As a romance author few things give me more satisfaction than watching my characters come to life within the pages of my novels. I imagine Dr. Frankenstein felt much the same way when he attached nodes to his monstrous creation and waited for lightning to strike. Not the most romantic analogy but I’m just going to go with it lol…. Read more »
This was supposed to be a blog post about story tropes I enjoy but, given the state of the universe, I don’t really feel like writing about that. I just want to talk about happy endings. If you have a pulse, you know that America is not in the best place right now. I’m not in a position to… Read more »
Blurbs should be short and to the point. Hence the name “blurb.” Blurbs are a summary of what a book is about. But who says that the blurb has to be long. I’ve seen too many authors’ blurbs that tell too much of what their book is about, reaching the status of being more of a full length novel… Read more »
30 Things about My Sleuth – Delanie Fitzgerald of Falcon Investigations Thank you for letting be visit your blog! Secret Lives and Private Eyes is the first in my Delanie Fitzgerald mystery series. She is a private investigator who lives in Central Virginia. And I’m often asked about what my protagonist is really like. Here’s my top-thirty list about my… Read more »
Small Press Publishing: What to Expect Small presses can open doors for authors who may not otherwise find a home for their books. For anyone considering publication by a small press, here are a few things I’ve learned from working with Fire and Ice YA, the Minnesota-based press that published my young adult mystery, Trail of Secrets: * Expect to… Read more »
Getting Reviews for Self-Published Books A few decades ago, self-publishing was a drag. Aside from the strife that comes with financing your book, you also have to impress the publisher with your transcript. Think about it. There used to be a time when the only people who could read were the ones who went to school. Why? Well, let’s just… Read more »
The mind’s eye can be a wonderful thing. Through it, thousands of words become glorious landscapes and sweeping vistas and the darkest caves. We witness through our imagination the rise of kings and the fall of dictators, honorable battles, and mischievous deeds. We can see the glow of first love, the tears of new loss, and the grief of… Read more »
The question that author, Tony Wirt, asks on the cover of his book, A Necessary Act is “Can you stop a serial killer before it starts?” It’s the same thing you’ll be asking yourself until even the last page of the book – perhaps even scratching your head. The entire community of Lake Mills knew there was something amiss with… Read more »
Thank you so much for letting me visit today. Secret Lives and Private Eyes is the first novel in my Delanie Fitzgerald mystery series. When I started writing this (several years ago), I thought about what it would be like to encounter someone famous in an ordinary or unexpected setting. I coupled that with my love of ‘80s music and… Read more »
I definitely have a dark side. For as long as I can remember I have loved scary and/or weird stuff, starting with Nancy Drew and John Bellairs (remember The House With a Clock in its Walls? Spooky!), moving on to Nightmare on Elm Street and anything by Stephen King, James Lee Burke or Jonathan Kellerman, and now Lee Child. I… Read more »
How Fiction Built/Builds Our World Part 1 Stories… fiction… drama and entertainment. Maybe a spot of education too. These are the things that we superficially get from the storytellers of our species. In truth though… we get a whole more than that. Indeed, it is the imagineers of who built the world we live in with the ideas that they sold… Read more »
As promised, it’s Mystery Thriller Week Today (Feb 12th) through the 23rd February Please see below for our schedule of events, But don’t forget to visit MTW for A schedule of the entire week’s events. 2/12/17 Guest Post – Michael Smoremburg – How Fiction Built/Builds Our World Part 1 2/13/17 Guest Post – Kelley Kaye – Guest… Read more »
I must admit up front that my sensibilities about adult content are very America. I’m far more comfortable with violence than I am with sex. That being said, I think there’s a place for both. It all depends on what you’re comfortable writing. For example, I get pumped when I’m about to write an action-packed battle or fight scene. I’ve… Read more »
I had the wonderful pleasure of beta reading for Valerie before she published any of her work. Since then, I have read each of her pieces as she’s published them and promised myself I would do a review. But am I really qualified to review her work? I’m not sure I am. But, I know I have to. I… Read more »
I’m always amazed at how many people I meet who have a well-developed idea for a book in their heads but have already convinced themselves they aren’t ‘good’ enough to actually write it. “You’re a published author,” they almost always say, “maybe you can write it up for me.” Since my first book’s release in November 2015, I’ve been asked… Read more »