Today I sent a query to an agent and a submission to a publisher. I really don’t think either will respond positively, but I won’t know if I don’t try. This takes me back to the early 1980s. That’s when I decided I wanted to write a book. I was reading The Writer and Writers’ […] [ ... ]
It’s less than three weeks until Halloween. A perfect time to read a romance that’s also a suspense. I’ve just lowered the price on the e-book for HAUNTED to .99 cents. This is one of my older romances. I wrote it after O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murdering his wife. Of course the hero in […] [ ... ]
“How does it end?” A writer friend asked me that question recently after I told him a bit about the story I have started writing. His question stopped me. I’ve been having fun with this story, basically letting it write itself. I’ve been a “Pantser.” (Writing by the seat of my pants.) But I want […] [ ... ]
I am now three days into my third week post-surgery. Monday I had 46 staples removed from my back and leaning back against anything hard is definitely more comfortable. However, I am still limited in what I can do. For one thing, I’m not supposed to sit at a computer for a long time. That […] [ ... ]
Wonder why you’re having a difficult time getting your book noticed? I’ve been going through some of my old files (time to update and throw away) and came across a sheet showing 2006 Publishing Statistics as reported by Nielsen Bookscan. I’m not going to post all of the statistics in that report, but here are […] [ ... ]
I missed posting last Wednesday (7/7/2021). I’ve been preoccupied with preparing both physically and mentally for back surgery, which will occur this coming Monday. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sit at the computer for a week or two after the surgery, so I’m trying to post a couple blogs ahead of time. […] [ ... ]
Thank you everyone who entered THE CROW AND ME contest on my Facebook Author’s Page. Each person who posted an image or wrote something about crows was entered in https://www.random.org/ which then randomly selected the winner. And, the winner is: Pamela Thibodeaux Congratulations, Pamela. You will receive a $25.00 Amazon gift card. I hope everyone enjoyed […] [ ... ]
Where do I get my ideas? Well, with THE CROWS, it was the murder of two hunters (that took place close to where I lived) that triggered the idea for that book. When I started thinking about writing a sequel to THE CROWS, three reports on TV triggered the idea for AS THE CROW FLIES. […] [ ... ]
For three (3) days—June 18, June 19, and June 20—the ebook edition of SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT will be free. (https://rb.gy/7ae33z ) Check it out! What’s the story about? Being nine months pregnant doesn’t stop P.J. Benson from trying to discover why her friend was killed. But someone thinks she has crucial evidence, and they’ll […] [ ... ]
The Crows cawed a warning When I lived south of Climax, Michigan, every time I stepped out of my house the crows would start cawing. What they were saying, I’m not sure. Maybe: “She’s out, keep an eye on her.” or “That’s the weird one who tries cawing back at us.” Our house was surrounded […] [ ... ]
It’s here, the month of June, and I’m celebrating my birthday and my “Crow” books. From today until June 30th, the ebook version of THE CROWS will be available for 99c. (Don’t forget, even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can put the Kindle app on your iPhone, iPad, or computer.) Later in the […] [ ... ]
It’s the end of May, the town where I live is gearing up for a summer of boating, swimming, and (hopefully) festivals. (However, there will be no Forth of July Fireworks again this year.) I’m seeing more faces (without masks) and once again getting into restaurants involves a wait of a half hour or more. […] [ ... ]
I copied and shared this from a post I saw on Facebook. Since then it’s been copied by several other writers and shared on their FB sites. It really is true. Nothing makes a writer happier than receiving a review that indicates the reader enjoyed the writer’s book. (Of course, nothing makes us sadder than […] [ ... ]
In last week’s blog, Pamela S. Thibodeaux told how she had to rewrite a book in order to get it right. I’m in the early stages of my work-in-progress, but during a critique session I discovered I needed to rewrite a scene to get it right. Sounds easy enough; however, rewriting one scene may have […] [ ... ]
A few weeks ago, I asked Pamela S. Thibodeaux to be a guest on this blog and she said she would be glad to, especially since she discovered something while writing her new release. How to Know When a Story is Not Working by Pamela S. Thibodeaux In all my years as a writer, I’ve […] [ ... ]
Temperature and humidity rising. Time to head north. Time to decide what stays in Florida and what will travel with us. In some ways I like this process. I review my clothes, art supplies, and books. Three piles: the stay, the take, and give to Goodwill. I always have great plans of what I will […] [ ... ]
A friend recently sent me an article on daydreaming, the need to do it. Basically, the article points out how cluttered our lives and minds have become as we deal with everyday problems, many of which have been acerbated by the pandemic and the fearful news with which we’re constantly bombarded. The article suggests everyone […] [ ... ]
In a previous blog I talked about vanity presses and why I think a writer should avoid them. This week the Writers Beware® blog highlighted a bogus company that offers self-published and wanna-be-published writers ways to get their books or unpublished stories looked at by TV and movie companies and/or republished by traditional publishers. I […] [ ... ]
Recently I was asked by another writer if I thought she should use a vanity book publisher. With self-publishing so popular nowadays, I didn’t even realize vanity publishers were still out there, but sure enough she had one in mind. I gave her my thoughts, but you may feel different, and if so, I welcome […] [ ... ]
Something is Missing My critique group met this week via Zoom. One member is working on a memoir. The section we’ve been critiquing is fascinating. She was in Christchurch, New Zealand when the 2011 earthquake hit. In fact, she and her husband were in the Cathedral at the exact moment the earthquake hit and everything […] [ ... ]