Write Better: How Many WIP’s is too Many?

I am a huge offender of having multiple works-in-progress. Yeah, I said it. And at one point every writer finds more than one project at a time. So, how many is too many? Let’s figure it out! The Pros: The panther in me loves to have seven tabs up at one time. I write what...

Author Interview: Wulf F. Godgluck

Speaking of names, how do you go about naming characters?My characters speak to me mostly, sometimes there's already a name when they first pop into my head. Other times, I base it off the characters’ backgrounds, their ethnicity, the period the story plays off in, and whether the book is paranormal or contemporary. I do...

September Reads

Happy Labor Day! Enjoy a good book! Just click the image to buy! Set in the very near future, a young businessman discovers a technological breakthrough, capable of improving the lives of all humankind. How could he know that it would be stolen from him and turned into something evil and twisted. This epic adventure...

September Reads

Happy Labor Day! Enjoy a good book! Just click the image to buy! Set in the very near future, a young businessman discovers a technological breakthrough, capable of improving the lives of all humankind. How could he know that it would be stolen from him and turned into something evil and twisted. This epic adventure...

Writer Resources: Unsusal Inspiration

Sometimes our characters lead us in a direction we never knew we'd travel. But how do you find inspiration in this new found chapter? Well, you do my favorite thing, watch. In discussing topics to write about with my husband, he offered me the topic of finding inspiration in not so common places or situations....

Author Interview: Garrick Jones

For the readers, what genre/s do you write in? I write gay historical fiction, not romance. There are gay men and women, trans, and bisexual characters spread over my 10 published books. There’s always a relationship, but it’s a background to the story, rather than the focus of it. Crime fiction, action thrillers, murder mysteries,...

Write Better: The Elevator Pitch

I decided, recently, that I needed to take a look at my book and freshen it up a bit. And in the polishing process I noted something important I had missed. My elevator pitch! So I set out to prove to myself I don't need one, but I failed. My sales were way down at...

Author Interview: M. Frost

For those of us who don’t know, what genre/s do you write in?A: im currently writing MM romance with a splash of fantasyWhen did you discover you had a love of writing?A: I was always making up stories as a kid. When I got into high school I met a friend that reallygot me into...

July Reads

A coming-of-age story of a young girl in the opiate-south. Candy navigates growing up in a situation that is less than ideal with humor and spunk. She is hilarious in her observations, smart, and completely irrepressible. Her "Candy-isms" are real and brutally honest! This book explores the boundaries of a mother's unconditional love, and delves...

Writer Resources: The Schedule

Even I have a tough time keeping to a schedule. But I'm sure you noticed with all the missing posts lately. I am not always as prepared as I want to be and I make mistakes, but we're always learning. So today I thought we'd take a look into sites that help you keep your...

Author Interview: Lisa Gabriel

Back by popular demand! When did you discover you had a love of writing? I have always enjoyed writing stories. When I was at junior school, I used to write long rambling adventures - when the teacher would have preferred a short essay. They said I had a wild imagination as though that was a...

June Reads

One man looking to set down roots, the other looking to leave…Fresh out of a relationship, Nate’s searching for a change—what better way is there than renovating his uncle’s old coffee shop in Chesapeake City? He has a new job, in a new town, and a new lease. And when he almost runs over his...

Write Better: Blurbs

One of the hardest parts for me is writing a blurb for my novel. You only get a small space to make readers crave more, so make that sale count! Here are some things to help you get it right! Keywords Welcome to 2022! If you aren’t using keywords in your blurbs, you’re not using...

May Reads

I LOVE BOOKS! And sometimes I have a hard time finding indie books to fill my monthly recommended list! This month, I give you my favorite authors! These authors NEVER fail to impress me and entertain me when I need it most. They love interacting with readers and make you feel like you've always been...

Writers Resources: POV

Did you know we now have 4 different points of view? Let's go over them and learn a little more about this new view point. 1st person Your main character is telling the story as they see it. Pronouns like "I" and "Me" are common in 1st person writing. As humans (unless an unusal breed...

Write Better: Dialog

Our characters talk a lot. But what are they really saying? More goes into dialog than you might think. What part of the globe is your character from? What words are shortened? What's the lingo in the area? What era are we in? What age is your character/s? All these questions should have answers. It...

