A Nose for Death (Ginny Reese Mysteries Book 4) is now available!

It’s finally here! A Nose for Death (Ginny Reese Mysteries Book 4) is now available! For some reason the print version on Amazon is a little slow to go live, but it’s now up as an ebook and print book on Amazon. It will soon be live on Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, or you can ask your library to stock it through Hoopla and Overdrive, if those are your preferred platforms. What can I say? Amazon is speedy, so if you can’t wait, grab your copy there. If you’d rather support different sites, the price is the same across them all.

Cover art for A Nose for Death, depicting A German Shepherd sitting in a lane with fencing on either side that leads to a lovely house in the background. Behind the dog, there is a bloody axe in the driveway.

Isn’t this cover adorable? I made high-pitched dolphin squeals when I saw this from Melody Simmons at Bookscre8tivecovers.com. Here’s the blurb:

A storm. A dog. And a body…
Ginny Reese and her dog Remington are back in a thrilling new cozy mystery by award-winning author M.K. Dean.

Veterinarian Ginny Reese is adjusting to her recent inheritance in the small southern town of Greenbrier. After a storm takes down one of the outbuildings on her property, her dog, Remington, discovers human remains in the ruins. When the victim turns out to be Vicky Coleman, an old high school classmate—and former girlfriend of Sheriff Joe Donegan—both Ginny and Joe become suspects and are sidelined by a new investigative team.

Ginny’s relationship with Vicky Coleman ended on bad terms and she feels obligated to find out what happened to her former best friend. Doing so will stir up old memories and feelings, potentially derailing whatever it is Ginny is rekindling with Joe. But Vicky played some dangerous games that put her in the crosshairs of a killer, and if Ginny isn’t careful, she and Remy will end up in the killer’s sights as well.

A Nose for Death is the fourth book in the highly acclaimed Ginny Reese Mysteries, and the stakes have never been higher. Make sure you have time to read when you pick up your copy because you won’t be able to put it down!

I can’t wait to share this with you! I’ll be doing a live on TikTok tomorrow evening (Saturday 3/29/25 at 7 pm EST) with author Dori Saltzman (Death of a Travel Advisor) to discuss writing mysteries, but also writing series. Do join us! My account is https://www.tiktok.com/@mk_dean_author. We look forward to seeing you there!

I’ll be updating this post with the other links as they go live!

TikTok has returned… but I’m not sure I will

Oh, the drama.

I’ve previously written about my joyful experience on TikTok, and why losing the platform would be painful. I’ve spent the last three years building my community there. I preferred it to every other social media platform. My engagement was superior to anything Meta offered, where maybe 5 people out of a 100 followers actually saw my posts. 

I was not one of the many who made money there. But many of the 1.7 million users do rely on TikTok as a significant source of income.

We’d been hearing about a potential ban for years–first touted by the Trump Presidency, and then again in various forms. Each time when the ban seemed imminent, we got a reprieve, so despite my best intentions of saving my data and following people on other sites, it didn’t seem that urgent.

Until the last couple of months, when the ban got approved by Congress and signed by President Biden into law because it was tucked into a Must-Approve aid package to the Ukraine. Many that voted for it waffled around the notion it would actually take place.

Then in the run-up to implementation of the law the news changed so fast and so often, it could give you whiplash. Yes, the ban will go through Jan 19, 2025. No the app won’t disappear from your phone. Yes, the app will stop working slowly over time. Wait, Senator Markey is trying to get a stay! Oh no, Senator Cotton refused to cooperate. We’ll have to see what SCOTUS says. SCOTUS won’t give an answer before the inauguration. WAIT. They changed their mind and announced their decision: the ban is ON. The app will go DARK Jan 19. No, wait, Biden approved a 36 hour extension! But hang on, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew says that’s not good enough, and US offices–and services–will shut down. There was a lot of talk about Biden not wanting to invoke the 90 day extension because that could only be invoked once, and he wanted to leave Trump some options.

And so starting the evening of Jan 18, my TT service became wonky, and by Sunday morning, Jan 19, I had a notice saying services were closed but they hoped to be back soon. For four hours, the site was dark and many mourned.

And then, within a few hours of Trump posting about possible conditions to save for the app, it was back with a statement thanking Trump for working with them. It was very… deferential.

