Happy Memorial Day

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all as we remember the loved ones we lost to be here today!

Writer Resources: Platform Now

You may still be in the writing stage, and that's alright. Even if its your first book, you need to be building your platforms NOW! And I hear you asking, "But what do I possibly have to share now?", and you have everything to share. Your journey to a finished book is what excites the...

Write Better: Responses

I know I am not the only one to get a comment on my author page post, just to find out, its rude or offensive in one way or another to you. While most of us are hot to respond with whatever quick insult jumps into our wordy minds, but this is a BIG no...

Writer Resources: Hashtags That Get You Noticed.

By now, author or writer, you should know that social media has a huge role in spreading the word about your work. And reaching the right readers has its complications.One of those distractions can be hashtags. A vital part of social media today, it helps you to further target your audience when posting teasers and...

Write Better: Focus

Distractions will happen; that's just a part of life, but if you do a little planning you may be able to focus during writing time. When scheduling your day, writing time should be during the quietest part of the day. Are the kids at school? Spouse at work? Pets settled down? Great NOW is the...

Author Interview: Me!

In light of my upcoming birthday, I thought, it’s been a while. So, I took to Facebook to find out what questions you had for me, the author. And this was the fun I had! Tabbie Asked: To?Too?Two?There?They're?Their? Okay enough shenanigans, how about whats your process for developing your characteristics in a secondary character? Never...

April Reads

Four authors will each take a different daughter born from the Prince of Darkness, Vlad Montour. (Also known as Vlad the Impaler, an evil villain from history)Blair – Chrissy PeeblesJezebel – Kristen MiddletonVictoria – W.J. MayLotus – C.J. PinardBlair: Half witch and half vampire. She lives with a coven of witches and hasn't had any...

Write Better: Street Team Content

Your street team, crew, or biggest fans! Whatever you call them, they help you spread the word about your book. So why not give them the best ? Today we look at content you should reserve for your super fans. Sneak Peeks: Give them the a chapter to tease your super fans with your upcoming...

Author Interview: George Tackes

1. When did you know you had a story to tell? Storytellers always have a story to tell. This particular tale, “The Great Chicago Fire Conspiracy,” started in 2011 during a family trip to Springfield, IL. After visiting the old State Capitol, we were walking away and my daughter turned to look at the old...

March Reads

Blue Pills flooding the streets of DenverFentanyl ruining lives; friends and loved ones dying from the synthetic opioidA football star in search of answers to why one friend is dead and another missingDennis Gash reaching out to Jarvis Mann whose gumshoe days are in the pastThe case drawing him out of retirement and into the...

Write Better: Making Moves

Just because the month is almost over, doesn’t mean we can’t still fall in love. And I expect no less from our characters. As a writer it can be hard not to be cliché and cheesy, especially if our real lives haven’t required us to need our moves in years. So let’s get modern with...

Author Interview: Britany Cournoyer

For the readers who don’t know you, can you tell us what genre/s you write in? I write in M/M. The subcategories contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense, and rom-com At what age did you know you had to write? What do you feel was most difficult in putting a book together? Coming up with the beginning...

February Reads

Do we ever really move on from the one that got away? Charissa Collins is a newly published author who embodies both strength and vulnerability. She embraces her sexuality and isn’t afraid to go after anything she wants. At her first book signing, she runs into her old flame, Robert Lockland. The magnetic pull between...

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...

Meet the Board

That’s right, we’re growing! And as we evolve, we are getting our officials in order again. Without further a due, meet the Board. President: Jennifer Thompson That’s me! Your fearless blogger! I have 20 years of writing experience, 14 years of independent publishing, and 2 years publishing house experience. I have three kids, 2 cats,...

May Reads

The ArsonistAn obsessed, twisted maniac targets the city of Chicago for destruction in retribution for the burning of Atlanta ten years earlier during the Civil War. But he has been hunted around the world by an ex-Union officer named Philip Avers who knows his true identity. Both men converge on the bustling metropolis on a...