About

February 8, 2012. It was 11:00 in the evening here in Ohio. The day was winding down for most people, but I was thinking I would try my hand at writing a story.

I had never written anything before, and I didn’t have a story in mind, but I opened the proverbial blank piece of paper in Word and decided to see what I could produce.

I’ve always loved the name Susan, so I chose to use it for my main character. I decided to write about some of my life experiences from working in a weight loss center by day and playing racquetball at night, but I would have everything play out in a much more interesting way in Susan’s life.

The opening paragraph came easily:

My perfectly restored ‘67 Chevy Chevelle careened around the corner at Walsh and Park, the tires squealing in an effort to get my attention. I was angry. My mind was reeling. I was thinking of all the ways I wanted to kill him. People on the sidewalk were staring as I flew by, and I knew I had to get a grip on more than the steering wheel. Carbide City was known for speed traps, and I didn’t need another ticket. Why are restored muscle cars magnets for cops and tickets anyway?

On July 13, 2012, I completed the fourth book in the series. I know! Isn’t that crazy? But I was having fun – sailing along, writing, laughing, and self-publishing. My books are a fun, easy read. There is mystery, a little humor (sometimes madcap), and a little romance. They are pretty squeaky clean with nothing to make you blush.

I started blogging in June. I wanted to record this crazy path of writing I’m on. Since I’ve been here, I’ve met wonderful people, learned from others, and I’ve even sharpened my new-found writing skills.

I do post quite a bit about my books, writing, or something I’ve learned, but I also like to shake things up with bits of humor at times. I hope you find something to enjoy here. Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

~Maddie

Write to me!  maddiecochere@breezybooks.com
My website for my  books:
breezybooks.com

156 thoughts on “About”

  2. Thank you for your comments on my flash fiction story. I’ve never had it commented on before. I was worried that it wasn’t good enough. I tend to have an easier time creating plots than characters. It took a lot of edits to get just the right feel. Characters are harder to create, especially the longer the story is. I thought that maybe I could submit it for the magazine so I’m take it off my blog, in case they want to publish it. I’m SO glad you like it! Your comments have given me a real boost! I’d hug you if I could. (I’ve copied your wonderful comments and added it to the bottom of my story at home so I can always read it. Thank you so much!)

    Reply ↓

    • Oh my gosh! (I really do talk like that.) Thank you so much! I just found you today. I clicked on one of your pages a million times so I could see all of your header pictures, and when I found you were in Ohio, I had to follow! I would have followed anyway, but Ohio put you over the top. My husband and I are in the Akron/Canton area.

      Reply ↓

  7. I have a question for you. (hey, that’s a dumb thing to type. If the question was for someone else and I left it here, what are the odds of that person coming here to answer it?)
    What software are you using to produce your e-books? There are zillions of free-bees out there and most are worth what I paid for them.

    Reply ↓

    • I simply type and format in Microsoft Word. I upload to both Smashwords and Amazon with a simple .doc format (NOT .docx), and they are easily accepted. I had one minor error with the Smashwords meatgrinder the very first time I uploaded my first book, but after that, I’ve passed their auto-vetter every time.

      Reply ↓

  12. G’day Maddie
    Pleased you dropped by to sample my road trip. I love the blogosphere and how you meet up with interesting people in cyberspace. I will RSS you and look forward to catching up with your stories

    Reply ↓

    • It’s because I use my book character for an avatar, and my husband and I act like we’re twelve-year-olds. 🙂 We really should grow up, but we just can’t. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

      Reply ↓

    • I’m happy you found something here to interest you. 🙂 My blog still doesn’t know what it wants to be, so we tend to be all over the map. Now that things are slowing down with the Stairway post, I’m looking forward to checking out the blogs of everyone who has come by. I’ll see you soon! 🙂

      Reply ↓

    • Thank you, Michelle! I wish I had time right now to go back and read archives of some of the wonderful blogs I’ve come across. I am going to take a few winter weekends to do just that. Your posts are real and heartfelt, and your paintings are lovely. I’m looking forward to reading your blog. 🙂

      Reply ↓

  21. Thanks Maddie for following my blog and thanks for the Birthday wishes. I’m looking forward to following your blog, I have a book on my shelf that I’ve started to write many years ago and you have given me the inspiration to dust it off and start writing again. Thanks again Maddie !!!