Apparently, Facebook has an official TikTok account now as well. Only they aren’t calling it Meta, so is it real? Word has it that not only did Shou Zi Chew attended the inauguration, but his bio no longer includes “TikTok CEO”. Other people said Chew has meetings lined up with Zuckerberg (and possibly Musk) this week. And people are saying their FYP and search options are different now. It’s hard to know what to believe, but TikTok’s own subservient statement makes the rumors seem true.

The reality of it is that aside from Bluesky (you’ll find me here), every other major platform in the US is controlled by right-wing interests now. Let that sink in a moment.

I have to say, I’m exhausted by all the song and dance. I’m disturbed by the implications of what’s happened here. It feels a lot like the uproar that occurred when New Coke was introduced, and everyone hated it so much they demanded a return to the original. I never believed the original tasted quite right after that, and I have a sneaking suspicion this formula was also changed but because New Coke was so bad, we happily accepted the return to “Coca-Cola Classic.” 

All this is to say, I’m not sure I’ll be going back to TikTok. I might pop on and download my data (I tried before but so many people tried to do the same I never could get through). I might wave at some friends and comment on their posts. But I’m not sure I’m going to devote so much time and energy to any one social media platform–or all social media platforms–again.

I’m checking out other alternatives. Bluesky is talking about creating a TikTok alternative using the decentralized format and censorship resistance associated with their platform that has become the Twitter replacement for many. TheNeptuneApp is a women-owned company seeking to create a TikTok-like platform that will allow monetization like TikTok. Tome Books is a bookish app created to be a place for fans of ACOTAR-type fantasy novels, but may be open to other genres. (I couldn’t find a link that didn’t direct to Instagram, so not sharing) Pixelfed is supposed to be the way Instagram was before Meta took it over.

Meta ceased to be useful to me as a platform unless I throw money at it. I left Twitter when you had to pay to be blue-check verified.

Yes, as creators, we need to be where our audiences are. But I also need to follow my conscience. However, I am also heartily tired of jumping through all the algorithm hoops. My advice to new authors has always been pick one or two platforms you enjoy being on and let the rest go. As I move away from forcing the writing to be a second source of income or a viable retirement plan, maybe the answer for me is to severely cut back my media time altogether.

Besides, with less time on social media, I might actually get more writing done.

 

Why I’m Quitting in 2025

I’ve been publishing stories since 2010, when my first book was accepted by a small press. Since then, I’ve written 19 novels under various pen names.

I made a decision to rebrand myself and self-publish in 2017, when two of the small presses I worked with stopped paying royalties to their authors. I re-branded again in 2022 when I realized that I wrote more mysteries than I did romances (though I’m stuck with this website domain name unless I want to start all over again from scratch).

Also in 2022 or thereabouts, I decided to spend less time on social media platforms I didn’t enjoy, and dove headfirst into TikTok. I didn’t abandon the other platforms–authors are expected to maintain a presence on a wide variety of sites–but I neglected them (and this website) in favor of my new shiny toy. 

I’ve never had as much fun on a social media platform as I have on TikTok. Something about the format brought out the frustrated actress in me, and I had a blast playing with wigs, filters, costumes, and lip syncing to funny sounds. If I could make it relevant to my writing, even better. But unlike people who managed to parlay their time on the app into real income, or at the very least, a decent side hustle, I never hit the big time. Not as an  influencer. Not as an author. But I met lots of wonderful people and I had FUN at a time when I needed it the most. I found an enjoyable community there, and I loved it.

It seems very likely that TikTok will be banned in the US shortly. Don’t get me started on that–that’s a whole other discussion by itself–but let’s just say that Google, Amazon, and Meta donated large sums of money to seeing the app got killed here in the US.

So, 2 years of work building a platform will be going down the drain. And I have to say, as much fun as I’ve had on TikTok, it’s been detrimental to my writing productivity. Every year I spend more and more time on marketing, promotion, and social media to the exclusion of writing. One of the nice things about TT was the algorithm was easier to master. But all SM platforms keep raising the bar on visibility, requiring you to spend either time or money there in order to be seen.

