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I've been on a book-cover illustration spree lately, ever since I drew a Nancy Drew-style faux book cover for my new Very First Snoop tale The Very First Snoop and the Case of the Black Gold, currently being posted at my deviantArt page, and since then I've come up with faux covers for the first three Snowden Snoop tales: The Snowden Snoops; The Snowden Snoops and the Case of the Snatched Sitters; and The Snowden Snoops and the Case of the Stolen Santas.  They're deliberately designed to be rip-offs--I mean, tributes--to those Nancy Drew series books you can find in bookstores and libraries all over.  Arrogant of me, I know, but I've enjoyed creating these tale, and these faux covers are just another way for me to enjoy my handiwork, as well as to brush up a little on my godawful drawing skills.

So which is your favorite?  Tricia and Brianne Hatcher secreted away in the secret closet in The Snowden Snoops? Trish walking into a trap before a captive Krysten's frightened eyes in Snatched Sitters? Or perhaps Trish and Krysten about to go for a dunk in The Stolen Santas?  Take the poll and let me know!...

And I'm finally posting the link to Orpheus' new LeFora Girl Sleuths in Peril site, where the Snoops, Orpheus' Chloe Madison tales, erikson's Watertown comics, and eventually many others, will end up!  Go check it out!...

Of Forums and Feedback...

I apologize ahead of time for the rant, but, well, this is my blog—such as it is—and my fuse on the matter of replies to story postings has been growing shorter and shorter with every month and every chapter posted with only one or two—sometimes no—replies.  I’m hardly the only one in this boat; all the GDIT authors are going whistling for responses, and many are on the verge of giving up storytelling because of it.  I don’t think I’m there yet, but my patience is running very thin on the issue…


I once described members who read tales and then do not reply as leeches, moochers taking the author’s creative work and giving nothing back in return.  At the time I thought it perhaps a bit hyperbolic, but more and more I find myself standing by my original description—especially when it’s been very loudly noised about the forum that many of us authors are very dissatisfied with the lack of response.  When members know that authors are stressed because of a lack of reply and they still don’t reply, it shows a callous indifference to the needs of the authors.  The attitude seems to be “Hey, as long as I get my chapters, who cares about the authors?”  Thus, most of our previous authors no longer post tales, and those of us that are left are seriously questioning whether the (not-for-pay, by the way) work is worth it.  Yes, leeches, moochers…I think I’ll own the assessment!


The worst part is that many of those members are themselves authors!  Too many post their chapters without the slightest concern for their fellow writers who also need feedback; I often wonder if those authors even look at any other strings on the forum!  They are happy to get feedback from other members, but heaven forfend that they should themselves offer any feedback to any other authors!  It smacks of indulgent self-centeredness.  Some of us—particularly Orpheus, and lately, gingertom, and frequently, Lars—make a point of trying to get around to as many authors as possible to provide response and feedback, even if it’s a mere line or two, simply because we know how frustrating it is to post chapter after chapter to a weak or nonexistent response.  It’s just the decent thing to do, and I wish more were like Orpheus and the others that take time to encourage all the authors!


And yes, I know the excuses.  My favorite is the “I just don’t have time to post” excuse; as in “yes, I have time to sit and read long chapters, but I can’t take thirty seconds afterward to give a pat on the back to the person who brought me the entertainment.”  Sorry, doesn’t wash!  If you have time to read, you have time to reply, dammit!


Okay, I think I’ve about exhausted my rant!  I’m sure I come off petulant, not to mention whiny, but when one posts up a 356-page story and gets as little feedback as I’ve gotten from anyone but the regulars (although I’m pleased that Evil Lurker has dropped in, and of course Toby Robin and cresent), one begins to wonder whether one is wasting one’s time.  Okay, let me out that more definitively—I begin to wonder whether I’m wasting my time.


On another topic, Orpheus has established a backup GDIT group at LeFora, which I’ll post up with a link here, and I hope you check it out.  LeFora is a nice little forum site, and seems 

One Last Makeover Poll!...

We'll close out the year--and start the new one--with the last makeover poll, for our Junior Snoops!  There are two sets of our intrepid Junior Snoops, of course: the older group, on the verge of middle school, centered around our plucky scholar/athlete Charity Mabrey, along with flirty little brainiac Jillian Burton and friendly little animal-lover Merri Howland; and the younger group, almost to double-digits in age, featuring brave little charmer Susie Ross, bright young Destiny White with her Canadian-transplant criminalist mom Mrs. White, and hyperactive thrill-seeker Emma Walters.  So who among our youngest Snoops will get her makeover?  Of course, how do you improve on perfection?...  Vote early and often!...


