Reading, wRiting, and Roaming with Author Valerie Biel

When I first heard about Rochelle Melander’s new book, I was so excited about the overall theme and concept. THEN I received the advance reader copy and was blown away by the design, content, and – well – everything this book has to offer. Here’s my official review:

Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries Who Changed the World Through Writing is a delightfully informative book that will allow readers of all ages to learn more about inspiring writers throughout history. Written for the middle-grade audience, this book will have a broad appeal well beyond this age group. The book’s gorgeous design, organization, and illustration combined with succinct biographies will keep the reader engaged. Particularly intriguing are the way the author presents how... Continue Reading

This is a very fitting blog post topic from Tracey Kathryn as she shifts to using her pen name T.K. Sheffield. We'll be getting the same awesome writerly wisdom in her guest posts (that we've enjoyed nearly once a month for the past three years), but future posts will come from T.K. Sheffield. Scroll to the bottom to get the latest on her writing adventures and her new website introducing her mystery series! 

What’s in a name?

For me, it’s anything but sweet. Or the process of naming novel characters, that is. One of the hardest things for me to do is come up with names for the people in my books. (The other is finding comparable titles for my work, but that’s a problem for a different... Continue Reading

Welcome to the July installment of the 2021 Author Series, where a published author takes the stage and tells us what they wish they had known before they published their first book. Amanda Zieba, our July author, has written many books for all audiences along with helping other authors with their publishing journeys. I’ve reviewed Amanda’s books and interviewed her in this space previously—I really love her books! For further reading, click on these post links:

Author Interview and Review of Reality Bites (Champion Chocolatier 2)

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I’m an early riser. I adore the morning hours when no one else is awake; it’s the best time of day. I have a routine: I stretch my back, drink a mug of warm lemon water, then step outside to my wonderful backyard for fresh air. After that, it’s coffee and writing. The consistent process helps me stay on track. It’s what I need to get words on the page.

Becoming aware of that need, that process, gave me a lightbulb moment; it provided enlightenment as I revised my mystery novel. There are certain things I require—movement, hydration, and fresh air—to start my writing day. I thought of other writers and asked myself, What do other novelists need to write?

Then, given that I’m revising the first chapters of my mystery novel, I took the question further to consider... Continue Reading