The bulk of my ideal readership is probably on Facebook, to a lesser degree, Instagram. The bulk of my sales are through Amazon. I’ve spoken at length about why I don’t have my books in KU, and only part of that is because once all other digital platforms for selling books is gone, Amazon can do whatever they like to authors. There are reasons why I can’t divorce myself from these platforms even though I have strong moral objections to how they do business. (Leaving Twitter was easy. Once Musk took over, it ceased to be a useful platform for authors. If you want to find me in a happier place, I’m on bluesky now)

And when I realized that the odds were high I was going to lose TikTok–and any traction I’ve worked to build as an indie author–something inside me just gave up.

No. I’m not going to quit writing.

But I’m going to take the pressure off of it.

I’m no longer going to jump through hoops to get noticed. I’m going to spend less time on social media period. I’m not going require my writing to fund my retirement, or make me a household name. I’m going to write because I have fun doing so, and stop trying so hard to make it a second (or third) job. I’m going to write the stories I want to read without worrying if they are marketable or not. If I pitch something to an agent, it will be for the fun of it, not because I’m hoping it will change my life. If I go to a convention, it will be to see friends, not to sell myself as an author. I’m not giving up on my dreams. I’m giving up on sacrificing joy for them. Honestly, at this point, the writing just has to break even and stop costing me money.

And while I’m conflicted about where I will spend my time as an author on social media, maybe the answer for right now is right here. Where I can release my thinky thoughts for people to read or not read as they see fit, without worrying about pleasing a demanding algorithm.

But I am going to miss you, TikTok.

 

 

December Events: Indie Author Winter Wonderland and A Cozy Mystery Party

It’s December 1 here, and we’re experiencing a little light snow. Sadly, snow is a rare occurrence these days, so I appreciate the weather being cooperative when I’m planning some winter-themed events!

The first is that I’m participating in the Indie Author Winter Wonderland event hosted by Indievisible Events December 6-9. This event pulls in indie authors across varied genres to showcase their work at discounted prices!

The second is on December 8th, from 1:30-2 pm EST, I’ll be doing an author takeover as part of the HUGE Cozy Mystery Party hosted by the Facebook group of the same name. I’ll be talking about the Ginny Reese Mystery series, holiday baking, and pets in books, among other things. I’ll also be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card–which I’m sure can come in handy right about now! You have to join the group to participate, but you should anyway! They are always hosting some sort of cool and fun event with great prizes too. Just look at all the names of the participating authors in this year’s party!! I believe everyone is doing their own giveaway, too!

I’m already planning to attend as many of these takeovers as possible.

For the duration of these events, An Embarrassment of Itches (Ginny Reese Mysteries Book 1) will be just 0.99 cents for a limited time. Be sure to tell your friends to snag their copy if they haven’t read it yet.

A Nose for Death (Ginny Reese Mysteries Book 4) is with the editor right now, and we’re looking at a March 2025 release date. I’m hoping to have some launch party book signings arranged by then.

Also, I’m no longer on Twitter. I’m over on Bluesky, which feels the way Twitter felt in the early days before the feeds got throttled and linking to outside sites was frowned upon.

So, come join in the fun!

Finding Your Balance in an Unstable World

View of an open field, from the back of a horse looking between its ears

The other day, someone asked me how I was doing, and I said, “I’m not okay.”

It’s not the standard response people expect when they ask this question. Usually the person asking doesn’t really want to know how you are, it’s something people say, like “Hot enough for you out there?” or “Do you have plans for the holidays?”

It’s the polite thing to say, a sort of conversational placeholder until it is your turn to speak again.

The truth of the matter is that I haven’t been okay for a long time now. I’ve been walking the fine line between burnout and breakdown for what seems like decades, long before the pandemic and personal loss swept through our lives, stretching me farther than I could have thought possible. Recovering from that time period merely put me back walking on the tightrope, so to speak, instead of clinging to it with my fingertips.

To switch metaphors, there are times when you’re riding a galloping horse and for whatever reason–it stumbles or begins to buck–and you lose your balance. There’s a tipping point at which you know you’re not going to regain it and you have to decide if you should keep trying or bail–choosing to control your fall and landing. I’ve always been good at recovering my balance and getting myself upright in the saddle, getting the horse back under control and shoving my feet into stirrups again. But there are times when it is truly impossible.