    Reply ↓

  24. Hi Maddie I just got Sunshine Hunter yesterday. Love it! Love it also when it’s a nice long series. Now if you could just read it to me while I’m painting…audiobook yeah that would be awesome!

    Reply ↓

    • Thank you. I appreciate that you stopped by. I’m enjoying your blog. Your Devil’s Sin-a-Buns reminded me of baking with my dad when I was a teenager. Sometimes we would make cinnamon rolls, but we never drizzled icing on them. Yours look amazing!

      Reply ↓

  28. Pingback: A Very Inspiring, Lovely Blog~ Written by a terrible person! « The Cheeky Diva

        • Maddie thanks for telling me about the free download at Amazon,I had no clue how to do it, so that was a big help. Sorry I didn’t get back to you yesterday, I had a Doctors appointment for my knee, a follow up after my surgery (tore my meniscus again). I just ordered Sunshine Hunter, Big Apple Hunter and Sin City Hunter, I love how easy they are to order on Amazon. I’m looking forward to reading your books.

          Reply ↓

          • Rita Kay, you are sooo sweet! Thank you! I’m delighted that you are going to read my books. I hope you are entertained. I also hope you got a good report for your knee. My mother slid on gravel getting out of my vehicle yesterday and twisted her knee. She’s been on ice for two days now. We’ll have to keep an eye on it. Thank you again!

            Reply ↓

            • Maddie I won’t be starting your books for a couple of weeks, I have to go back in for bone spur surgery; your books will be perfect when I’m recovering. Thanks for asking about my knee, I’m still in a lot of pain but the doctor said it’s normal, (I just had the surgery on Nov. 20th). Tell your mom that if her pain doesn’t go away insist on an MRI that’s the only way they saw the tear in my knee. I hope she’s doing ok. Thanks again for asking about my knee, have a good weekend.

              Reply ↓

  30. Maddie, you’re probably all blase about it, considering the zillions you already have, but I’ve nominated you for the 2012 blogger of the year award. ps. congratulations and wow for being a winner of the NaPoBloMo. Well done.

    Reply ↓

  33. Hi Maddie, thanks for swinging by my blog. I like blogs that mix it up a little so looking forward to reading yours. I’m a big fan of humour and writing so we’re off to a great start! Happy New Year to you!

    Reply ↓

  34. Hi Maddie 🙂
    Thanks for visiting my blog. I really-really love your post in this blog. Totally, your blog was fantastic ! Btw, thanks again 🙂
    ~ Happy New Year ~

    Reply ↓

  35. Pingback: An Awesome Award From An Awesome Blogger! | Pam Tanzey, Artist

    • Hi, Liam! Thanks for stopping by. I saw Jackie’s response to your challenge and thought she did a wonderful job with it. I may try to fit it in, but as I’m just starting another book, I may jump in on a future challenge. Thanks for the invitation! 🙂

      Reply ↓

      • You’re welcome! 🙂 Ah, good luck with your book, and that’s not a problem, you can join in at any time! Just be sure to follow to know when the next one is up! 🙂

        Reply ↓

  37. Pingback: Here’s Another Star For You Maddie | Pam Tanzey, Artist

  39. What an awesome story about how you got started in writing…just like that! How inspirational! I love your avatar…did you create it yourself?
    Well, cheers for the New Year and many, many blessings to you! 🙂

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Sunshine! Thank you for spending some time here. 🙂 My avatar is Susan Hunter from the cover of the second book, Big Apple Hunter. My niece does the artwork for my covers, and I enjoy using the avatar. Many blessings to you for this coming year, too!

      Reply ↓

  40. Hi Maddie, I just finished reading “Big Apple Hunter” I LOVED it, another great mystery. Just to let you know I posted on Amazon a review for the book. I’ve already started reading “Sin City Hunter” and can’t put it down, have to go …… I want to see how “Susan” is doing 🙂

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  41. Maddie, do you care if I mention you and your site on my teachingdavidtocook wordpress site? Is it ok if I put a link to your site, if I write something about you? I just wanted to check before I did it to see if it’s ok.

