Once in a great while, a calendar year comes with a singular message; a lesson that seems to start on or near January 1st and come full circle by the end of December. If I were to articulate the big lesson of the last 365 days, it would be this: We must work hard to... Continue Reading →
waiting until you’re clueless
One of the drawbacks of the surge in self-publishing is that too many writers have been allowed to believe an inspired work is also a publishable work. As a result, inspired works are too easily thrown into the market before they are publishable. This is an easy slipping point for any writer. After... Continue Reading →
glimmers of hope
Week Two Query Totals (Agents Only, Cumulative Tally): Submitted: 22 Rejections: 3 Requests for Partial/Full: 0 I promise I won't be posting these numbers every week, in part because it's going to get depressing pretty quickly. For the moment, I'm only counting rejection letters, but many agents reject by simply not responding. As those response... Continue Reading →
Writing Beyond Inspiration
Well, this is it! 2017 is here with its unique, yet-to-be-revealed set of challenges and blessings. I'm getting things into gear, updating my syllabi while trying to rest just a little more before reality hits full throttle next week. On the writing end, I'm prepping for a new round of queries for The Hunting Grounds, my brilliant... Continue Reading →
Kirkus Reviews SWORD OF SHADOWS
I don't usually come back twice in one week, but I have some news that's too good not to share. Yesterday, Kirkus Reviews published it's review of Sword of Shadows, Book 2 of The Silver Web. Before I tell you what they said, let me put this in context: I've been through the editorial review cycle a couple times, and... Continue Reading →
Season of…
...Thanksgiving, yes? I know it's going to be a tough holiday for a lot of you. Certainly, it's a tough one for me. On the one hand, Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite family holidays; one of the few occasions during the year when most of us are together at the same table.... Continue Reading →
The Plight of the Villainess
I had a great time at Planet Comicon last weekend. Met some fun people, saw lots of great costumes, sold a few books... All in all, it was very enjoyable, and I think I'll be up for more when the time rolls around again next May. Many thanks to all the folks who stopped by... Continue Reading →
The Power of One Review
Last week, we launched the Kindle edition of EOLYN with a book blast organized by Goddess Fish Tours. I want to thank Goddess Fish for doing such a great job; Marianne and Judy are very well organized and really kept on top of the 30 sites that signed up to participate. I also very much... Continue Reading →
Spring is Coming
Yesterday, during a lengthy walk along Tomahawk Creek, I came across these daffodils, among the first green buds to emerge this spring. The season is changing; we all can feel it, even the plants. Especially the plants. Spring is coming. I'm celebrating this year's spring in a special way, with the release of the second... Continue Reading →
Looking over the precipice. Again.
I still remember the first time I shared a chapter of Eolyn with a writers group. I was as nervous as nervous can be. I didn’t know much about writing back then, so I had good reason to be worried. Still, my goals were modest at the time. All I really wanted to know was whether... Continue Reading →