Just when I thought I might regain my balance enough to make it to the other side of these past years–whatever that other side might be–I was utterly devastated by the results of the most recent US election. This may lose me readers and followers. If so, so be it.

I grew up in a Christian household. Church every Sunday, Vacation Bible School, and spiritual retreats. Weekly worship sessions were about learning how best to walk in the path of Christ’s teachings. Somewhere along the line, the message of sermons became unrecognizable to me. I saw doors close because members of a congregation would rather have their church dissolved than to let in the influx of BIPOC members of the community resulting from changing neighborhood demographics. I witnessed a kind, decent, and inspirational pastor be removed from his pulpit because his wife asked for a divorce. I noted the rise of authority figures within a church who became powerful and wealthy men in the community, leveraging their status into more power and wealth in the larger world of politics.

Sermons became less about the teachings of Christ and more about how “life is like a football game, and it’s the 4th down and time to punt.” I wish I could tell you I was exaggerating, but I’m not. I’ve heard the football sermon more times that I can count in more churches than I care to name.

For the life of me, I can’t understand how anyone professing to be a Christian can strike down against almost every tenet of Jesus. Who believed in feeding the hungry. Healing the sick. A social activist who had known hunger, poverty, and homelessness. An immigrant, a defender of the marginalized, a champion of the broken-hearted and the oppressed. Executed by the Roman government who saw Him as a political threat.

I cannot understand anyone professing to be a Christian choosing to sit down at a table Jesus would have flipped.

These last few weeks post election have been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I fear for the future of my country and the safety of people I love. I know I’m relatively safe, all things considered. I’m a senior white woman in a loving marriage with a man who supports me as a human being and I’m well-beyond child-bearing age. We have reasonably secure jobs that pay the bills, even though I see major belt-tightening in our future because every time we have a GOP controlled administration, the economy suffers. But not every member of my family has these same privileges. The BIPOC and LGBQTIA+ members certainly don’t. The women in my family don’t. The planet and our future generations don’t have the luxury of taking a “wait and see” approach. And once you start sliding down the slope of authoritarianism, finding purchase to climb back up again is challenging, to say the least.

(I have to say, looking at the next administration’s cabinet picks, I should never give another moment’s thought ever to imposter syndrome. Ever.)

But my pendulum swings between rage and despair are shallower now. I may not be able to change what is happening to my country (and therefore, the world) but I can control how I react to it. I will not live in misery and fear.

As I have previously said, I write stories for the person who needs a few hours of escapism from their lives: the caretaker who needs some moments of respite, those who are chronically ill or in pain, the person who had a crappy day at work (or years of crappy days at work), the person living with crippling anxiety. More and more, I write because I need that kind of escapism.

So while you will see more Ginny Reese mysteries, I’m also going to write the stories that allow me to step into another world and forget my own for a few hours, regardless if they sell or not. I will spend less time on social media, jumping through hoops, aiming for a bar that keeps moving. More time with those I care about most, and doing the small things that bring me joy for as long as I can.

There’s a reason why, when you get bucked off a horse, you’re told to get back on right away. It’s because the longer you stay off the horse, the harder it is to get back in the saddle, to put yourself at risk again. Sometimes, the wiser course of action is to stay grounded and take a different path. I have the luxury of choosing a different path. I hope to use my privilege in more meaningful ways than I have thus far.

So while I’m not okay right now, I’m getting better. And I’ll be okay again someday.

 

It’s Bouchercon time!

Tomorrow I’m flying to Nashville to join my good friends Claire Johnson and Anna Butler at the 55th annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention! I’m so excited! This is my first Bouchercon, as this is the first year that it’s been somewhat in my neck of the woods.

According to Bouchercon’s Mission statement:

Bouchercon’s mission is to introduce, attract, and promote readers and writers by producing outstanding, inclusive events to grow and sustain the mystery community.

Bouchercon® is the annual world mystery convention where every year readers, writers, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers and other lovers of crime fiction gather for a 4-day weekend of education, entertainment, and fun!


The first Bouchercon took place in 1970 in Santa Monica, California. Subsequent Bouchercons have been held in many cities across the United States, as well as in Toronto and the UK.

