Reading, wRiting, and Roaming with Author Valerie Biel

August 15, 2017

 

 

 

    Plan the twists!

My keyboard is heating up as summer winds down. It helps that recently I met with a writer’s group, which inspired me to crave pumpkin fudge, crunchy-leaves walks, and keyboard clack-clacks. (I recommend a late-summer meeting with your book mates. It’s a fantastic way to get inspired for writing season.)

In June and July, I offered tips about seasons and time, both of which support this... Continue Reading

August 8, 2017

I’m late to the game but I’ve finally read Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I enjoyed both of these books immensely and not for completely different reasons. Believe or not, there were similarities between an adult memoir of growing up in Appalachia and a young adult partially-autobiographical novel based on growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State.

First, both of these books evoke strong emotions in their readers. I’m no exception—I will definitely be thinking about these books for a long time. They both touch on emotions that nearly everyone can relate to and, at the same time, offer a window into a part of our nation... Continue Reading

August 1, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So thrilled to be part of the exclusive group revealing the cover of Angie Stanton's newest novel, If Ever. Love this cover art by Sarah Hanson at Okay Creations!! This is a contemporary romance like Angie's other excellent titles. I can't wait to read it! 

Check back here for a review on the release date: August 21

ABOUT THE BOOK: 

Fiercely independent Chelsea Barnes has caught a rare break and been cast as the first non-celebrity on the hit show Celebrity Dance Off. Chelsea is coined ‘America’s Chance to Dance,’ but her partner planned on an A-lister, not... Continue Reading

July 24, 2017

In my journey through the steps of independent publishing, refining my writing skills, and most recently 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.

Happy... Continue Reading
July 19, 2017

Attempting to gain new readers through the Wattpad platform was a failure for me. I’m happy to share my experience to assist other authors in what to do and what NOT to do. To start, I should explain that I didn’t lose anything financially because it is a free platform, and I admit there certainly were things I could have done better to gain audience attention. 

What’s Wattpad?

Wattpad is a free reader platform where published and unpublished authors write stories and post segments/chapters on a regular basis for feedback and ratings from readers.

Officially Wattpad describes themselves as such: “Wattpad takes everything you love about storytelling, and turns it into a... Continue Reading

July 18, 2017

Using time to outline a novel

 

 

 

 

It’s still summer. In between picnics, parties, and vacations, who has time to write?

Like last month, I maintain the premise that summer fun interferes with pen-to-paper time. That’s why I’m discussing writing methods rather than actual writing. In June, I offered ideas about using seasons as a way to get started. This month, I’m blogging about using time to organize an outline. These summer blog posts are helping me begin a new novel, and to repeat what I said last month, the two things I first must establish are season and time.

By “seasons,” I refer to either a season of life or a time of... Continue Reading

July 11, 2017

Welcome back to guest blogger Lucy Adams. I'm particularly eager to hear how different activities can boost our creativity as it is a subject I keep going back to this year. Take a moment to read her ideas. I'd love to know whether you have tried any of these or plan to. I'm definitely doing the exercise described under number #5.

Creativity is one of the most powerful instruments to solve usual issues in an unexpected, more efficient way. Ideas different from traditional or accepted thinking patterns are typical to strong, successful personalities.

Although creativity is congenital (remember... Continue Reading

July 5, 2017

You might remember in March when I started talking about stretching my creativity by doing things that took me away from my normal activities and outside my comfort zone. I called this my “Never done THIS before” challenge and asked you all to join me. A few of you replied that you were going to try to put some new things into your schedule, and I promised to check back in to let you know how I was doing.

What kicked off this thinking for me was attending a modern dance show at Winona State University in February. I was intrigued by the collaboration of arts and the inspiration we can get for our own creativite endeavors. This led me to the creation of the NDTB-Challenge that... Continue Reading

July 4, 2017

Between gardening chores and a heap of volunteer activities in June, I don’t know how I read more than usual—but I completed six books and pushed my mid-year tally to 35 books read. Yay! I’m ahead of schedule on my 52-book goal for 2017!

Champion Chocolatier by Amanda Zieba was a sweet read (pun intended.) This is a lovely romance novel set in the uncommon location of Duluth, MN. I loved the twist of the main character having to prove her business acumen to earn her “ownership” of the candy shop.

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Emmy is a thirty year old stuck in a dead-end job she hates, but life takes a pleasantly unexpected turn when she wins a Facebook contest to own and... Continue Reading

June 27, 2017

In my journey through the steps of independent publishing, refining my writing skills, and most recently 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.

Book Events... Continue Reading

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