Just Published

A big shoutout and thank you to the editors over at Deep Overstock for selecting a piece of mine for their Spring issue: Superheroes. I was excited to provide a piece for this issue as my grandfather was one of the artists who worked on the Captain America comics in the late forties. I've grown …

Rejections Hurt This May Help

I came across this blog post on the interwebs today and thought it would be a good share. All writers will face rejection and all writers cope with it differently. Knowing that it happens to all of us helps. Knowing what to avoid helps even more. This is where this post from Anne R. Allen …

More Great Query Advice

You know you've done this once. Maybe you are of the mindset that it couldn't hurt. The reality is it doesn't hurt, but it certainly doesn't help, (in most instances). So read it here, What Not to Say in a Query, from Rachelle Gardner's great blog.

Some Great Do’s and Don’ts

I came across this article on Anne R Allen's great blog. You Finished Your First Novel! What To Do Now: 7 Do's and Don'ts I often get asked what the steps are after the novel is finished. There truly is no single one answer nor is there a path that works for everyone. This piece …

Traditional vs Self Publishing

In my trek across the blogoshere I came upon this article on The Creative Pen. Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing vs Self-publishing I think the author does a real good job of laying it all out in a simple way. I tend to use Independent Author synonymous with Self-Publishing so I do not necessarily …

Do You Have the Write Stuff?

The Arizona State Library has just announced a contest for their ONEBOOKAZ 2014. This year ONEBOOKAZ goes all digital and they are looking for Arizona authors to provide the the works. ONEBOOKAZ is a program that encourages communities across Arizona to read the same book and then participate in discussions to bring the community together …

What’s in a Name.

First, I must thank fellow author and friend Gale Leach for sharing this on the message board of the West Valley Writer's Workshop. I learned a long time ago that a manuscript rejection means four things, the agent / editor didn't really read it and just tossed a form letter your way, the story doesn't …

Undead Heart is Still Coming

The problem with deadlines is that once you set them you have to be ready to deal with missing them. I began writing Undead Heart almost three years ago. The plot came together quickly in my head and the characters needed little development. I finished writing the book in ten months, I figure three maybe …

5 Key Lessons – Neil Gaiman

Author Neil Gaiman recently provided the keynote for the Digital Minds Conference in an article in on Forbes.com the author distills 5 key lessons from the talk. While intended for an audience of book publishers, these points are ones authors, especially self published ones, should be aware of. You can read the whole article here. http://www.forbes.com/sites/suwcharmananderson/2013/04/22/5-key-lessons-for-authors-and-self-publishers-from-neil-gaiman/

Why Isn’t Your Book Selling

So you spent the last eight, twelve, eighteen, thirty-six months, working, slaving, sweating and bleeding into your manuscript pages. Your characters are so real they are now a part of your life. The plot is honed, buffed and not a hole in sight. Your style is so well crafted that the prose dances off the …