Wait, what? 1970 was 55 years ago?? I’m sure this must be a typo, right? 

At any rate, the event will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center and it looks to be a SMASHING conference! The venue is amazing! There are terrific panels on almost every subject imaginable, and the Anthony Awards will be announced as well. Not to mention, I just found out Laurie King will be celebrating the 30 year anniversary of the release of The Beekeeper’s Apprentice–which also doesn’t seem possible that this beginning to a terrific series was that long ago as well.

Planning to go? Look for me there! I’ll be doing speed-dating for authors (it’s exactly what it sounds like only you as the reader sit at tables while authors come by and for 2 minutes persuade you to read their book) as well as a panel on avoiding the pitfalls of indie publishing with moderator Fred Tippet II, and panelists R Weir, Winnie Frolik, and
Josh Pachter. Immediately after the panel, I’ll be signing books in the dealer’s room. Provided I can find it! Will GPS work inside the convention center? Better brush up on those map reading skills! Hope to see you there!

Bookmarks, Bouchercon, and the Next Ginny Reese Mystery

Everyone who knows me knows I live for that first day at the end of the summer, when the temperatures drop 20 degrees and the humidity is cut in half. You can take a deep breath without feeling as though you need gills, and walk the dogs without feeling as though you live in a greenhouse. As someone with poor heat tolerance, I loathe summer. I get it when friends bemoan the coming winter months, when the skies are dull and gray, and you have to deal with sleet and the occasional snow. But give me a break. We barely get any fall or winter these days, whereas summer is nearly year-round now.

Let me have my autumn, darn it. Bring on the spooky season, I say!

“Summer” starts sooner and lasts longer each year now. Every year shatters heat records from the year before. We almost never see snow around here anymore, and are perilously close to losing fall as well as winter.

I incorporated a little ode to Autumn in the opening paragraphs of A Nose for Death (Ginny Reese Mysteries Book 4) that had to be eliminated when I moved the time sequence for the story from fall to early spring. I’ll share it here:

Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. And not just “fall” but autumn in every sense of the word. It’s the crackle of dry leaves underfoot as they skitter across the sidewalk on a windy day. The smell of wood smoke in the air, and the wet mulchy scent of damp earth. It’s the honking of geese overhead on a cold, gray day, the mournful sound resonating in your bones as you pull out your heavy sweaters and boots for the first time of the season. It’s how the spectrum of sunlight shifts from white to gold, slanting through trees with leaves of yellow, orange, and red, lighting up the emerald-green blades of grass in the fields with an intensity seldom seen at any other time of year. It’s waking to air so crisp, it’s like biting into a fresh apple, with tracings of frost on the windowpanes.

Sadly, what we’re experiencing now is what’s being referred to as ‘false fall.’ Yesterday we got the lovely break in heat and humidity, and tonight the temps are dropping into the upper forties. Normally I’d be thrilled, but we’re told the temperatures are going to bounce back up into the 90s again and stay there well into November. As someone who loves hiking with the dogs, this is depressing, to say the least.

But I’m taking advantage of it now, making a point to get outside after work while we have this temporary reprieve from living in Satan’s armpit. Yesterday, while walking the dogs, the solution to a thorny plot problem that has been tying me up for months miraculously revealed itself to me, and I had to dash back to the house and write it down before the resolution escaped me. I’m not much of an outliner or plotter (some would point out the advantages of being one right about now) but as I wrote down the details of the solution, it held up. Which means I can finally move forward to finish this book.

I’d be hard-pressed to say exactly why it is that I’ve been struggling to finish this WIP. Work stress, life stress, just-getting-darn-old stress have all been factors. I try not to be annoyed with myself and just accept any progress, the Eureka moment when I solved my sticky plot problem being one of them. This means I’m entering the homestretch of Nose at last, and I’m hoping for a fall release date. Another reason to love fall!

I’ll be attending the big mystery convention Bouchercon in Nashville next week, meeting up with friends and sitting in on some panels. I’m busy making swag bags with stickers, QR cards, temporary tattoos, and candy, as well as decorating bookmarks. I find the process of sorting beads, deciding on the colors and patterns, and then creating the handmade look very soothing. But at this point, I’m planning on bringing so much with me to Nashville, I might as well move there!

