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 …
The A to Z Challenge asks bloggers to post 26 articles on a themed topic. It’s supposed to be every day except Sundays during the month of April but I find that too busy and decided to post mine ‘about’ once a month. Yes, it’ll take me a couple of years. Sigh. My topic, like the … Continue reading
This week, I am visiting fellow author, Mark Bierman. Born and raised on a farm, spending his days doing chores, riding horses, fishing, and more provided fodder for his adult career as a private investigator and later a Correctional Officer (something my FIL also did). Mark used his unique experiences to create his popular debut novel, … 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 or asked about. Feel free to post a question you have. I’ll cover it in a future tip. *** I got this one from one of my go-to tech gurus, Rick at … Continue reading
Two more great books by authors I follow. One is an untraditional horror story, the other heart-wrenching coming-of-age: The Hay Bale–a quiet rural home with one hay bale on the back lawn. What’s that about? Letting Go–A coming-of-age novel about the pain of misconceptions and learning from them. –a note about my reviews: I only … Continue reading
Today, Thomas Wikman, proud owner of a Leonberger named Bronco, author of the definitive book on this breed, The Life and Times of Le Bronco, and I, soulmate to my fictional Canis-dog Ump, sometimes star of the Dawn of Humanity trilogy, will compare stories about our massive dogs. Despite that Ump passed on about 2 … Continue reading
In honor of Valentine’s Day’s focus on romance, here are two romances I loved–both from the same amazing author! A Man of Legend by Linda Broday Linda Broday’s A Man of Legend (Sourcebooks Cassablanca 2022), Book 3 in the Lonestar Legends series, is the ageless story of two families at war, their hate for each … Continue reading
Here is one of the most popular posts from my Ask a Tech Teacher education blog: Every year, January 1st, is Public Domain Day. This is an observance of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain–free for all to use. According to Public Domain Review, here are some of the newly-available artistic … Continue reading
This week, I am visiting fellow author, Debra Purdy Kong, creator of the seven-book series, Casey Holland Mysteries. Debra is a British Columbia author who’s been writing for over 30 years. Her volunteer experiences, criminology diploma, and security work inspired the character, Casey Holland, a transit security professional in Metro Vancouver. She is also a … Continue reading
Sally Cronin is the webmistress of a wonderful writers blog, Smorgasbord Blog Magazine devoted to supporting authors–Indie and trad–as we-all struggle to get our name out there. If you haven’t met her, click the link and drop by, add a comment to one of her many topical posts, or join one of her recurring columns. … Continue reading
This post is for Alex Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group (click the link for details on what that means and how to join. You will also find a list of bloggers signed up to the challenge that are worth checking out. The first Wednesday of every month, we all post our thoughts, fears or words … Continue reading
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