April Reads

Erik Simpson is a brilliant young zoologist who has no memory of his life before the age of sixteen. Trained by his aging foster father, a world renowned zoologist, Erik astounds his colleagues with his insights into animal behavior. As his thirtieth birthday approaches, Erik has a recurring dream of stumbling through the Amazon jungle,...

April Reads

Erik Simpson is a brilliant young zoologist who has no memory of his life before the age of sixteen. Trained by his aging foster father, a world renowned zoologist, Erik astounds his colleagues with his insights into animal behavior. As his thirtieth birthday approaches, Erik has a recurring dream of stumbling through the Amazon jungle,...

Write Better: Writers Anxiety

Do you dread sitting down to write? Do you feel nervous about the job you love? Never fear, help is here. All writers are a little aprehensive about their work, but I want to dive deeper, and help you learn to live with your writers anxiety. What is writers anxiety? Easy, it when you feel...

March Reads

Jerry McNeal didn’t ask to be born with the gift of premonition. Nor did he ask to be haunted by the ghost of a K-9 police dog that doesn’t even appear to like him. And yet, in the second book in The Jerry McNeal Series, Jerry finds himself saddled with both.As Jerry struggles to coexist...

Writer Resources: Social Media

Tons of new social sites are popping up across the world wide web. But its hard to know which ones will take off and which ones will flop. Part of staying relative is knowing where your audience hangs out. So today, here are some social media accounts you should have. No matter what your genre...

Write Better: Building A Book Concept

There is so much out in the world that inspires us to write. But jumping into that novel is a whole different beast. Having a concept layed out can help you stay on track and motivated to finish. So let's look at what it takes to create and maintain a concept for your manuscript. 1....

Author Interview: Wanye Clingman

How long have you known you were destined to tell stories? Telling stories from a child on. Only by finding that someone I knew from Film Making would also help do all the editing I need did I try my first book, knowing I did not need a publisher and could use Amazon, did I try...

February Reads

"Charlie is hungry. He simply can’t wait. What will his dear mother put on his plate? Charlie picks up his fork and stops in midair. Oh, no! On his plate! What is THAT sitting there?" "Lousy Liver" is an award-winning, deliciously whimsical tale that follows the imagination of a young boy as he devises one...

Writer Resources: Social in 2022

Keeping with the times is a must for all authors. Social media is a must if you want to succeed at all, but it can be difficult to decide which outlets are a good fit (not including Facebook or Twitter, which you should already have). So, here’s 5 social outlets you should have. 1. Goodreads:...

Write Better: Interview Answers

In the spirit of missing authors to interview, I thought we could take a little time this week to talk about the best way to anwser questions. Interviews are important to any authors career. So, why not have the most interesting responses, and draw more attention to your writing. I recommend sticking to the deadline,...

January’s Must Read

"Follow me," he invites, "into the deepest, darkest parts. Where there are no limits, and all the best girls turn bad."When her father is killed and her mother marries a man she barely knows, Ali’s precisely planned future falls apart. Until now, her careful life has always stayed within the lines.Thrust into a world without...

My 2021 Favorite Word Nerds

Goodbye to another year of COVID chaos! Amoungst all the ups and downs, I still managed to connect with some amazing people. Some I've know for years and just simply took time to check in on them and others may be a little newer, but still worthy of a mention and click. These amazing humans...

December Reads

Books make amazing gifts! Please choose indie books this year, it’s a small, local business to be an author. “Rachet-tense atmosphere” - Allie Cresswell“The action zings” - A.M. Reade“A harrowing climax” - Alison HendersonAfter a string of arson fires drives migrant farm workers from their homes, Damien goes undercover to infiltrate the white-supremacist, neo-Nazi militia...

Writer Resources: The Write Recovery

Whether you’re coming down from NANO, or just finished a draft, you’ll need a break. Time to shake the hectic schedule away and return to enjoying life beyond the screen. But how? Giving up on writing for an entire week is a stretch, but a few journal lines a day actually does your brain good!...

Updates!

Welcome back! My hiatus took a little longer than I planned, but here we are. I finally took my own advice and put my writing down. I felt stuck and needed the time to refocus. Thank you for hanging in there with me. Today I have found it’s hard playing catch up and have procrastinated...

November Reads

The second anthology in The Nightmare Collective is finally here. Enjoy the chills and thrills brought to you by the amazing authors of the Indie Author Book Expo group. Gripping new tales from authors all over the globe are fresh to entertain you and all of your horror needs Get yours HERE Everyone has their...