The swag bags and bookmarks are for the author speed dating event I’m doing Thursday 8/29 am, where I will be circulating a room of attendees, pitching the Ginny Reese Mysteries in a 2 minute spiel to each table. On Saturday 8/31 at 8 am, I’ll be on a panel discussing how to avoid the pitfalls of indie publishing, after which there will be a book signing in the dealers room. If you’re near Nashville next week, you should check out Bouchercon at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center! If you’re attending, look for me there–I’d love to meet you!

Also, if you’re not following M.K. Dean on BookBub, I’d love the support! I can’t take advantage of certain features on the site (such as their release announcement function) until I have at least 1K followers. It costs nothing to create an account if you don’t have one, and what I love about Bookbub is you can tailor your preferences when it comes to their featured deal notifications so you’re alerted if there are discounted/free books in your favorite genre. Check it out!

 

A Series of Small Doors Closing

TW: Pet loss/grief

A stranger on the internet is grieving the unexpected loss of her elderly cat right now.

So many times, my social media feeds share these bright pinpricks of sorrow, and I’m often at a loss as to how to respond. As an empathetic person, it’s easier for me to be weighed down by posts where someone shares heartbreak than I am buoyed by people’s happy stories. Many times I respond with sympathetic words. Sometimes, for the sake of my own mental health, I scroll by without replying, especially if the person grieving is someone I really don’t know at all.

This particular person is so bereft that I want to make things better for her and yet words are inadequate. Grief must be processed. First it overwhelms you. There’s shock, loss, and the crushing pain of knowing someone or something that you loved will never be there again. You may be the type to rage against it. To fall into despair. Eventually, it recedes. Other traumas occur. Happy events occur. We aren’t designed for sustained grief any more than we’re designed for sustained stress. Our mind will do its best to pretend it’s not there after a while.

I often say animals are the perfect vessels for our affection because they give so much of themselves and love us unconditionally in a way few things on this planet can do. Losing that kind of love, the kind that is glad to see you simply because you walked through the door (and have opposable thumbs to open cans of food), is brutal. If you’ve loved an animal for a long time, it’s been through the good times and the bad times with you. It’s not just a dog or cat. It’s the purring cat who settles on your chest when you’re reading a book, or stretches out a paw just to touch you. It’s the dog who rests his head in your lap at the end of a bad day. It’s the animal who follows you into the next room simply to be where you are. It’s the thousands of photos on your camera roll and all the memories that go with them. It’s a vessel of love that taught you the meaning of joy and how to live in the moment. To have that ripped away–regardless if you saw it coming or not–that’s losing the best part of yourself. 

The path you walk with grief isn’t linear, however. Nor is it the same for everyone. People talk about the five stages of grief but no one really seems to mention that you can skip stages or revisit stages more than once. To me, grief is not a stage but a creature that haunts your footsteps as you walk a trail that has entered a darker section of woods. The sun struggles to break through the trees. The path ahead isn’t clear, and it branches in different directions, sometimes even doubling back on itself. There’s a way out, but you have no idea how long it’s going to take, and you’re walking it alone now, alone except for this sense of something tracking you.

At first, even walking seems impossible. You’re stumbling over roots, or your boots become mired in mud. Breathing hurts. This does get better with time, but just how long it will be before the path evens out again depends on so many things: where you are in your stage of life, what kind of support system you do or do not have. Eventually, that grief creature feels less threatening. You’re never exactly friends with it–but there comes a time when you can nod at it in passing and keep going. There are other times when Grief will nod back with a smile, and then just as you come abreast, it will sucker punch you in the gut and laugh because you didn’t see it coming–six weeks, six months, six years later. Grief doesn’t care. It’s both durable and patient. It can’t be rushed.

As I’m getting older, there’s a new element to my grief: the shutting of small doors.

My friends and I are all getting up there in age. We’re reaching a point in our lives where we have to consider the wisdom and logistics of another pet. More and more of my friends are choosing to remain petless now. I don’t want to think about this stage of my life. My animals have been my chosen family for most of my adult life. I wouldn’t be here now without them. The idea of not having a pet in my life is devastating, and yet at some point, my hand may be forced and another door in my life will close.

