Why I Love Murder & the 5 Ws of Kickstarter
August 1, 2024 Newsletter
Why do I love murder?
Let’s face it, a good murder gets under the skin in a creepy-crawly, haunting way that keeps us coming back for more. But why is that? Here are my big 3 reasons:
The Act. Murder—the taking of another’s life—is the biggest sin of all. That makes for a good story. Who would want to do something so bad? How the heck did they do it? And will they get away with it?
The Method. The are many ways to kill, and the variety of methods is intrigues me. Dostoyevsky played with the idea of a character imagining the perfect murder. His story stays with me. Who could be so devious? Who could be so ingenious? Would they actually go through with it?
At the risk of sounding odd, I have to admit I enjoy researching murder methods. Did you know people grow poison gardens? It’s a thing. Another interesting fact is that Louise Penny, a famous Canadian mystery writer, makes all her murders “Canadian.” For example one happens on a skating rink.
The Motivation. The motivation lurking behind a murder reveals not only the darkness within the villain, but a bit about our own darkness when we begin to understand them. They say most murders are committed because of jealousy, rage, or greed. Have you not bottled some of these volatile emotions? Of course you have. We all have a dark side.
Your turn. Tell me why you’re drawn to murder stories. I love hearing from readers. You can comment below or email me directly (Jo@jo-anncarson.com)
Not all my stories have supernatural beings roaming about, but they do all have dead bodies, enough suspense to curl your toes, and a touch of humor to lighten your day.
My Catalogue
You can find a catalogue of my books on my website, https://jo-anncarson.com. The stories range in size from short stories to full novels, from no steam to full steam. The main genres are Supernatural Suspense and Cozy Mystery. If you would like a taste of my writing check out my list of FREE books.
A Serialized Edition of The Nanaimo Bar Christmas Mystery
I’ve started posting chapters of the novella, The Nanaimo Bar Christmas Mystery on Fridays. I’ll post a chapter every week. Here is my Serial Page, in case you miss a post.
On My Desk
What the Fang? (Fangsters, book 4)
Some idiot is stealing fangs from my students! My name is Rebel Black and I’m the head mistress of an academy for delinquent vampires. If I don’t find the villain quickly my blackmailer will expose my secret.
Releases on Nov. 13th and is up for preorder.
For Whom the Hounds Howl (Anna Maple, book2)
When Anna Maple discovers a dead body on the doorstep of the Cozy Corner Cafe she knows she has to find the killer.
The Kickstarter campaign for this book will go live on Sept. 24th.
One Cookie Short of Christmas (Anna Maple, book3)
Anna Maple discovers a dead elf at a Christmas Bazaar. This is a work in progress that will launch before Christmas.
Want to get your cookie published in a book?
I want to share some of your favorite Christmas cookie recipes in the novella, One Cookie Short of Christmas. I’ll choose between the ones submitted. If your recipe is chosen your name will be in the book! Please forward recipes to me (jo@jo-anncarson.com) Use the subject heading Cookie Love.
The 5 Ws of Kickstarter
The who, what, where, when, and why of the Kickstarter world. Is it for you? Check out the details. You might be surprised.
1. What is Kickstarter?
On the Kickstarter website they state:
“Our mission is to help bring creative projects to life. Kickstarter campaigns make ideas into reality. It’s where creators share new visions for creative work with the communities that will come together to fund them… We believe that art and creative expression are essential to a healthy and vibrant society, and the space to create requires protection.
We don’t want art world elites and entertainment executives to define our culture; we want creative people—even those who’ve never made anything before—to take the wheel. We help creators connect directly with their communities, putting power where it belongs.
We are so committed to our mission, we wrote it into our business model.” (Kickstarter.com)
2. What it is not.
A Kickstarter is not a fundraising platform for people in need, charities etc.
3. Who likes it?
Currently the main demographic of users is 18 to 35 year olds, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s a place for patrons to support new projects, and for creators to showcase their work. Amazing projects are launched on Kickstarter and it’s exciting to watch them take off.
4. When does all this magic happen?
The creator chooses a date for their project to start and end. (They say 21 days is optimum.) The campaign goes through three basic stages: prelaunch, launch, and fulfillment. There are new Kickstarters posted every day. You can support an artist for as little as a loonie (i.e., a dollar) and watch their campaign grow.
5. Where can I find it?
Why would I want to get involved?
If you are a creator, it’s an opportunity to:
showcase your work to an audience you might not meet anywhere else.
create an enhanced experience for you readers (by offering exclusive deals, merchandise, extra art work, … the list goes on).
create a relationship with your readers that you don’t get on other sales platforms.
meet and collaborate with like-minded authors.
If you are a patron, it’s an opportunity to:
a. support creators and their projects.
b. develop a direct relationship with creators.
c. purchase exclusive creations.
What is the #1 most funded Kickstarter Project to Date?
Four Secrets by science fiction author Brandon Sanderson raised nearly 42 billion dollars USD (Jan. 2024)
Next Kickstarter Info Post
Sept. 1st - I’ll define commonly used terms in the Kickstarter world (i.e., pledge, funding goal, tiers etc.) in addition to my regular monthly news.
My Final Words
Sources
All cover art is created by designers (i.e., Fangsters - Dreams2Media; Anna Maple Cozies -Deranged Doctor Designs).
The larger images are created by me on Canva.com.
Jo-Ann’s Kickstarter
The campaign is not live yet, but you can tag it to show you’re interested, if your are so inclined. Link.
btw my funding goal is $500.00 Canadian, which will help me pay my basic publishing costs.