I’m listening to a fascinating audiobook about the power of the present. There are so many ways of expressing it. “Stay in the now.” “It’s called the “present” because it’s a gift.” “Mindfulness.” Deepak Chopra refers to it as slipping in the gap during meditation. In this audiobook, Eckhart Tolle says that living in…
Tag: writing tips
I Did It My Way (But Why Would Anyone Want To?)
After more than thirty years of writing genre fiction, I will finally be able to answer “yes” to that irksome, miserable question that all would-be novelists get at cocktail parties, “Are you published?” On November 2, 2016, I signed a contract with Five Star (Cengage/Gale) for publication of my historical romance, Love’s Last Stand. Yes,…
Yada Yada Yada: Give Your Characters Distinct Voices
Just like real people, your characters have unique personalities, backgrounds, and worldviews—they should also have unique voices. Newbie authors often miss this lesson, and as a result, all 15 characters in their novel end up sounding exactly like the author. Here’s how I took my writing to the next level by giving my characters their…
Singing the Book Promotion Blues
With a new book coming out in June, I have had the pleasure—and the pain—of deciding what I need to do to get the word out. My decisions are similar to the ones anyone launching a book makes. Being realistic, there is only so much time and money, and never enough. There is also a limited…
Writing Romance: The Delta, Theta, and Beta Heroes
Welcome back, Campers. This month we’ll look at three other types of romance heroes: the Delta, the Theta, and the Beta heroes. (And how about those Oxford commas!) The Delta – the dark and dangerous. His past is so dark, so damaging, and combines with such a darker temperament that he exiles himself from society…