Writer Resources:Must See Bookish Events

Other than IABE, there are a plethera of book events you should be at. Whether selling your books, or buying without shelf control, these events are a MUST for word lovers everywhere. Writers On The River is hosted by Healing With Words, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit. Proceeds benefit Thistle Farms thistlefarms.orgSaturday, July 15th 2023Website: www.writersontheriver.com - Tickets and apparel...

Author Interview: Robin Reardon

1. For new readers, what genre do you write? All my stories feature gay characters primarily, though I often include characters from other groups under that colorful rainbow umbrella: bi, gender queer, intersex, trans—the list goes on.  My early works—novels one through eight—featured gay teens. But my Trailblazer series, as well as my newest novel (For Love...

January Reads

Welcome to 2023! Inspector Ron Atkinson returns to solve the case of, ‘The Body in the Park’, in this light-hearted comedy-mystery, joined by his impetuous partner Malcolm. They set forth on another rip-roaring adventure amidst the pandemic, in the picturesque town of Mill Hill, a leafy suburb of London. As the investigation unfolds, we question was this only an accidental death? Who...

December Reads

Molly O'Brien is a spitfire. She co-own a successful salon with her best friends and is living that single girl life. She's got a smart mouth, a warm heart and a string of terrible dates trailing behind her. After she meets sexy fireman, Brenden Clarke, she starts to think her luck with dating may have...

Writer Resources: Marketing That Works.

Its sad when the only messages you get are from "book promoters" claiming you'll sell hundreds of books. They'll flash numbers at you and show you a few other books that were "successful", but should you know better? Yes, you should! Just like most things in life, its too good to be true! 95% of...

Write Better: Author Autographs

Tell me, what do you anticipate a doctors handwriting to look like? While you hope to be able to read the ink on the page, there is a reason doctors are primarily digital with notes, and anything that was once noted by hand. I can remember watching pharmacists squint trying to make letters out of...

Author Interview: Kelsey Hodge

What genre/s do you write most? I write contemporary and fantasy romance. When did you know you had a story to tell? I was discussing writing with a friend and an idea hit and I need to write my character story. What inspires you to write? Wanting to tell the world my stories What is...

November Reads

ALMOST HUMAN ~ The First SeriesIn this paranormal fantasy, chapters alternate between a vampire and a young woman, as they join an ensemble cast to navigate difficulties of addiction and desire; perils of zombies and vampires; and struggles with abuse, morality and... college. The ALMOST HUMAN series must be read in order - the addiction...

Author Interview: Grant Atherton

What is your genre? I write m/m crime fiction. I guess you'd call them cozy mysteries. The protagonist in my current series is a Forensic Psychologist and body language expert who aids his partner, the local Police Chief, with crime scene analysis and suspect interviews. I've always had a fascination with what makes people tick...

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...

Author Interview: Marie Sinclair

1. For those of us who don’t know you, what genre/s do you write in? I write contemporary mm romance with a fair amount of steam and angst.  2. When did you know you had a story to tell? I could say, I’ve always had a story to tell. I narrated my toys through their adventures instead...