss you. It will leave a big hole in our days. Free pin?

Tozca Leather said...

I like to visit here many articles are good in reading

Unknown said...

I didn't comment often, but I regularly clicked by to read and so will miss PDD. I'm glad you're starting your own blog, and will make sure to follow you there!

Marni said...

You should all be tremendously proud of PDD for all these years! See you on FB, Sandy and all, and thanks for the great posts~

Leslie Budewitz said...

As others have said, I read more often than I comment, but I have *always* appreciated your thoughtful analysis of books and publishing. You have introduced me to some writers I did not know. Any time you'd like to comment on some scientific or psychological issue you've been researching and how it might relate to writing -- like your pieces on memory or the brain -- I'd love to have you as a guest on my Law & Fiction blog.

Thanks for all the years of good reading!

Sandra Parshall said...

Remember to email me with your mailing address if you want a PDD pin. sparshall@verizon.net

I'll post the winner of the free book here tomorrow morning.

Nancy Adams said...

Thank you so much, Sandy, for all your many thoughtful posts over the years. I've always enjoyed them, and I'll miss reading them, but I realize how much time and energy blogging takes.

Hoping you'll still be around on the Sister in Crime and Guppy lists, where you always have such good info and have been such a support to other writers over the years.

Best wishes.

Barb Goffman said...

Thank you, Sandy, and the rest of PDD for your regular blog posts these last few years. They so often were thought-provoking and a pleasure to read. You all have hosted me a couple of times, including for my beloved Scout's memorial service. I will be forever grateful for that (and I'm so happy you're leaving the archives up).

In a take-off of the immortal words of Julie Andrews, so long, but not farewell. I know you'll be around, in person and on the web. Take care.

Anonymous said...

I have greatly enjoyed PDDs and will miss your interesting and informative blogs. May all go well for all of you.

LD Masterson said...

I will miss reading you here but I'll echo Nancy and say I hope we'll still see you in the SinC and Guppies list groups.

J. D. Revelle said...

I will be on the lookout for your creative expressions on Facebook!

Sandra Parshall said...

The winner of the free hardcover copy of Poisoned Ground is Aubrey Hamilton.

Thank you all for reading PDD! Remember to send me your mailing address (at sparshall@verizon.net) if you asked for a PDD pin.

See you around on Facebook, DorothyL, SinC and other nooks of the internet!

Debra H. Goldstein said...

Sandra:
Realize this is too late for the drawing, but I did want to tell you that PDD will be missed in this form - you all did a marvelous job with it and I look forward to following your endeavors on facebook and through other social media.