Uniting readers, writers, and authors to build better books.
Writing contests are a great way to highlight your career as a writer, and beef up your resume. So I went through all the contests of 2020 with deadlines after February, that you SHOULD look into! The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans This contests boast $1000 grand prize and publishing in The Iowa Review.... Continue Reading →
One sunny Saturday morning I went to my favorite local writers group. Our topic of discussion: our audience. Who was I really writing for? While I thought I knew; I write for myself first and foremost. It feeds my soul. And while its not wrong to write for yourself; I learned I should be more... Continue Reading →
As an IABE Veteran, how does it feel to be doing your second Q&A with us? I’m very honored! I feel like I’ve learned a lot over the past year since publishing The Purple Door District and working with IABE. And I must say, I can’t wait for all of the upcoming signings. Can you... Continue Reading →
Time was but a moment. Past, present, future: it mattered not. The mirror was supposed to give the viewer a look into these moments and prolonged use could lead to insanity. Many had succumbed to the mirror's effects, but Tisiphone, the heir to the Valkyrie throne, had promised herself not to let it get that... Continue Reading →
So you've been at this a while, and found your 'comfy' spot in your genre, have you ever considered you're too comfortable? Even after 13 years in this wordy gig, I get bored only writing young adult novels. But what can you do? Here's how I ended up finding a new genre. This all started... Continue Reading →
NO! This is not really a test! So slow down, before you freak out. In the new year, I wanted to explore MORE books on writing, and found something that I really think would help the chaotic writer, like me. Getting yourself to write daily can be a bit of a chore, but if you... Continue Reading →
When did the writing bug hit you? I was a teenager when the urge to write first hit me. I started out writing and drawing comic books. From there, I did some short stories, some newspaper and yearbook writing, and then more short stories. How long did it take you to publish your first work?... Continue Reading →
Paul Wiseman, orphan and runaway, was looking for a family. He found one—and got a little more than he bargained for in the process. Being an orphan is no fun. Having no friends isn’t much fun, either. When Paul Wiseman, seventeen, runs away from an orphanage to try his luck on the mean streets of... Continue Reading →
As the year comes to an end, our manuscripts must end too. With so many gut wrenching twists and turns it can be a struggle to find the ending that fits your book! Let's explore some things to consider. The first thing I would think about is the novel, is it a stand alone novel,... Continue Reading →
While the world may see us hard to handle hermits, its time to let the world know, that writers want and deserve better gifts! So this holiday season IABE is here to help you get it right! We asked authors what they thought were the best gifts to give writers, and here are the results.... Continue Reading →
When did the writing bug bite you? I started writing stories as a teenager in high school. I was typically a lazy high school student. I was trying to turn over a new leaf. I even turned in my homework. Unfortunately, the lazy bug was rampant in my class. I was one of the few... Continue Reading →
Sometimes you can’t tell the end of a story by the color of hat someone wears and sometimes, second chances change everything…Clay Denton is living on borrowed time. The only thing keeping him from a dance for the hangman is a promise he made to find a US Marshal’s niece. Clay doesn’t care if it’s... Continue Reading →
I am a "panters", through and through, but even I hit barricades during the busiest month for writers. NANOWriMo is a lot of pressure, which can put the wall up fast, and by the time you smack into it, NANO's over and you never met your goal. It's ok, it happens to the best of... Continue Reading →
When did you know you had to be a writer? Almost before I can remember. Since first or second grade, I believe, when a teacher told my parents I was a born storyteller. And the teacher was right, because I’ve been weaving yarns ever since, whether out loud or in writing. How many books have... Continue Reading →
Greg Allenby, almost seventeen, is in line to inherit his family’s cheese-making business. He wants nothing to do with it. Bored with his life in Ames, Iowa, he thinks of nothing else except getting out of his hometown and going somewhere with his girlfriend, Jenny Gillis. Anywhere will do. Everything changes with the arrival of... Continue Reading →
