The idea that love magically conquers all is quickly becoming my second least favorite ending. Deus ex machina does, of course, take the prize, but despite the fact that there is a genre expectation in romance that love can conquer all, I wonder if it is not a little “god machine” itself. It’s magic. Whether […]
Category Archives: Tips for Writers
Virtual Tour Service Review: Bewitching
I hired Bewitching Book Tours in September as part of my continuing promotion for Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective. Since Cassie Scot came out in May, this book tour was several months on from its release. Sales were good, but certainly not as strong as they had been in the first few weeks. My goal with […]
Tips for Wr…Everyone — Don’t Start With Boredom!
This was going to be another writing tips segment before I realized that the inspiration for posting it came from life. And that, in fact, this advice has far broader reach than the written word. If you want me to feel bored, the best thing you can do is to begin your (whatever — book, […]
How to Choose a Virtual Tour Service Provider: My Reading Addiction
If there was one thing I learned during this book release it’s that persistence pays off. If you’re looking to put your book on the internet, then there are thousands of bloggers you can reach. A few hundred here, a few hundred there, sooner or later it makes a real impact. That’s […]
How to Choose a Virtual Tour Service Provider: Innovative Online Book Tours
I made the decision to hire Innovative Online Tours about a month and a half before the release of my latest novel, Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective. I had already signed up with Pump Up Your Book but was feeling a bit nervous about the number of reviews I was getting through the bigger tour. Ultimately, […]
How to Hire a Virtual Tour Service
Why should I plan a virtual book tour for my book? I’ll start with the easiest question to answer… You should plan a virtual book tour for your book because the Internet is how books are sold. Even if people end up going to a brick and mortar store (and most don’t bother), they find […]
When Romance Becomes Deadly
Believe it or not, this post isn’t about vampires. But I can see why you might think so. 🙂 I was thinking recently about romantic books in which the hero or heroine is already married (to someone else) before they find their true love. It usually happens in historical romance, probably because in modern times […]
Quick Tips: First Lines
1. Keep it short. Short sentences are easier to digest. They tend to convey simple concepts. They get straight to a point. Longer sentences are useful when you need to describe something bigger, more detailed, or more complex. I’m sure you know that varying sentence lengths throughout your prose makes it stronger. Shorter sentences move […]
Characters Welcome: Julia Kogan
Characters Welcome is pleased to bring you Julia Kogan from Erica Miner’s Murder in the Pit. Julia is first introduced by her best friend and colleague, Sidney, before author Erica Miner talks about bringing her main character to life. I first met Julia when she was auditioning for the violin position in the Met Opera […]
The Idea that Started it All
When you’re working on a story concept one of the most important things to keep in mind is that nothing is sacred. You have to be willing to let the story goes where it will. This means, in some cases, eliminating the very idea that started it all. I’ve both head and given this exact […]