Writing with soul. That seems like an easy thing to do, but it's a lot harder than it seems. Stephen King (who everyone knows is my favorite author) and JK Rowling have mastered infusing soul into the books they write. That's one of the reasons their books sell so well. For JK Rowling, she's not w…
Blog posts : "Writing"
A Weekend in Baltimore!
![]() The Baltimore Book Festival was last month and it was so much fun! I brought Maggie with me, she's one of my editors (Stephanie Martin is the other). We decided to make a weekend of it and head up on Friday after work. We got to Maryland Friday night. We were both starving so we wen… |
Outline Killers
Plotter or Pantser?
That's the question asked in writer circles around the world. I am a proud, card carrying, plotter.
My plotting method is a bit crazy, but it works for me. First, I plot out the beginning of the book. I go as far as I can easily get. Once I'm happy with what I have, I write…
Re-calibrating
Since I've gone indie, one thing that I find myself doing a few times a year is....
reviewing then re-calibrating if necessary. What I mean by that is, I step back and look at all of my stats and decide if I like what I see. If I do like what I see, I continue doing what I'm doing. If I don't like …
What's with the free books!!!
One of the things people often ask indie authors has to do with book pricing. They wanna know what's with all the free books. The thought is that if an author sells a book for $.99 or (gasp) gives it away for free, it's because they don't think the story is worth much. But that couldn't be f…
My Daily Commute
Once upon a time...
I worked in a corporate office and had to drive to work every day. I may again, someday, but while I don't have to, I'm enjoying it. I'd wake up late, pray, say hello to the kitties, then rush to shower and dress. I'd get annoyed on the drive to work by all the stupid dri…
Staying Productive
There are so many distractions in the world today. And there are so many new distractions that authors didn’t have to think about 15 - 20 years ago. Things like:
- Super-duper Cable TV (there are about 100 new channels that didn’t exist before)
- Smart Phones
- Social Media
- Games on Sm…
Postcards from the Edge!
Okay, so I'm not really on the edge. I'm just in my office, writing. I've been writing full time for a little over two months now and I've noticed a few interesting things that I thought I'd share.
Ready? Here goes:
1. Being alone all day takes getting used to. I'm single, so without my full-t…
Late Nights and Late Night Treats
Okay, so the title is a bit misleading. That right there is the kind of late night treat I'd like (LUV) to have when I'm burning the midnight oil, the way I am tonight. But that drink at midnight on a regular basis would do unpleasant things to my body.
I made the picture nice and big so ev…
Indie vs. Traditional
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![]() | ![]() | First let me preface this by saying publishing houses never twist an author's arm and make them sign a publishing contract. That decision is the author's. But once the author signs that contract they are giving up some aspects of creative control. For ins… |
The Making of an AWESOME Release Day!
I've been indie publishing for about a year now and I've learned a lot! Since October 2014 I've released 4 books. By December 2015 I'll have released 6. It's been a busy year.
All of the research I've done since October 2014 shows that the best plan to have followed would have been to focus o…
Insights From the Baltimore Book Festival
This past weekend I went to the Baltimore Book Festival. As always, I had a great time! Over the past three years I've gone I've picked up a few insights on ways to have a successful signing/appearance at large festivals. Here are a few of the things I learned.
1. Candy is always nice…
Becoming a successful Indie Author!
Today I read Joanna Penn's book, How to Make a Living With Your Writing. If you're an indie author, this is a book you'll want to check out. She covers topics that I've been considering, but not quite sure how to implement.
It's offered FOR FREE right now, so you'll want to check it out IMMEDIA…
Crazy! Overwhelming!
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It's been a crazy year! I'm not sure what I was thinking when I started making so many life changes. |
Indie Publishing - Proofing My First Paperback
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Front & Back Cover
I'm proofing my book! Digitally for now. I have an actual paperback coming in the mail. I'm going to have to push back publication of the print version, but I'd rather do that than risk selling a book that doesn't look the best it can possibly look. I… |
Indie Publishing - Adventures with CreateSpace!
I just finished formatting my first indie paperback. Whew! Feels like I had a workout. It's so nice to wait for the box of books to come in the mail from the publisher! LOL!
A few things that I had to consider that I hadn't thought of before:
1. Book Size - You'll notice the ebook is about 314 pa…
Luna Bay - paranormal erotic romance
During the day I work as a Business Analyst. Last week we had our birthday lunch for the month. I'm new to the team so many don't know I write fiction. One of my co-workers asked what I write, I said paranormal mysteries and paranormal romance. At paranormal romance, she burst out laughing. She'd ne…
Paranormal Mystery/Urban Fantasy Writers I Adore!
Get a glass of wine, put on Kim Waters, and get ready for some good reads!
I'm a huge fan of paranormal mysteries/urban fantasies, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite authors here for anyone who is looking for a great, paranormal read.
Kim Harrison - http://www.kimharrison.net/
She writes …
Why Indie Publishing?
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Paranormal Mystery
A question I get asked a lot is, why I choose to indie publish despite having written for traditional publishers. There's nothing wrong with traditional publishing. In fact, there are many awesome perks.
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