Shackles clang against the steel floor as I walk to my doom. Never, in a million years, did I ever think I would be living on Jupiter, let alone dying here. Our crew was the second to move in, but when we watched Earth blow up, and watch limbs fall like rain as the gravity... Continue Reading →
No matter how you write your novel, we all start with a deadline in mind. Realizing the reality of reaching that deadline can cause anyone to panic, procrastinate, and feel hopeless. We even spend days pulling all nighters at the last minute to make sure the first draft published is perfect. At some point we... Continue Reading →
What first sparked your desire to write? My first real desire to write stemmed from dissatisfaction! I had read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and hated the ending. I just knew that Jo and Laurie were meant for each other, so, 9-year-old me decided I would rewrite the ending I wanted. Of course it... Continue Reading →
The year is 1962 and this small west Tennessee town has been turned upside down by a labor strike at its main manufacturing plant. It seems that, as result of the strike, some very serious underworld crime problems have surfaced in Humboldt. A small town sheriff and small town Chief of Police have their hands... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
I know your jumping at the bit to know what readers actually want as freebies and memorabilia, but as always, before we share this list, there are a few things you should know. Cheap is bad. Not that shopping for a good price isn't a great idea, but if it seems to good to be... Continue Reading →
I think this is the 4th marketing article I've composed in my 5 years of blogging, this tells me its a severe struggle for indie authors. The hardest part is keeping up with the ever changing world and the needs of our readers. So today, let's talk about marketing and how you can keep up... Continue Reading →
Tell us a little about yourself please. Wow…that’s kinda tough. Hmmm…I’m 59, been married, been divorced. I have 3 kids, all grown. 1 grandkid in California. My son (who’s 25) has Down Syndrome and other issues. He’s fully dependent and lives with me at home, so he’s pretty much the center of everything I do.... Continue Reading →
Awesome indie books to rock your world!!! Stories, drabbles and sample chapters; the Dreamtime dragon authors are a collective of storytellers brought together by their love of Fantasy in all it's guises. Travel the Wyrde Wood with a giant wyrm or defend a pod of humpback whales with a dragon, explore the deepest goblin caverns,... Continue Reading →
In the wayward, icy wind, blowing the city fumes in all directions, Miss Plenty tucked in the errant locks that had escaped from her wool cap and pulled it tightly over her ears. Warming her freezing hands, framed in fingerless gloves over the heat of the fire, she scrutinized Mr. Nothing. "I see a pensive... Continue Reading →
The Scriptease Writing Workshop: In an expansion of its popular and exciting Scriptease play reading series, and as an initiative to nurture state and regional playwrights and screenwriters, Iowa Stage is launching the Scriptease Writing Workshop. This workshop will offer a series of courses to area writers to help hone their skills and bring their... Continue Reading →
At what point did you decide to start writing? I really don’t know. I don’t remember a kid, but I was already writing stories (fanfic, mostly) by the time I do have a clear recollection of anything. In a box in the attic, my mom has a flashfic story I wrote when I was 7... Continue Reading →
As Marai makes plans to return to Ineb Hedj, he knows not all is settled. Old and new foes position themselves, each seeking control of the Children of Stone. New allies find strength and wisdom from beyond the stars, while older foes emerge from that which is hidden. Each destiny interacts and becomes a lotus... Continue Reading →
Took ages to find him. I’d ask at writer’s conferences, libraries, weird old book-stores. Searched online. Most said Thoth quit, he’d died, never existed. Or sold out to Amazon, was running a bed-and-breakfast in Thebes. I gave up. One more god crossed off the list. Then at a bus stop, I notice this bag lady... Continue Reading →
With the 4th annual IABE just a few weeks behind us now, I feel the need to talk manners once again. We had an author steal a purse on camera from a shop owner at the mall. Now the cops have settled everything, and I know I said I was over it, but fact is... Continue Reading →
It's not just an autograph It's your name, and with it is usually some well wishes. But what do you write, if you choose to write the reader a message? Do you add a little message at all? Why does this even matter? Well, your readers come to your signing because they want to meet... Continue Reading →
