Years ago, I submitted my first novel to a list of agents who specialized in my genre, sure they’d love my quirky clever book. I’d edited, re-edited, and run it by people I trusted–it was dressed for success. At that time, I didn’t realize that finding an agent was like putting a hood on a …
It’s become popular to continue a beloved series after the death of the author. Some work like Anne Hillerman who continues the Navajo Mystery series started by her father, Tony Hillerman. He was iconic for his descriptions of life and culture through the adventures of a detective on an Indian reservation. She continues that nicely …
When I teach professional development classes, by far the topic that surprises attendees the most is the legal use of online images. And they’re not alone. On my blog, in educator forums, and in the virtual meetings I moderate, there is much confusion about what can be grabbed for free from online sites and what …
For the next few months, weekly writing tips will include word choice suggestions. That includes: colorful and original descriptions pithy words and phrases picture nouns and action verbs writing that draws a reader in and addicts them to your voice I keep a collection of descriptions that have pulled me into the books. I’m fascinated how …
This is inspired by Jennifer Cohen over at Forbes who wrote a wonderful article on “5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8am” (few of which I did, though I can claim #5). She includes chores like exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, map out the day–all great ideas, but not pithy enough for the average …
Here are more great thrillers I got from NetGalley: Shadows Reel–Joe Pickett is pulled into a WWII mystery and Nate Romanowski must retrieve his stolen raptors. Racing the Light–Elvis Cole with his partner Joe Pike solve another perplexing mystery Lethal Game–a coordinated attack on the core of Graves’ Security Solutions isn’t enough to stop Jonathan … Continue reading
I’ve used PowerPoint for all of my book trailers so far, following excellent directions from Diana Peach (see link under PowerPoint), but I want to change up the look in the last book of the trilogy, Dawn of Humanity so, I’m hunting for easy-to-use alternatives. Here are three I’m considering: Canva PowerPoint Windows’ organic video … Continue reading
Many Americans celebrate Armed Forces Day annually on the third Saturday of May. This year: May 21, 2022. It is a day to pay tribute to men and women who serve the United States’ armed forces. Armed Forces Day is also part of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May. Continue reading
Today, I’m visit Sally Cronin’s wonderful blog, Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. I’ll be contributing to her great new series “I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now…” I’ve enjoyed all of the articles to date and am excited to be included. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on my early writing days! Continue reading
A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share the most popular post from the past month on my teacher education blog, Ask a Tech Teacher. Here’s one popular post that is taken from my day as tech teacher in a classroom (before I went virtual), but sounds almost too … Continue reading
Tech Tips for Writers is an occasional post on overcoming Tech Dread. I’ll cover issues that friends, both real-time and virtual, have shared. Feel free to post a comment about a question you have. I’ll cover it in a future tip. This tip is about spam. I am fed up with it! The law requires … Continue reading
I can’t wait to share these Indie books with you. I just know you’ll love them as much as I did: Orion’s Gift–two people, estranged from their mates, find a second change in Mexico Desolation Bluff–what would you do if the best day of your life was also the worst? –a note about my reviews: … Continue reading
The newest Murray–Casey Murray. Yes, I am one of those who names all my new dogs in a breed (yellow Labradors) the same name. I like to pretend my former wonderful dog’s spirit is in the new one. Enjoy these pictures of Casey and his arrival into my life! –Note: @GraceCountryLabs is on Facebook. Not … Continue reading
Tech Tips for Writers is an occasional post on overcoming Tech Dread. I’ll cover issues that friends, both real-time and virtual, have shared. Feel free to post a comment about a question you have. I’ll cover it in a future tip. There are usual ways to find the most recent article written on a blog: … Continue reading
AtoZ Challenge is officially over and I must admit, I didn’t do a good job this year. I had too many distractions and not enough commitment to my AtoZ goals. Here are a few thoughts: AtoZ is a massive commitment–a themed post a day for a month; at least five daily visits to new bloggers … Continue reading
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