Getting published by a publishing house isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Though it’s not the route I’ve taken today, I used to be published by a publisher and I can tell you that it doesn’t take spending a year in Hogwarts to learn how to spell a publisher into publishing you. It’s also…
Quick and Dirty Scrivener Resource List
This is going to be a super fast blog post with useful links to sites that teach on Scrivener. Why am I posting a quick and dirty blog with resource links about Scrivener? Because Scrivener kicks ass. If you’re an author, you should use Scrivener. That’s my humble opinion. Not only as a word processor,…
2018 Year in Review/2019 Goals
Instead of my usual craft post, I wanted to talk about my 2018 year in review and plans for 2019. Looking back at 2018 I don’t have much to say about 2018 except that I didn’t accomplish nearly what I’d planned on accomplishing. I wanted to release at least 4 books this year, but only…
Content marketing….what the heck is that?
Content marketing….what the heck is that? Let’s back up a few steps. For a writer, it’s not good enough to simply write a book then send it out into the world to sell millions of copies. Books don’t sell themselves. Readers have to know they exist. If they don’t know your awesome, urban fantasy is…
The difference between writing horror and writing steamy romance
People have told me they’ve read my books and had nightmares. This fills me with such joy. But I’ve also been told that readers have read something I wrote under my pseudonym and had to go find their husband. This also makes me happy. Some people think it’s odd that the same person who inspires…
Back of the Book Content
I’m putting on my author hat to talk about something indie authors often overlook when they’re formatting their books. The type of formatting I’m talking about happens after the book is finished and edited, but before it’s uploaded to online retailers like Amazon or Kobo. What is this something? Back of the book content. Back…
Stupid First Drafts…or Before & After
I’ve always thought it would be fun to post an excerpt from a book when it was a WIP, then post the published version of that same excerpt, just to show how much the first draft of a book can differ from what’s published. You learn so much about your characters and what’s happening to…
Subplots
There are tons of great mystery authors out there who write fantastic mysteries. Some of my favorites are: Lorna Barrett, Elizabeth Peters (Nobody beats the Emersons!!)/Barbara Michaels (as Barbara Michaels she’s also brilliant. Stitches in Time is one of my favorite books), Janet Evanovich, Juliet Blackwell, Charlaine Harris, Carolyn Hart, PD James, David Baldacci (I…
The Perfect, Inexpensive Date Night…according to a romance author
Movie Night I am an unrepentant and sappy romantic. I love all things that have to do with romance. That goes double for romantic dates, which probably isn’t surprising since I write romance. But there seems to be a disconnect somewhere between men and women. Women say they want romance and men see dollar signs….
That Wall Came Out of Nowhere
Long ago, on a word processor far, far away, I sat down at my computer and began to type my first novel. I was a novice at fiction so things like info dropping meant nothing to me. I also didn’t know anything about outlining a story before I began. I simply sat at my desk…
The Best Cookie Recipe Ever!
Taste of Home Winning Recipes Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies… Believe me when I say these cookies are amazing! The recipe isn’t mine, though. It comes from the, Taste of Home Winning Recipes cookbook. Click this link if you’d like to have your own cookbook. Hands down, it’s my favorite cookbook. Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened…
Plotting vs. Flying By The Seat of Your Pants writing
I used to think of myself as spontaneous, but upon closer inspection I’ve come to realize that there isn’t much about me that’s spontaneous. I weigh options before making a decision, I research a topic before taking a strong stance on either side; I like to plan and think through everything I do. So it’s…