When did you realize you were born to write? At 9 years old! My fourth grade teacher liked reading my stories and was a great encouragement to a girl who was usually rather shy. What got you into historical reads? I first started reading the old Gothics from the 60’s and 70’s in high school... Continue Reading →
Here are your must reads for July! Celebrate with indie authors and the USA! “This is what we’re here for, this is what Fate made us to be – a force to stand between the enemy and the innocent.” The first battle is over and the people of the realms grieve for the fallen. Meanwhile,... Continue Reading →
The power of words. Our pen- our sword. What life to breathe into an empty space, and what love to feel through the magic of black symbols spread over the white sheets. Our power. The glorious, beautiful, infinite power of words... Light in a darkened room and the air to breathe. I’ve been in the... Continue Reading →
LGBTQA Characters: Tips for doing it well. LGBTQA books are a big right now, so writing you character correctly is a must! Getting it wrong could not only insult someone, but poor research make an author look extremely unprofessional. So know your stuff when writing, especially in the LGBTQA community. As authors we tell stories,... Continue Reading →
What got you into writing? I’m not really sure where it all began, but as a kid I remember writing out all these crazy little stories for my little sister and I to laugh at. Even though they weren’t great by any means, I just enjoyed putting my thoughts onto paper. I guess over time,... Continue Reading →
Kevin Wolf is on a road trip back to his hometown. Wolf decides to drive through the night when he spots a teenage girl hitchhiking on the side of a lonely highway. With the intent of driving her to safety, Wolf offers her a ride. The mysterious girl at first doesn't speak a word.... Continue Reading →
The odds WERE formidable. A US Air Corps fighter pilot who found himself in a German prisoner of war camp after his plane was shot down. He survived that disaster but wasn’t too sure about his current ‘home’. Despite this, he refused to let the probabilities stop him from making the best he could of... Continue Reading →
Today we dabble in the prep work that needs to go into your submission for Pitch Wars, and jumping right in, let's talk manuscript. You need it to be on the top of its game! How do we get there? Well here's a few things you can try Beta Readers. While there is a debate... Continue Reading →
Velvet Davis When did you know you had the writing bug? Since I was a child I've known I wanted to be an author. I'd ask for blank notebooks as Christmas or birthday presents and I’d fill them with stories. For anyone who may not know you, what genre do you write? I... Continue Reading →
This epic first installment of the de Valais Chronicles will cast a spell you’ll never forget. Kemina and Gabrielle aren’t just cousins, they are members of the illustrious De Valais family of witches. On Midsummers Eve the cousins experience the sudden death of a classmate. An event unleashed by the wrath of an obscure enemy.... Continue Reading →
Writer's block is debilitating. Crippling a writers soul purpose on this earth, the mental dam can take months to get over. Luck for you, I have some tips that just might help you overcome that feeling of being stuck. Look at books- I find a trip to the library helps sometimes. I just look at... Continue Reading →
The dates have yet to be set for the 2019 Pitch Wars, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be getting ready. Pitch Wars is a program helping writers make careers out of their fiction novels. They mentor fresh, polished, unpublished manuscripts into something agents and publishers can't resist. They've been at this since 2012 and... Continue Reading →
My name is Cassandra Albee and I author under my maiden name Cassandra DenHartog. I got started writing as a young child, but also liked to eat too much to be a starving artist. So, I became a Physical Therapy Assistant and a Massage Therapist. I traditionally published first with a small publisher, then began to... Continue Reading →
Here are April's MUST read books JUDGEMENT OF SOULS is a Gothic horror in which a naïve pure-blood Vampire is tossed into the mortal world. Rachel meets Daniel, a nightclub owner and his group of friends and after Daniel’s best friend is murdered by Max, becomes embroiled in the search. Rachel tries to fight off... Continue Reading →
It's a question I get asked a lot. And my answer may vary based in the situation, but some factors will always remain the same. Newer, eye catching, book promos are coming out from major publishers everyday. This buries us indies in the hoards, making it even more difficult to stand out. Today, I want... Continue Reading →
via My Top 10 Favorite Writing Facebook Groups/Pages
