The Three Rs: Reading, wRiting, and Roaming

February and March Book Reviews 2019

April 4, 2019

I’ve been reading a lot of manuscripts and advance reader copies lately, and right now I’m not allowed to talk about those books. They’ve all been wonderful, and soon I’ll be able to share my reviews of these stories. In the meantime, here are the other books I’ve read these past two months that I recommend.

In March, I interviewed Rochelle Groskreutz and wrote a review of her delightful picture book Easter Elf. I also reviewed a stellar middle-grade ghost story, The Griffins of Castle Cary, written by Heather Shumaker, who also... Continue Reading

March Writers' Forum 2019

March 26, 2019

FEATURED ARTICLES: 

Book Publishing: Are You Keeping Up? – Part 1

& 13 Tips for the Work-at-Home Author

FEATURED ARTICLES

Book Publishing: Are You Keeping Up? – Part 1

Lee Foster writes a summary about the current state of the publishing world for The Book Designer website. This article is a quick look at how publishing best practices continue to evolve—sometimes very quickly. He includes the historical perspective on how indie publishing arose. Nice summary, particularly if you’re on the cusp of deciding whether to go the indie route or seek to traditionally publish your work.

13 Tips for the Work-at... Continue Reading

Writing and Exercise (Revisited) with Tracey Kathryn

March 18, 2019

Writing and Movement: How Not Thinking Boosts Creativity

Last month I wrote a blog post about the ... Continue Reading

Review of "Easter Elf" and interview with Author Rochelle Groskreutz

March 11, 2019

Easter Elf by Rochelle Groskreutz with illustrations by Leah Di Pasquale is such a unique and fun picture book that I’m telling everyone they need to order one for the young readers in their lives. If the name Easter Elf, doesn’t make you look twice, the colorful and playful cover will have you pulling it off the shelf for a closer look. And then you’ll be hooked, because it just gets better from there. After all, you’re going to want to know all about this elf who doesn’t live at the North Pole and does Easter-ish things. When a Christmas Elf crashes into the picture, the situation becomes a little interesting for Easter Elf, but I won’t give it away. You’ll just have to read for yourself how it all turns out! It’s a well-written,... Continue Reading

Review of "The Griffins of Castle Cary" and interview with author Heather Shumaker

March 5, 2019

The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker is a delightful ghost story with high stakes for the characters that I love in a middle-grade tale. A trio of American siblings travel to the English countryside to spend a week with their aunt who lives in a small cottage on the grounds of a Mendip Manor and the ruins of Castle Cary—long believed to be haunted. As they explore their temporary home and make some new (rather odd) friends, strange happenings put everyone on edge. The climatic moments of this story are fabulously told! (But I won’t give anything away!)

Kudos to Shumaker for not shying away from the scary parts that keep everyone (even adults) turning the page. I adore the characters in this story from big sister... Continue Reading

February Writers' Forum 2019

February 28, 2019

FEATURED ARTICLES:

50 Best Writing Blogs of 2018

50+ Publishing Resources You Should Know About

FEATURED ARTICLES

50 Best Writing Blogs of 2018

Well, look at that . . . this blog was named one of the top 50 Writing Blogs of 2018 by the UK Writers’ Hub. I’m really pleased to be in the company of so many great information sources. I read a lot of these blogs myself—and that’s where I get much of the great information that I put here in the Writers’ Forum each month. Check out the full list at: https://ukwritershub.com/blog/show/best-writing-blogs

50+ Publishing Resources You Should Know About

And since we’re all about lists of 50 . . . here’s an... Continue Reading

The New York Pitch: A Different Kind of Writing Conference

February 19, 2019

The New York Pitch Conference (NYP) focuses on one thing: the pitch that sells a novel to an agent. It’s more of a workshop than a conference. There are no breakout sessions about craft, editing, or book marketing. The NYP is all about the pitch. If you’re in the right mindset, the event could be a valuable step in your writing journey. After four days in the “hot seat,” writers learn to be concise, persuasive, and engaging in a pitch.

I recommend attending the conference if you’re open-minded about your work and, most importantly, willing to change it. The four-day event is an emotional rollercoaster. Be prepared for honest feedback.... Continue Reading

Reality Bites - Book Review and Author Interview with Amanda Zieba

February 12, 2019

On a snowy Wisconsin evening with just a smidge of the remaining holiday chocolate at my side, I cozied up on the couch to read Amanda Zieba’s latest romantic, candy-inspired story, Champion Chocolatier: Reality Bites. Zieba’s writing has a wit that comes through in both the dialogue and creative plot, hooking the reader (me included) immediately. I had to laugh at the trials of Emmy (the main character) as the candy-making contest she is part of turns vicious and she’s contending with others who do not play fair. I thoroughly enjoyed Emmy in Champion Chocolatier and thought it was so fun to be able to see what happens next in her life. Zieba skillfully references some of the not-so-great moments Emmy experienced in the earlier... Continue Reading

Best Reads of January 2019

February 5, 2019

Since the beginning of the year, I have read 15 books. That’s a lot—even for me! This is a great start toward my goal of reading 60 books this year. Does anyone else set book-reading goals? Goodreads has a fun way to do this and keep track of what you’ve read.

You probably already know about two of my January favorites from my separate blog posts that included both a review and an interview with the authors. If not, catch up on what I thought about R.R. Campbell’s Imminent Dawn (a sci-fi thriller) and... Continue Reading

Review of "Imminent Dawn" and an Update from Author R.R. Campbell

January 28, 2019

Imminent Dawn by R.R. Campbell is not your run-of-the-mill sci-fi novel. For one, it takes place in the near future in a world that looks much like ours today—except for all the cool technology—not all of which is benign. This is truly a suspenseful thriller with a fast-paced plot line and well-developed characters whose smart dialogue keeps us turning the page. If you’re someone who thinks all sci-fi takes place in outer space—this genre has a lot more to offer. And Campbell’s work is a particularly fine way to prove that. This is the first installment of Campbell’s Empathy Series.

... Continue Reading

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