    Reply ↓

      • Hahahaha! That’s right! I can’t believe you wrote that in one month. I envy your persistence! I am currently working on my first two novels (the one with 333 words a week) and another one. I can’t find time to sit down and write them! The one is kind of self-motivating because it’s linked to Trifecta, but the other is a pain in the arse to work on. How many hours did you spend writing every day to finish Windy City?

        Reply ↓

        • Blogging is keeping me from starting the next one, but I need a break anyway. I only half worked at writing until Thanksgiving. That night I added nearly 4k words and crossed the 30k mark. I did the last 22k in the next four days. It was as though I had the movie playing in my head, and I just typed it out. Editing took about three weeks then. How many words will your book be?

          Reply ↓

          • Who knows! Right now I am at about 3,200 on the one (after two hours of writing, which took place last Thursday) and 999 on the Trifecta one. A *long* way from finished. Hahaha. With my demon two year-old, I don’t know if I will ever be able to generate more than 500 words in any given sitting. At this rate, I may be ready to publish by the time my oldest graduates from high school (7 years). O_o

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  44. Maddie if you don’t mind I have a couple of questions for you. 1. What do you use to create your ebook? 2. Do you go through a publisher? 3. Do you sell them under your own name or under a company name? I hope you don’t mind me asking all these questions. Thanks.

    Reply ↓

    • I don’t mind. 🙂

      1. I simply type my book in a Word Document on my computer, then I follow the guidelines set by Smashwords for formatting before uploading to their server. Amazon has similar formatting requirements before sending the book up to them.

      2. No publisher. I self-publish my books. Smashwords distributes to B&N, Diesel, Apple,Kobo, and Sony. They don’t distribute to Amazon, so I add my books there myself.

      3. They are sold under my name of Maddie Cochere as the author and the publisher. I do market under Breezy Books and I have a website: http://breezybooks.com/ I’m still working on the Keeper Box there! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  47. Hey Maddie remember our conversation on Amazon exclusive we had over at Arthur’s blog? I gave it a shot and here are my findings.

    Amazon Exclusive is good for making a book free temporarily. I released the book about 3 weeks ago and didn’t tell anyone I knew. Somehow I still got 3 people to buy it. When I made it free two days ago I’ve gotten over 100 people who snatched up free copies which for me is A LOT. Many of these people were strangers too. Granted, this book is shorter and it’s about a more general topic (sort of). But at the same time it’s a memoir type thing which I would think might turn people off. Basically I think this is something you may want to consider at some point. The way my logic works is if half those who got a free copy leave a review it will give me a better chance at selling a copy later on to some complete stranger. If people would have been willing to spend money on a book they’d still do it after the fact so I’m not really losing any money here. I could still knock off about 20 sales from people who I mentioned in the book or think they got a mention but this is still more copies than I’d ever sell.

    To sum it up, I think you should give this a try with something you write in the future. You probably have a larger following than I do already and maybe a free book would be a nice gift for them and you may be able to attract more people. Who knows? If there was a perfect way to do this we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

    Best of luck to you!

    Reply ↓

    • Hi, Tim! Of course I remember you. Who can forget a name like Mooselicker. 😉

      Thank you for all of the information. Very cool on the number of downloads.

      Have you ever been to this site: https://www.facebook.com/KotC4Me They have nearly 8,000 likes for this Kindle site, and they love to promote free books. Like their pages first, check out their authors page: https://www.facebook.com/AontheC, and then contact them to see how to add you to their free book promos — if you want to get a lot of free books distributed. They have reasonable paid advertising, too. I’ll be doing something with them this year.

      I think I know what I’m going to do. After the sixth book is published, I’m going to make my first book free. I’m finding that if someone reads the first book and they like it, they are going back for more. I think it will be in my best interest to always have the first book out there for free. I don’t see putting it into the Select program simply because all of the books are at all outlets, and I would hate for the first one to be missing from Barnes & Noble or Kobo, etc.

