"A close up of the Holocaust memorial in Berlin." Photo by Ilse Orsel on Unsplash History is full of "what ifs." What if Hitler had not chosen to open an Eastern Front and attack Russia? What if the forces on the Philippines had been prepared after Pearl Harbor was attacked? What if the U.S. forces hadn't been prepared… Continue reading What if the Allies Lost? FATHERLAND by Robert Harris
Hello Readers and Writers! Author Jonathon Mast graciously agreed to stop by for an interview and to let me throw all sorts of questions at him. I hope you find his insights on writing and publishing as interesting (and entertaining) as I did! SO, Jon, when did you become “a writer”? Was it something you… Continue reading An Interview with Author Jonathon Mast
Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash Hello all—we've made it to another weekend! Today, author Andrew McDowell has been kind enough to stop by and share his thoughts on historical fiction. Can stories from history be overused, even as a framework for fiction? I enjoyed reading Andrew's thoughts on this, and I hope you do too! -Anne I… Continue reading Guest Post By Andrew McDowell: Dusting Off Stories From History
Many thanks to author Jean Lee who featured my new novel, Where Shall I Flee? in today's podcast! Stop by for a chance to listen to the opening pages of the novel along with Jean's writerly thoughts on it. -Anne Welcome back, my fellow creatives! We’re back with more beautiful brews from fellow indie authors… Continue reading The Waves of #War Will Take Us in This #Podcast: Where Shall I Flee? by Anne Clare — Jean Lee’s World
I'm on the verge of launching a new story, which means introducing new protagonists and hoping they "play well" together. While their personalities are different than the characters from my first book, (i.e. the characters this post was about when I wrote it a few years ago) the lessons are essentially the same. I hope… Continue reading Whaddya Mean You Don’t Like My Protagonist?!
I first shared this post in 2018, but as "Jeannie's" story is nearly ready for launch (and is currently up for pre-order!) it seemed like a good time to share it again. Launch Date: Nov 1, 2021! Choosing the right name is a difficult task- at least it is for me. As a child, the… Continue reading Musical Interlude: “I Dream of Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair”
Being a parent, a teacher, and a writer, I've received my fair share of unsolicited advice. I've tucked some of the helpful bits into my memory. Others I've let slip away. As I began to prepare for this post, one came piece of advice came to mind from waaaaaay back in my dating days. I… Continue reading Revealing Traits of The Brothers Karamazov Through Secondary Characters
“”Sinking Sun”: painting by Griffith Baily Coale, oil on canvas, 1942. Description: A U.S. Marine stands at parade rest on the bow of a PT boat as she moves slowly out to sea from Midway to give decent burial to Japanese fliers shot down on the islands during the battle. The red ball of the… Continue reading The Battle of Midway on “Our American Stories”
After a hectic end of the school year and a couple of weeks absorbed in final book edits (hopefully final, anyway, though I keep having dreams that I've forgotten something) the new blog post I had in mind is taking a back seat to some much needed family time. Instead, I thought I'd revisit this… Continue reading “The Big Parade,” a Silent Story
Welcome, Readers and Writers! I've been working hard on rounding out the characters in my second book this month, which led me back to this post from a while back. Sometimes the best teachers of good characterization are the vibrant characters we meet in other novels. I hope you enjoy my reaction to George Elliot's Middlemarch.… Continue reading George Elliot’s MIDDLEMARCH, and Keeping Readers Engaged for the Long Haul
thenaptimeauthor.wordpress.com 