Never Throw Out a Manuscript by Judy Alter Back in the day we used to say every author had a stack of unpublished manuscripts in the basement or the closet. Today, those hidden gems are on our computers. I recently reclaimed one from the forgotten files. In the spring of 2017, I started a culinary …
Two Releases in One Month! by Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day First, big thanks and a (virtual hug) to my buddy Debra for hosting me here. It’s been so fun watching our careers develop on parallel tracks. Please read down for a double giveaway. But two new books in September, you ask? Yes, I am in the …
The Mix-Ups of Multiple Mysteries by Susan Van Kirk Several years ago, when I spent winters in Phoenix, I heard multiple marvelous mystery writers at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore. On one occasion, I listened to a gentleman who was writing a series with four books published. Several times people asked questions about events that happened …
My Scrap File: Then and Now by Donnell Ann Bell When I was a new fiction writer, I joined a critique group in which a multi-published author said to us, “You’ll write one million words before you’re any good.” At the time I thought that was a rather narrow statement. I’d met authors who were …
New Beginnings – But With Old Friends To put it mildly, the world is in a crazy state. Hugs, sitting close and laughing, randomly dining out, and big get-togethers for family celebrations, book events, or down home fun have been replaced with social distancing, hand sanitizer, and washing hands for the same amount of time …
Joseph Campbell’s 17 Stages of Myth–The Seamstress’s Journey Covid-19 transformed my life into an epic adventure, aligning neatly with the seventeen stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. For added drama, imagine this essay accompanied by music from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, or Chariots of Fire. Ordinary World My husband and I live with our cat …
Location, Location, Location by Nancy Nau Sullivan My sister asked me if I knew of a ghost writer. I tried to be a ghost writer one time. It didn’t work. I couldn’t get into the head of character, nor the setting. Especially the latter. My sister is the tireless founder of a non-profit for mothers …
A Parade of Caring by Debra H. Goldstein Tonight, a group of my friends gave me a “get well quickly” parade. As many of you know, I had foot surgery on Monday, June 1. Happily, unlike when my foot had to be rebuilt a few years ago, this was merely the removal of hardware and …
Write What You Know by Cathy Perkins Every author has heard that mantra at least once—and probably a lot more often. Anyone who’s taken a writing class or read a craft book has seen that adage. Whatever the answer, like all writing advice, it’s up to you to take it or leave it. I hunted …
Vintage Sweets? by Kaye George Are you wondering how on earth I came to write a series based on that (somewhat odd) topic? It was an evolution, a rather round about one. I had my location from the start, Fredericksburg, Texas, a German tourist town in the Hill Country, full of wineries and interesting places. …
