I read an interview the other day (I wish I could remember where!) with a writer who was describing how her story ideas evolved. She likened it to a tiny seed that she nurtured with water, fresh soil, etc. until it blossomed into a full story that she could then put down on paper. Wow. […]
If You Are Indie, You Need #IndieChat!
Last night, I attend my first Tweet-up for #indiechat. It was full of fellow indie writers who were engaged, knowledgeable and very willing to share with the group. This was especially important to me since I am still such a newbie. I was completely blown away by the amount of valuable information that was coming […]
Good Things Come
This sentiment holds especially true for those of us in the indie/self-publishing game, wouldn’t you say?
Potential Cover Art for ON TENTERHOOKS
Here’s the artwork I’ve been kicking around for the cover art for my first novel, ON TENTERHOOKS. I would really appreciate your honest feedback as this is my first time desigining a cover and I need all the help I can get! You can click on the cover below for a bigger version.
Using Brand Names in Your Fiction
When I started writing my first novel, On Tentherhooks, I thought I would do well to include brand names in order to make for a stronger sense of realism. Who wants generic when you can have the real deal, right? I even went so far as to use lyrics from a couple of well-known songs […]
ON TENTERHOOKS Book Trailer is Out!
I am very excited to show off the new book trailer for my first novel, ON TENTERHOOKS. I created the trailer myself (using the iLife suite) but all of the credit for making it so spectacular goes to some other folks. All the photos in the trailer and the book cover were shot by photographer […]
A Social Media Mini-Guide for Self-Publishers
I am new to fiction writing (someday I’ll be comfortable dropping that disclaimer, but for now, it is what it is). But I am not new to social media. I have been using it, studying it and documenting its evolution in great detail for over six years in a professional capacity. So you’ll just have […]
Carbonite Rocks My Socks!
A few weeks ago, a friend asked me via Twitter about backing up her hard drive to the cloud. I recommended Carbonite to her. I’ve used it for a long time and it has always worked flawlessly for me when doing back-ups and restores. And more importantly these days, it is affordable! Within a few […]
Anybody Interested in a Friendly Flash Fiction Competition?
Seeing as how I am newly arrived on the fiction scene, I am looking for ways to tighten up my skills and grow my support and communication network. I’ve never done flash fiction and frankly I find the whole concept a little intimidating. But since I often seem to perform well under pressure in other […]
Are You a Writer or An Author?
Recently someone asked me if I was an author or a writer. I immediately said “writer,” to which he asked, “what’s the difference?” And that one, I couldn’t answer as quickly. What is the difference? The first definition of Writer on Dictionary.com – a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc., especially as an occupation or profession; an author or journalist. Yep, that’s me! The first definition of Author on […]