Write for the love of writing. Share valuable information. Entertain your readers. Give more than you ever hope to receive from the work.
When Greg Kitzmiller and his wife Jen were planning a move to Panama, he documented his journey on a blog. Later, he rolled his blogs over into a helpful non-fiction text to provide guidance to other retirees who would like to move there, too. Greg is now writing a new mystery series under his pen name Logan Bahr.
Lyndi: Writing your book Retired in Panama came out of your personal experiences and desire to provide a guide for others. How did you come to write a murder mystery?
Greg: When Jen and I were settling into life in Panama, one of the groups we dialed into was Beach Business Networking. It was there that I met you, Lyndi. You said that day, and I quote, “If you write a blog, you’re an author.” I never considered myself an author, more someone who shared valuable information for those in need. I set out to provide that information in a blog and after spending time with local writers, I made the decision to put the valuable information from the blog into a book. Upon the launch of the book, I started a weekly newsletter to keep the information up-to-date and fresh. My newsletter subscribers have been soaring. Seeking to help others is the aspiration that fueled the flames.
Through the encouragement of others in the writing community following a local writing retreat, I turned a ten-minute writing prompt into the first of the Detective Larry Saunders Mystery Series. The prompt that day was to write about something that doesn’t smell right. My imagination that day must have been on full overload because my “something that doesn’t smell right” was a dead body that had been in the attic for over a week. That day, I found a way to continue the story through every other prompt, and by the end of the session, I was sitting on the first several pages of “Murder in Eagle Cove.” It took me more than a month to convince myself to finish the story.
I’ve spent a great deal of time trying to understand the community of writers, entertainers, and artists here in Coronado, Panama. I was invited to speak at a podcast last year where the interviewer provided an amazing analogy. It’s like the Renaissance. When you have a talented group of people who collaborate and support one another, the product produced is magnified in quality and volume. Write Along does that here for aspiring writers.
Lyndi: Would you describe yourself as pantser (write by the seat of your pants), plantser (use a vague outline and write by the seat of your pants) or a plotter (write to a specific outline) and what are the benefits of writing in this method?
Greg: I write by the seat of my pants. Whenever I sit down to write, I tap my imagination and let nature take its course. I never considered myself particularly organized or deliberate. This works well for fiction. The non-fiction is another story. When I produce my weekly newsletter, blog, or book, I rely on information and statistics that must be reliable. Retired in Panama not only presents a transparent look at our experiences and adventures but also provides information to guide the would-be expat through the journey. The immigration process, buying a car, and purchasing a home are examples that required considerable research and citing. I have signed numerous copies of the book that my readers came here with as a relocation guide. It’s an honor for me to see a ragged book with Post-It notes and highlighting. That tells me that I accomplished my goal. The hardest part of our retirement journey was finding great information. When I found it, I wanted to share.
Lyndi: What are a couple of writing tips you could provide to new writers?
Greg: Write for the love of writing. Every word you write isn’t going to be the next bestseller. I am technologically challenged. After the rough draft is written, expect to spend some money on editing, formatting, and marketing. Even the most proficient people cannot tackle and do all of these things. Each time I release a new title, I learn a little more about the process. I often wish for the magic marketing angel to show up so that I can get my work noticed. I have purchased software to help with the formatting, employed expert cover artists, bought professional book trailers, and hired the best editors in the market. That said, sales equate to hardly more than a couple hundred copies of each. I write for the gratification of entertaining or educating my audience. Independent authors are not in the business of getting rich.
Lyndi: Murder in Eagle Cove is your first book in a murder mystery series. What can you tell us about other books you’re writing in the series?
Greg: I’ve just published Mayhem in Eagle Cove which is scheduled for release on May 5th. The book picks up where Murder in Eagle Cove ends, however it easily stands alone. Detective Larry Saunders returns to work after a mishap on the job. Within a day of returning to duty, he discovers another crime scene with not one but two dead bodies and a dead monkey. As the investigation unfolds, he uncovers an animal trafficking scheme operated by the Cambodian cartel. I intended for the book to be an edge-of-your-seat page-turner with action on every page.
The action continues with the cartel wreaking havoc in Eagle Cove. In Malfeasance in Eagle Cove (scheduled to release in the fall of 2025), the cartel is trafficking some local teens. The book is nearly half-written. It is going to be edgy and real. With editing by best-selling author Jonas Saul, action on every page is a requirement.
