How I Got Published: Caroline Fardig

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Caroline Fardiq

Today is Caroline Fardig’s birthday so let’s all wish her a very  HAPPY BIRTHDAY and all the best in her writing career.  Caroline is the author of the Java Jive mystery series and the Lizzie Hart mystery series. Fardig’s Bad Medicine was named one of the best books of 2015 by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.

 

HOW I GOT PUBLISHED

I wrote my first book about five years ago and didn’t really know what to do with it.  I assumed the next step was to try to get an agent, so I spent about six months trying to do that.  As a first-time author with only one unpublished book under my belt, I didn’t get a lot of attention.  I put the book on the back-burner and tinkered with a sequel to it.  Finally, my husband had had enough of my sitting on the sidelines.  He’d heard about authors having success in going it alone, and he urged me to self-publish.  On January 30, 2013, I released my first book, It’s Just a Little Crush, and sat back and waited.

After sitting back and waiting didn’t move very many books, I got myself a publicist.  She worked to get exposure for my book, and by August, I had a #1 Barnes and Noble bestseller in both the Humor and Women’s Sleuths categories on my hands.  Then, armed with my publicist’s guidance and some decent sales figures, I searched for an agent again.  All of a sudden, people wanted to talk to me about my book.  I landed a contract with Ethan Ellenberg, and he went to work to sell my Lizzie Hart series.

 Things didn’t work out for that series to get picked up, and I ended up self-publishing the entire Lizzie series (now up to 4 books).  Ethan has always championed my writing, and he was kind enough to work with me to develop an idea for a new series, the Java Jive Mysteries series.  It was immediately snapped up by Random House Alibi with a two-book deal, and they so strongly believed in the series, they gave me an additional two-book deal even before the first book, Death Before Decaf, was released.  I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I think about it.

 ABOUT DEATH BEFORE DECAF

 Death Before Decaf cover 2.6M
 Perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich and Diane Mott Davidson, Caroline Fardig’s captivating new mystery novel takes readers behind the counter of a seemingly run-of-the-mill coffeehouse . . . where murder is brewing.

After her music career crashes and burns spectacularly, Juliet Langley is forced to turn to the only other business she knows: food service. Unfortunately, bad luck strikes yet again when her two-timing fiancé robs her blind and runs off with her best waitress. Flushing what’s left of her beloved café down the toilet with her failed engagement, Juliet packs up and moves back to her college stomping grounds in Nashville to manage an old friend’s coffeehouse. At first glance, it seems as though nothing’s changed at Java Jive. What could possibly go wrong? Only that the place is hemorrhaging money, the staff is in open revolt, and Juliet finds one unlucky employee dead in the dumpster out back before her first day is even over.

The corpse just so happens to belong to the cook who’d locked horns with Juliet over the finer points of the health code. Unimpressed with her management style, the other disgruntled employees are only too eager to spill the beans about her fiery temper to the detective on the case. Add to the mix a hunky stranger who’s asking way too many questions, and suddenly Juliet finds herself in some very hot water. If she can’t simmer down and sleuth her way to the real killer, she’s going to get burned.

The second book in the series, Mug Shot, will be released on April 19th.

Links:

http://www.carolinefardig.com/

http://www.carolinefardig.com/blog/

15 thoughts on “How I Got Published: Caroline Fardig”

  2. Cheers and much happy on your birthday.
    Looking at all the careers/jobs/activities before publishing, it’s easy to see this is one author who has had opportunity to observed lots of people in many situations. Years of storing up characters and little mysteries finally got together to produce word collections all dressed up and ready to read. Fun interview

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Have a wonderful birthday! And thanks for sharing your publishing story. It’s always helpful and interesting to learn how other people do it.

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. I love these success stories. It certainly shows what stamina and determination can do. Thanks for sharing Caroline’s story. And Happy Birthday Caroline. And Happy Easter to both of you. 🙂 ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. Happy Birthday to Caroline and hope this Java Jive series continues to build a reading fans group.
    Happy Easter and good spring fun moments sent your way, Carol. You are a great reviewer. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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