I went through an incredible period of loss from 2017-2018. During that time, I lost four cats (two elderly house cats, and two ferals that I loved just the same), my beloved dog, my mother, my uncle, my brother, and my first horse, whom I’d had for 30 years. The punches came so hard and fast I didn’t have time to process one before the next one knocked me flat. 2019 gave me a breather and then we all know what happened starting early in 2020, ha-ha thank you very much, pandemic. In 2021, I lost my last horse, and another door shut for good. I didn’t process grief. I walled it up inside me. I don’t recommend doing this, by the way. It has a terrible way of damaging the foundations, leaking toxic material into the framework and rotting the floors. I walk around in a state of self-protection, closing out those I love in an attempt to prevent any more pain. Don’t do that. Don’t miss out on the joy of what you do have for fear of losing it. That path means you lose it twice. I’m working on dealing with it now that I’m no longer in survival mode. But I suspect healing is going to take rebreaking of metaphorical bones that didn’t heal right in the first place.

Last week, I euthanized my last elderly cat. He’d been doing well with kidney and heart disease right up until the point that he wasn’t anymore. It was the right decision. Knowing this doesn’t make it any easier, however. So the pain of some random stranger on the internet is really biting me hard today. I’ve had cats since my freshman year of college. I’ve been incredibly fortunate because my dogs and cats have always gotten along. But my current young dog, a marshmallow in so many ways, discovered a nest of baby bunnies last summer, and since then, he looks at young cats with a whole different gleam in his eye. I’ve decided not to risk introducing another cat–and potential tragedy–into the house at this time. I’m looking at being catless for the foreseeable future, and it’s with tears that I shut another door.

I don’t know what this internet stranger’s circumstances might be. I don’t know if it is possible for her to ever get another cat or if she even would consider one at some point down the road. Some people run out and get another pet right away. Some people know they need more time to process and plan for another pet at some point in the future, and knowing there will be another pet brings them comfort now. Some people decide there will not be any more. Some say there will not be another–and then the right animal, one that needs them as much as they are needed–shows up at the right time. Like navigating grief, choosing to open up your heart again to something whose life is much shorter than ours is an individual decision. Sometimes Grief says one thing, and two weeks later you feel differently. I just know she’s hurting and she’s reached out to the internet for help in how to navigate this pain. Some kind people have shared that they still feel the loss of a beloved pet and that she’s not alone in her grief. Others have made gentle suggestions of things she can do to help her find solace. (One troll suggested they enjoyed having a clean house and being able to vacation whenever they wanted but clearly this person is being a vicious little guttersnipe on purpose, so I hope no one gives them the attention they clearly desire)

I had words to say, but didn’t feel I could adequately convey what I wanted in 240 characters on Twitter. I started to send her this link, but that felt intrusive, so I told her the post existed if she wanted to read it at a time when she was ready. I hope she realizes her cat knows she was loved and treasured, and that is not a small thing. We don’t get enough of that in this world. Choosing to love another pet won’t diminish the presence of Grief shadowing you on that path, but it does mean you won’t walk it alone.

And I hope she can take some small comfort in these words, should she come across them.

 

 

The Possibility of a TikTok Ban is real…

Most of you know I fell in love with TikTok a few years ago, and abandoned almost every other social media platform in its favor. I have so much FUN on the clock app. I get more engagement there than on any other platform. A Facebook page is of no use to me if only a fraction of my followers see my posts. I’ve met so many wonderful indie authors and discovered so many amazing books. TikTok allowed me to tap into a long-dormant flare for the dramatic that brought joy back into creating posts.

@mckennadeanfiction #booktok #cozymystery #cozymysteryseries #ginnyreesemysteries #mkdean #cozymysterybooktok ♬ original sound – Josh Patton

Come on! It’s funny! And I love the versatility of the filters to allow me to change my look on a dime, become different characters for silly little skits, and so on. Did I sell many books? Hard to say, though I’ll share one stat with you:

Last year, I did a stacked free promotion of An Embarrassment of Itches (Ginny Reese Mysteries Book 1). A few days before the Big Promotion, word of the free status of the book got out on a Facebook group. I got about 200 downloads. Everyone advised me to push through with announcing the special discount since the cat was already out of the bag. So I sent the word out through my newsletter: another couple hundred downloads. I posted to Facebook, Instagram, and what used to be Twitter: another couple of hundred downloads. I posted to TikTok: THREE THOUSAND DOWNLOADS IN 24 HOURS. The day of the promotion, I got another 4 K downloads. I’d given away free books before, and had not seen nearly the same success. The only difference is sharing about the promo on TikTok. And yes, that was a freebie, but I garnered more than 300 reviews from that free promotion, and many readers went on to get the next books in the series as well.