I took some time off between the first and second books to develop a cookbook of local Panamanian Fonda (street restaurant) foods. The cookbook Retired in Panama: Panama Fonda Cookbook has been massively successful. I offered it free to my newsletter readers in a PDF format. Many of them have gone to Amazon and purchased the hardcover or paperback version. We took the cookbook very seriously. Every recipe was tested in our kitchen and had the approval of dinner guests. Not every recipe made the cut.
Lyndi: When you publish a book, you throw a celebration. What are some of the elements you like to include in your book launches?
Greg: I have had only one real launch celebration. The first edition of Retired in Panama was released in the middle of Covid. We did a live stream on Facebook with a couple of readers. I also took questions from people who tuned in and gave away door prizes. For me, it was a technological nightmare.
When Murder in Eagle Cove launched we did a luncheon and invited the public to attend. There were nearly 70 people in attendance. We had live entertainment and three readers. I spoke, then signed and sold some books. I managed to get fan photos of many of the guests with their books. I feature a fan photo each week in my newsletter.
I have a similar launch celebration planned for Mayhem in Eagle Cove later this week. We will be having a twelve noon luncheon at Nazca 21 in Coronado. The restaurant has asked that people make reservations. Later in the month, I will be doing book signings in Florida, North Carolina, and Massachusetts.
Lyndi: How has writing a newsletter helped with the marketing of your books?
Greg: As a marketing mechanism, the newsletter has increased awareness of my book offerings. I cannot equate sales of books to anything from the newsletter. There are newsletter subscribers as a result of the Retired in Panama Books and Blog. I wish that the newsletter sells books, but in reality, I believe it has little impact. I continue to write the newsletter for the love of writing it. The subscriber list has exceeded my ability to send it free. I keep sending it anyway.
Lyndi: In the fall of 2024, you attended a writing retreat in Greece. Why did you decide on the particular retreat, and what were some of the benefits of attending?
Greg: I was invited to attend by best-selling author Jonas Saul. The fact that it was in Greece, a place I had never been, impacted the decision. It didn’t hurt that I had the opportunity to network with great authors from all over the world. The second speaker, CC (Chris) Humphrey’s was a super bonus. He and Saul provided great input into writing and marketing for those of us in attendance. Each conference attendee had their work critiqued and was offered advice on furthering our career and marketing our books. I walked away with a special relationship with Jonas. He has advised me on my work and edited Mayhem. He also re-edited Murder in Eagle Cove before I released it under my pen name, Logan Bahr. I feel both books are immensely better with his input. He will be editing Malfeasance in Eagle Cove prior to publishing it this fall.
Logan Bahr recently appeared as a pseudonym (pen name) for accomplished author Greg Kitzmiller. Greg has published a successful blog, a weekly newsletter, a guide for expatriates retiring overseas, and multiple articles in local publications. He decided to publish his fiction under the pen name to permanently separate his fiction and nonfiction works.
He has helped hundreds of retirees find their place in Panama. By sharing his experiences and adventures, he enjoys being a voice and influencer for those seeking a new life in a foreign country.
He graduated from Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a Bachelor of Science in Management.
In 2020, his book 2 Retire in Panama? received the -distinguished favorite designation from the NYC Big Book Award. He has been invited to speak and present on numerous podcasts, a radio program, meetings, and professional organizations.
He is retired and living with his wife, Jen, in Panama. He enjoys writing, reading, and traveling.
Contact Logan Bahr:
Email: LoganBahrAuthor@gmail.com
Website: https://LoganBahr-Author.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/logan.bahr.author/
When Richard grabbed the orange and walked over to the crates holding the animals, who would have thought it would lead to his death? He had bonded with the one whom he called Cheeta. She was giving him a look. She seemed to be smiling. She winked at him and gently reached out to take the orange. When he handed it to her, she took it ever so gently, cocking her head as if confused with the situation.
Before the week ended, another murder spree was gripping Eagle Cove, and the bodies were piling up worse than in September. Detective Larry Saunders is back to work and struggling with the clues. FBI Agents Brad Simmons and Dave Washburn are called in to help with crimes that take the case beyond the city limits of Eagle Cove and extend to Boston and beyond. Once again, international intrigue and suspense play a part in keeping readers guessing.
There's no limit to what the Q-14 Cambodian Cartel will do to protect their secrets.
Bestselling author and editor Jonas Saul states that the author keeps action on every page.
Keep reading for more edge-of-your-seat, page-turning action and stories that could be scraped from the daily news.