October Reads

For bastard-born Robert FitzStephan, being given Eleanor d’Outremer in marriage is an honour. For Eleanor, this forced wedding is anything but a fairy tale.Robert FitzStephan has served Edward Longshanks loyally since the age of twelve. Now he is riding with his king to once and for all bring Wales under English control.Eleanor d’Outremer—Noor to family—lost...

September Reads

Now fully possessed by the Dark Power, Lord Corban Vayd has unleashed his fury and his Garganite troops on the Realm. King Lange, crippled by the loss of the Sword of the Archangel and the White Wizard, is unable to stop the Dark Lord's attack. The king of the Realm must consider doing the unthinkable:...

Story Time: Wasted Nachos by Jennifer Thompson

Lights flashing and snapping apertures sounded in the darkness. Her body was a beautiful mess of punctures and blood, dress tore from hooking on the tree limbs that tried to save her, but it was all futile. The vessel that was her body let her soul escape through the gaping holes blood had once used...

Writer Resources: The Write Inspiration

I've been in a rut; that's right, I've got the block and my motivation is faultering. But it's time to shake things up, get the blood flowing, and get inspired to write again. And I'm not talking my normal tricks, because the more I use them, the more I'm starting to feel immune. I'm talking...

Author Interview: Nick Kokonas

What started your love of writing? Since I was young, I’ve always had an affinity for writing, but it has been an on-again, off-again relationship. I wrote short stories often in elementary school, then took some creative writing courses in college, but other interests like music pushed writing to the back burner. The publication of...

August Must Read!

Ex-soldier Jason Williams has emigrated to the colony world of Midgard to start a new life. He has taken on a new role as deputy colonial marshal, where he hopes to put his checkered past behind him and put his skills to good use. Not three days after arriving on Midgard, Jason finds himself embroiled...

Write Better: Short Stories

Recently, my writer's group decided to enter a short story contest. We each write a short, help each other with feedback, and submit. All the while pushing each other and celebrating our victories. So now I got this challenge of writing a short story, and that made me think, what does it take to make...

Author Interview J. Jerome

What got you into writing? I have been writing since grammar school. It started with reading novels for class and writing poems.What is your favorite genre? Why? Fiction/mystery and suspense. I like this genre the most because I love to try and figure out the mystery and who done it. Being able to visualize characters...

July Reads

Deliverance will come...But that is another story.What makes a legend but the stories told about him? Interviewing Gorias La Gaul, the biggest legend of them all, is a dream come true for young scribe Jessica. Where other girls her age would swoon beneath the steely gaze of the warrior, Jessica only has eyes for his...

Writer Resources: My Favorite Editors

That's right! I'm giving you all an updated list of my favorite editors and why I think you should check them out! Kim Hunther Wordsmith Proofreading. This amazing woman is my personal editor! Though its been a while since I finished anything, she is always easy going and can give me the feed back I...

June Reads

Maria is a normal girl with an extraordinary relationship with the sea. As climatic changes take effect, this relationship could save everyone around her.A short-story by award-winning Portuguese author. Get it HERE A Short Walk to the Other Side is a second short story collection of supernatural, metaphysical, science fiction, and horror stories following "The...

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you to all Veterans! Speacial shout out to my daddy ( a heavenly navy vet), Author Larissa Shively-Vitt (my trans-hero), and my Bestie Candi Breen! Your service effected me and so many others and there are not enough words to tell you how greatful I am for that!!!

Write Resources: What Your Formatting Says About You

Readers and editors a like will nit pick the smallest of gramatical errors. And when you're trying to DIY the last thing you need is to look like a rookie. The format of your book is more important than you think. It shows just how much you care about your craft, and while I'm all...

October Reads

Party girl Anna is out for a good time, drinking and dancing with her friends. She doesn’t have a care in the world.And she’s just about to make the worst decision of her entire life.Rock musician Dwayne has just played another frustrating gig to a less than full house of folks who couldn’t care at...

August Reads

Sabre:People think they know what punishment is, but they have no idea. I’d lived enough lifetimes of misery that I’m an expert.Soleil was my soulmate, but I was a Watcher and it was prohibited for us to be together.After we were caught, she was ripped away, leaving me begging for death. Dropped into the middle...