And I have the winner of the previous makeover, Taylor Jensen--along with her friend Bobbi Martin--almost ready for posting at deviantArt.  Look for it in a few days, and check out the even youngest Snoops illustrated there, the Baby Snoops, who've just solved--not to mention caused--their first mystery around the Christmas celebration...

New Makeover Poll!

Not a large turnout, but Abbie won the Darius Allen Detective fall makeover poll!  And just because I like seeing votes on the poll, I did makeovers for every Detective who got a vote!  Check out the portraits at my deviantArt page to see how Abbie, Serenity, Cora, and Paula turned out!  Paula really went out there with her new look, and I dare you to say that Abbie isn't an absolute knockout--and not just with her fists and kicks anymore!...


So, time for the new poll!  Now it's time for our middle-school-age Snowden Snoops to take a turn at the autumn makeovers!  So who should it be most of all?  Our brilliant, exotic young Brit-Egyptian-Yank Aisha al-Fashir?  Bubbly, cheerful--and seemingly taller each and every minute!--Taylor Jensen?  How about our brainiac Rukia Kuchiki-imitator, St.-Swithin's-schooled Bobbi Martin?  Or perhaps our disaffected sometime Snoop Lizzie Morgan?  Vote early and often, voters!...

Makeovers, Round Two!...

The winner of the first round of the Snowden Snoop Makeover contest was Missy Bonhart--but not too many votes, so I just went ahead and did makeovers for all four of the Original Snoops Tricia, Krysten, and Hannah too!  Check out my deviantArt page to see their image in my gallery...


So now it's the Darius Allen High Detective Club's turn for the makeover treatment!  So who gets the makeover treatment now, and just what kind of makeover should she (or they) get?  I already have one DeviantArt friend who has suggested that Abbie get made over in prom-gown style, but what do you -all think?  Maybe our buttoned-down musical lesbian Cora Peabody?  Our conflicted girly-girl/tomboy Serenity Mabrey?  Our Detective of many colors, emo-author Leslie Morgan?  How about the Redneck Girl of the Detectives, Allie Lamm?  Our borderline goth, shy little Paula Ryan?  Or maybe our bashful, timid-yet-passionate Kellie Kirk?  And what sort of style do we want to see from our made-over Darius Allen Detective?  Take the poll (please!), and post here with your ideas of who should be the Darius Allen Detective Makeover Princess!...

Snowden State Snoops...

...have started a new tale on my deviantArt page, entitled The Snowden State Snoops: The Murder-Spree Adventure, in which our college-coed Snowden State Snoops find themselves on the trail--or is that in the sights?--of a sadistic serial killer!  Give it a look-see!...


So why on deviantArt?  Simple--this tale is a new direction for Tricia's Snooping gang--past PG-13 into R-rated territory that isn't really quite appropriate fare for GDIT.  Mind you, I'm not abandoning milady Deanna's fabulous world--just moving a part of my world into a more adult realm...so read, and enjoy!...

The Fall Makeover Edition!

Sometimes, everyone needs a fresh start to get out of a rut, and so it is with the Snoops! And since it's fall, why not have an autumn makeover spree? And I'll leave the choice up to you, dear friends--you get to select which of the Snoops, Snowden State Snoops, Darius Allen Detectives, Junior Snoops, Snoop Mommies, and Very First Snoops should get a fresh makeover! Not only that, but I'm looking for suggestions for what those makeovers should be to keep our Snoops fresh and charming!

So let's start with that bunch who likes to think of themselves at the original Snoops--those wild-n-crazy Snowden State Snoops! Not only Tricia's posse of Krysten, Missy, Hannah, Maggie, Ginger, and Ophelia; don't forget that Megan and Alyson--and the not-yet-pictured Katie Spencer (credit, of course, to our friend darial04 for her presence!)--are also Snowden State Snoops!

So who among our sleuthing coeds needs a makeover? Twisted schoolgirl-type Trish, girl-next-door-with-a-naughty-streak Krysten, or straightforward, sassy Missy? Elegantly cool Hannah, artistically mischievous Maggie, sexually-omnivorous Ginger, big, blustery Carrie (not pictured here, unfortunately), or stylishly understated Ophelia? Smart, pretty major-changer Megan, statuesque soon-to-be-rich-bride Alyson, or simple, driven Katie? You not only get to choose--you get to tell us how our Snowden State Snoop makeover winner should turn out! Vote early and often in the poll, and let me know what you'd like to see in a Makeover Snoop!...