Anne Who? Three Reasons For Using a Pen Name

I first wrote and published this post in 2019. Three years and two published novels later, I'm still happy with my choice to use a pseudonym, though I DO think it's more fun to call it a "secret identity." -Anne It's confession time. I've been leading a double life. It's true. I go about my…

The Challenges of Writing That Second Book

Photo by energepic.com on Pexels.com Or third, or I suppose now I'm starting on a fourth... I first published this post after releasing my first novel in 2019. Since then, I completed the second book that I was writing about and released it as Where Shall I Flee? in November of 2021. Now I'm working…

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Photo by John on Pexels.com Once again we’ve turned the calendar page to a fresh new year, full of possibilities. Looking ahead to plans for 2022 got me looking back at 2021. Just what did I actually accomplish in the past year? It seems like it went by awfully fast… Personal The beginning of 2021…

Guest Post by JPC Allen: When a Character Turns into a Problem Child

Welcome to another November weekend, and another excellent guest post! Today, author JPC Allen shares her thoughts on the challenge of working with characters who simply refuse to behave themselves. (Who knew fictional people we invent could be so ornery?!) I hope you enjoy her thoughts on this topic as much as I did! -Anne…

Guest Post By Andrew McDowell: Dusting Off Stories From History

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…

Musical Interlude: “I Dream of Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair”

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…

Revealing Traits of The Brothers Karamazov Through Secondary Characters

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…

I’m Talking About Writing Historical Fiction on the Merry Writer Podcast

Photo by Israel Palacio courtesy of Unsplash.com Good morning Readers and Writers! If you didn't get enough of hearing my melodious(?) voice on Our American Stories last week, today author Ari Meghlen is hosting me on the podcast that she and Rachel Poli host: The Merry Writer. After years of chatting with Ari online, it…

10 Bitesize Marketing Ideas: a Guest Post by Ari Meghlen

Hello Readers and Writers! Marketing is one of those pesky things that keeps intruding into writers' lives. How to do it? And where? And do you really have to? I recently had the opportunity to talk with author, blogger, and host of "The Merry Writer" podcast, Ari Meghlen (more on that conversation later!) and it…

“The Big Parade,” a Silent Story

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…