Is there any pleasure more tantalizing or satisfying than a well-crafted, sinewy “who done it”? For as long as humans have put pen to ink and ink to page, mystery writers, in the grand tradition of legends such as Agatha Christie, P.D. James, Louise Penny, and countless others, have spun tales of intrigue, subterfuge, and murder. Mysteries and crime stories remain one of the most popular and enduring forms of entertainment.
Anne Shillolo loves a good mystery, but more than anything, she loves to write them. Since her retirement as an elementary school teacher in 2019, Anne has penned an incredible twenty-two full-length novels and several novellas. Not only is she completely immersed in the craft, but she has also established a viable and thriving business as an independent author, managing to attract a worldwide audience for her brand of storytelling.
“It is what I always wanted to do”, Anne points out. With time available to do so, she is not wasting a minute.
From her earliest memories, Anne has been fascinated with crime fiction and its particular allure for involving the reader in solving the puzzle that murder mysteries present. Although literature has been a constant companion throughout her life, it was the freedom to spend each day writing, often as many as seven thousand words in a sitting, that really accounted for her prodigious output.
Her experiences as a journalist and student poet gave her the discipline required to take on what is quickly becoming a second career. In a quiet writing nook, at her home in rural Sprucedale, Anne sets out every day to follow the twists and turns that her varied, whimsical, and quirky characters encounter through complex events, that they alone, must somehow outwit.
Anne has produced several series of books dedicated to specific, recurring protagonists. Her much beloved Poodle Versus series, with ten books completed, spotlights Rocco, “a pampered prince of a poodle”, with a nose for clues, and his elegant owner, newspaper publisher Zora Flynn, as they often trace the serpentine trail to the offender. Captioned as, Cottage Country Cozy Mysteries, the books are rare entertainment with an unusual cast of characters.
Heroes emerge in other series such as Inspector Hilary Casgrain, D.C Holly Townes, and others. Anne has no end of inspiration for her stories, but her aim is to keep her readers guessing. Police procedurals, murder mysteries, or romantic mishaps, provide ample opportunity for her to explore the possibilities.
She relishes the time she invests in her daily practice, more as a joyful occupation than a task, and has yet to succumb to any pressure or stress to invent stimulating plots or situations.
For Anne, words flow rather effortlessly and she states that she often sees her stories like “a movie in my head”, that she simply writes down. Unlike many litterateurs, Anne writes without using a draft or outline; allowing the storyline to emerge naturally from her imagination, adding a charming freshness and unique charisma to her fiction.
Anne sends out a weekly newsletter which she claims is paramount to maintaining a presence as an independent novelist. Unlike published authors, independents have to contend with all business aspects of distribution and continued readership. Most of her fans find her works through Amazon, in the form of eBooks, audiobooks, or paperbacks. Surprisingly, eBooks are a formidable trend within the publishing world, accounting for a growing world readership, representing 18 per cent of all books sold. (https://wordsrated.com/ebooks-sales-statistics/ )
Keeping readers interested in her works is one of the reasons producing a series is so valuable. Once a heroine is developed, readers are keen to continue with the vagaries and challenges they face. Certainly, this has been an established norm in published crime fiction.
Often, eBooks are initially offered as a free download to entice future engagement with the series. Anne’s book, for example, “Goodbye Port Alma”, generated over 70,000 free downloads and 2,727 reviews, with a 4.4-star average, and is still on the Top 100 Free in its categories, after nearly two years since it was published on May 13, 2021. Her newsletter alone, to date, has 10,000 subscribers who anxiously await new additions to Anne’s three most popular series: Poodle Versus, Port Alma Murder Mysteries, and Elk Ridge Murder Mysteries.
Anne attributes her business strategy to Mark Dawson’s podcast, Self-Publishing 101. The Indie author’s business model is quite different than traditional book publishing. It is a business entirely dependent on the author, who benefits from where they create to inventory control, and all sales. “Success, or lack of, is totally customer-based, there is no gatekeeper”, explains Anne.
There is a direct correlation between the audience and the author. Incomes are generated solely through the novelist’s engagement with the readers. The mantra for an independent writer is, “write, publish, repeat”. Anne, with her love for the creative process, is ideally suited for such an enterprise.
A key element to success for Anne is the development and augmentation of her web page which is the interface Anne employs to distribute and promote her works. Initiated by Leah Reeder, of Reeder Web Design, Anne’s webpage, https://www.anneshillolo.com/ is where interested readers are introduced to her fiction and newsletter.
Anne will read and take part in a wonderful multi-author event at Huntsville’s new bookstore, Cedar Canoe Book, at 72 Main St East, on Saturday, April 29, 2023, as part of celebrations for Canadian Independent Bookstore Day. Her paperback books are available for sale there as well.
Given her immense creativity, Anne is poised to continue as a successful novelist well into the future.
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zelda dwyer says
I love mystery books. I will be signing up for your newsletter.
Congratulations!