      I’m headed over to your place to follow. I’d like to keep in touch and see how our marketing efforts pan out. … Good luck to you, too, Tim. Keep writing and cranking them out! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  48. I just finished reading “Windy City Hunter”, and even though it took a long, long time for me to finally know that Susan was safe (for the time being, as she is about to travel to Canada for a new adventure), I enjoyed reading it! Thank you again for the copy. Steve

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  50. Yo ! Love From Ireland Maddie Deeply Truly :).
    Not only do I like your breezy writing style….but the book covers are zesty and uplifting!.
    Getting those right is an art in itself.

    Kind regards

    Mark

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Mark! I was looking around WordPress for other authors who are self-publishing, and I spotted you. Your first post was a hoot! Sorry I missed the jacuzzi love fest. 😉 Looking forward to reading more as you go forward with your novel.

      Thanks for the kind words about my writing style/covers!

      Reply ↓

  53. Pingback: Some Changes Around This Place | So I Went Undercover

  56. I love your blog already from the few parts I have read. I am definitely gonna read your books. I so love the covers! I have to admit I am one that tends to pick a book by its cover to read. You crack me up on your writing. 🙂 You are inspiring! 🙂 So happy to have met you. 🙂

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Julia! (Is it ok to use your name on WordPress?) I’m delighted I didn’t scare you away. 😉 I’m learning about writing by the seat of my pants, and I’m not afraid to show the happy parts, the insecure parts, and the upsetting parts. It is the one thing I hope I can do – inspire people. I’m making a go of this because I just did it. I didn’t know any better, and I just put my books out there. It’s been a real learning experience, but it’s been fun. My blog has devolved into a bit of silly mash, but that’s because my husband and I are really twelve years old most of the time. Thank you so much for stopping by! I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. 🙂

      Reply ↓

  57. Pingback: 100th Post Party | CardCastlesInTheSky

  58. Pingback: Sunshine Award | 2bcreativeblog

  60. Pingback: To: 1st of the 135th ARB…From: BroJo and Many Friends | Brother Jon

  61. Hi Maddie,

    How are your two crime fighting ladies of the slightly larger form coming along?
    I’ve had an idea after finding out one of a set of twins I know has 4 names to go with her double-barreled surname. Then the other twin, who I was speaking with at the time, informed me she was equally blessed!
    That’s left me with the beginnings of a story… EMMA and ELNA O’N-H-Thomas will see the light at some point in time… well, their names aren’t yet a definite but I think you’ll see the fun that could ensue! 😉

    Reply ↓

  62. Pingback: Blogging Breeds Buddies | Brother Jon

    • LOL!! Happy Birthday, Marcus! 🙂

      It’s this blasted National Novel Writing Month. I’m sitting at 14.8k words with 35.2k to go in a week. I’m determined to do it, and my family is being forced to eat balogna/baloney sandwiches for Thanksgiving so I can write.

      Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!

      Reply ↓

  64. Pingback: Merry Christmas Eve | Brother Jon

    • Well, how sweet are you, El Guapo! Happy Spring to you, too! We’ll be hearing you yell, “Surf’s up!” in no time.

      Everyone is well here, but my characters, Jo and Jackie, have brought my current work in progress to a screeching halt. They are stuck in Jo’s car outside a donut shop as they try to figure out how they’re going to catch a man committing insurance fraud. That sounds boring. Maybe they need to just forget him and go hit a casino for a few hours. That’s the ticket! Thanks, Guap! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  68. Oh my goodness! I stumbled upon the first Susan Hunter book and I’m loving it. Recently, I traded writing fiction for songwriting but now you’ve made me eager to get back to writing fiction – and to read the rest of your series.

    Reply ↓

    • What a treat to get your comment today, Kathy! I’m thrilled you’re enjoying Sunshine Hunter.

      Songwriting sounds exciting. I’m hoping to take Aaron Sorkin’s MasterClass soon for screenwriting. So much writing … so little time. 🙂 Thank you for reading, and thank you for stopping by!

      Reply ↓

    • Gee willikers, it’s been a year. So many family members with serious health problems. It’s really put a crimp in my writing – especially since I write humor. But I’m determined to turn the corner. I should have a book finished this month, and I really want to get back to blogging in the next month or two. I thought I’d start by at least making the rounds of some of my favorite blogs. I see you haven’t lost your touch! You still do such nice work. How are things with you?

      Reply ↓

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