Whaddya Mean You Don’t Like My Protagonist?!

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…

The Five Stages of Emotionally Preparing to Release a New Book Into the Wild

Photo by energepic.com on Pexels.com Hello again, Readers and Writers! My 2020-2021 school year, also known as "Teaching in Covid-World: Take Two" is all wrapped up. Summer break has started, and in good Pacific Northwest fashion it's been drizzling fitfully and will probably continue to do so until July 5th. Ah well. Who needs sunshine?…

Publishing Paths: A Visit from Fantasy Author J. Fries

Hello, Readers and Writers. This year has been full of twists and turns for our family— I imagine many of you could say the same! Plans changed, were adjusted, or were abandoned. 2020 looks very different from what we expected.  However, the limitations of this year have come hand-in-hand with blessings. Our family has had…

My Interview on JPC Allen’s Blog: Writing Tip — Guest Blogger, Anne Clare

Happy January to all! I'm kicking off a new year of blogging with an interview over at author JPC Allen's site, where she starting the New Year by featuring new authors. I hope you can stop by her site, and I look forward to seeing you back here in the days and weeks to come!…

My Book’s Taking a Spin on Kindle Unlimited

Happy weekend to all! While I'm still deep in the grip of NaNoWriMo,  (and feeling half grateful and half panicked that the month's challenge is halfway over) I'm surfacing for a moment to let you know about a new option for checking out my debut novel, WHOM SHALL I FEAR? Authors who publish e-books exclusively…

November’s “NaNoWriMo” Challenge, and Why I’m Likely Going to be Wearing a Silly Costume in December

It's November, and that means it's time for NaNoWriMo! This tongue-twisting acronym stands for "National Novel Writing Month." Every November, authors around the world challenge themselves to complete a novel (or at least 50,000 words of one!) in 30 days. This is my second year participating in the challenge, because naturally, with a new, extra-busy…

The Challenges of Writing That Second Book

This June, after years of research, rewrites, and editing, I published my first novel. Putting my paper and binding "baby" out into the world was exhilarating, terrifying,  exhausting... but it's done! That mountain is scaled! And then... I had the first reader ask, "When's the next one coming out?!" Don't misunderstand me- having people ask…

Publishing Paths: A Visit from Author Jennifer Hallmark

Today, I'm pleased to welcome author Jennifer Hallmark! While she's been travelling her writing and publishing road for several years, Jennifer is celebrating the publication of her first novel, Jessie's Hope! She's graciously offered to stop by and share her publication story, and some advice and encouragement for other writers. Take it away, Jennifer!   Hi,…

Publishing Paths: Interviewing Author Betty Thomason Owens (Plus a Book Giveaway!)

Welcome back, readers and writers! Over the life of this blog I've had the opportunity to interview several different authors to talk about their individual paths to publication- authors like Jonathon Mast, A.M. Heath, Jean Lee, Vanessa Rasanen, Dan Alatorre, and Lydia Eberhardt. Today, I'm pleased to introduce author Betty Thomason Owens! Betty has published…

What Do I NEED If I Want To Independently Publish a Book?

There's no shortage of online writing advice. On the contrary, when I first decided to independently publish, I was swamped with such a flood of information that it was hard to find sure footing. The terminology was tricky enough, let alone the specific strategies other independent authors discussed as I listened in and scrambled to…