The proposal to ban TikTok has come up before, and like most users, I tuned into the hearings. Frankly, I was appalled at the lack of courtesy, respect, and basic understanding of the app shown by the members of Congress toward the CEO of TikTok’s parent company. I also felt like the objections Congress had against TikTok applied to ALL social media apps, including Facebook (and yet no one seems to wish to challenge FB on that…). TikTok denies data sharing with the Chinese government. Nothing seemed to come of it, and the furor died down.

I’ll be perfectly honest, when Live Journal moved all its operations to Russia, I refused to sign the new TOS for over a year, and then only agreed to the terms so I could delete my account. I firmly believe our personal thoughts, opinions, and passions have been combed by the Russian government to use against their opponents in widespread disinformation campaigns. I also believe Facebook’s love of the almighty dollar has done irreparable damage to the US political system by allowing the spread of misinformation go unchecked. So I can understand the concerns. Especially when China is one of the largest holders of the US debt, with something like 868 billion out of a 7 trillion debt.

But now the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in a rare bi-partisan action, voted unanimously to bring a bill to the House floor that would require ByteDance to sell off TikTok or face a nationwide US ban. This suggests to me there is a perceived (and serious) security risk by both parties.

But is it really? Or is that many of the creators on the app raise uncomfortable questions about Gaza, women’s rights, or any of a dozen or more causes I can name? Twitter used to be such a platform, and what happened? It was bought by Elon Musk and became largely a conservative echo chamber, and another pay-to-play platform, thus silencing voices with the most to lose and the least ability to pay to be heard. 

Maybe I’m just upset because one of the few spaces I enjoy being online has become threatened with extinction, along with my ability as a no-name indie author to get word about my stories out there without spending money I don’t have. Maybe I’m just exhausted by the thought of trying to resurrect engagement on platforms that weren’t servicing me well in the past. Maybe the notion of getting on such platforms during an election year and seeing nothing but negative news and false information makes me want to pull my hair out. Or perhaps I’m sad at the thought of losing touch with the friends I’ve made. It’s no good saying I can do the same in other platforms: I can’t. The tools and engagement simply aren’t there. Not for someone like me, who isn’t young, beautiful, and thin.

So maybe I am defending my favorite platform out of a misguided assessment of any security risks it may pose. Those risks don’t seem any greater than any other SM platform that DOES sell our data and relentlessly pushes tailored ads in our direction. Or maybe I’m horribly wrong, and for the sake of national security, the app really should be banned.

I don’t know.

But I have to say, it’s starting to feel like the time for small creators of all kinds is over. Next up, AI replaces us all.

The Chaotic Hype Awards: Good Clean Fun… Mostly.

If you didn’t already know, I’m spending most of my social media time on TikTok these days. There’s something about the platform that appeals to the actor in me, and I have more fun on that platform than any other.

Right now, I’ve been nominated for the Chaotic Hype Awards! This is a crazy annual awards event hosted by BookTokker @chaosandbooktalk. I’m in two categories: Best Mystery Author (as McKenna Dean) and Most Likely to have an Alphabet Agency Watching Them (as MK Dean). The competition is FIERCE and needs to be thinned out. Help a mystery writer out? You can vote in the awards here (and not just mystery: romance, voice actors, reviewers and more)! 

Here’s a little sample of the fun we’ve been having…

 

@mk_dean_author The Chaotic Hype Book Awards will be announced a week from today: February 10th at 7 pm EST with @Chaos and Booktalk 📚 You can only vote once so choose wisely! Lynx to the voting can be found in the clicky place in my personal biography! #mysterywriter #mysterytok #ginnyreesemysteries #chaotichypeawards2024 #chaotichypeawards #dundundun #bookbesties #hypegirlsquad ♬ original sound – MK Dean Cozy Mystery Author