The Three Rs: Reading, wRiting, and Roaming

I treated myself to a number of reading days over the holidays (and beyond). Bookstore gift cards helped me assuage the guilt of spending too much money! (Although, I likely should have been working on other projects!)

I always love a good holiday romance and Nora Roberts didn’t disappoint with A Will and A Way. This is a fun story with some excellent twists and turns . . . and it all begins with a will that lays down some interesting terms. This is one Roberts' older titles that has been revived for re-release. 

... Continue Reading

One of the best parts of writing fiction is the ability to name your cast of characters. I know when I wrote my first stories I didn’t approach this in a scientific or logical way. I just picked names I liked that fit the idea of the character in my head. It was only much later that I learned that there truly is a method to the madness of naming these fictional souls, and when done right, you can add another layer of magic to your story.

J.K. Rowling provides us with what I consider to be the most epic example of naming skill. What did she do? Her moniker methodology includes an unsurpassed attention to detail that includes Latin and historical roots that fit her characters details.

For example, Harry is a Middle... Continue Reading

Today I welcome author Larry Scheckel. Larry is an award-winning science teacher who turned his love for science into books that teach us how things work. The recently released, I Always Wondered About That: 101 Questions and Answers About Science and Other Stuff and Ask a Science Teacher address our quirky, hypothetical, and somtimes irreverent questions that we never asked in class. In addition, he has written a memoir of growing up in the hill country of southwestern Wisconsin, Seneca Seasons: A Farm Boy Remembers. 

Larry, thank you so much for visiting today. I’ve enjoyed your books so much and know that you never stop writing. I Always Wondered About That: 101 Questions and Answers About Science and Other Stuff released just... Continue Reading

In my journey through the steps of independent publishing, refining my writing skills, and completing a successful agent search, I’ve come across some excellent information, tips, tools, and shortcuts that I think would be beneficial to any writer. Once a month, I’ll share the “best of” information and news from the publishing industry as well as feature other authors and writing instructors with tips to share. I am incredibly thankful for the assistance and advice given to me from writing and publishing professionals and am happy pay that forward. On a professional level, I also use my publicity and editorial skills to aid other authors through my company Lost Lake Press.