Reading, wRiting, and Roaming with Author Valerie Biel

Critique Groups: What to Expect While Building Trust

April 14, 2020

Welcome to our new normal, writers. April is a time for showers and flowers. Except this April, which has been a time for tears and fears, unfortunately. My heart goes out to those who have suffered directly from this terrible illness. I pray for those who have lost family members, friends, and neighbors. I extend a heartfelt thanks to the brave front-line warriors who are attending the sick, hungry, and suffering.

Writers write about moments like this. It’s cathartic to tap thoughts on the keyboard—and it’s okay to disregard structure, thesis statement, and plot outline. It’s one of the few times I advise my writing students to just write rather than have productivity or goals in mind. Get the fear, anxiety, and... Continue Reading

The Pros and Cons of Independent Publishing: Part Two

April 7, 2020

Welcome to part two of a three-part series on the pros and cons of independent or self publishing. This is an honest discussion about what you need to consider before deciding which route is best for your publishing goals and skills. We’ve already examined overall concerns by detailing the positives and negatives of each type of publishing in Part One. Now, we’ll dive into potential earnings and royalties along with the business concerns you must address for successful independent publishing. In part three, I’ll detail the many decisions you must be prepared to make if you choose to indie publish your work.

One of the positives of publishing independently is that you can be... Continue Reading

The Pros and Cons of Independent Publishing: Part One

March 31, 2020

Welcome to a three-part series on the pros and cons of independent or self publishing. This is going to be an honest discussion about what you need to consider before deciding which route is best for your publishing goals and skill set. First, we’ll look at overall concerns within the positives and negatives of each type of publishing. Part two will dive into potential earnings and royalties along with the business concerns you must address for successful independent publishing. In part three, I’ll detail the many decisions you must be prepared to make if you choose to indie publish your work.

Traditional Publishing Positives

Advances: Most authors are paid an advance when a publishing house buys their work. Advances vary in amount, based on the genre of the work,... Continue Reading

March Writer's Forum 2020

March 24, 2020

Turning Anxiety into Creativity

What Amazon’s Slowing of Book Deliveries Means for Authors

How to Host Webinars, Online Conferences, and Online Events

 

FEATURED ARTICLES

Turning Anxiety into Creativity

I’ve heard from more than one writer that even though they have the time to write, their anxiety has stopped them from being creative. Lia Keyes from the Good Story Company shares some “tips and tricks to help you turn anxiety into creativity, and chaos into opportunity.” These tips vary from working on some new marketing plans or taking an online class to restructuring your new-found... Continue Reading

Review of Never Fear, Meena's Here and interview with author Karla Manternach

March 17, 2020

A little over one year ago, we were introduced to Meena the main character in Meena Meets Her Match by Karla Manternach. Now, Meena is back in Never Fear, Meena’s Here!

Again, I can’t say enough great things about this story and this character. Meena’s a third grader with quirky traits that make her instantly likeable, but Meena also has some challenges. In the first book she is diagnosed with epilepsy and in book two she continues to deal with her diagnosis in a very real and honest way that will appeal to readers of all ages. But these stories aren’t all about her medical condition, and that’s what why I suspect Meena’s stories are gaining attention. These stories are about Meena, a girl navigating the perils of grade school who wants to be a superhero and is frequently... Continue Reading

The Best Books of 2020 - Part 1

March 10, 2020

I love books. I read a lot! I also like to talk about what I read. Lucky me . . . I have a blog where I can do that. Here are my favorite reads so far in 2020. 

Write in Time by Meg Matenaer

I can’t believe this is Meg Matenaer’s debut novel! Write in Time is simply a delightful read with an interesting cast of characters that interact in authentic and often humorous ways. You’ll love them, quirks and all. As a writer myself, the struggles of these writers to get their stories right, along with their ever present self-doubt and time constraints of real life responsibilities, had me rooting for their success... Continue Reading

February Writers' Forum 2020

February 25, 2020

FEATURED ARTICLES:

Should You Pay to Display Your Book at BookExpo?

Facing Common Author Challenges with a Positive Outlook

 

Should You Pay to Display Your Book at BookExpo? (Short Answer: No)

The advice of Victoria Strauss is indispensable to authors and I highly recommend that you subscribe to her blog directly to make sure you don’t miss any of her pertinent warnings about less-than-honorable practices within the book industry. In one of her recent articles, she details why spending money to display your title(s) at BookExpo is not a great use of your hard-earned dollars. Read it here: ... Continue Reading

My Trip to Africa for the World Orphan Fund

February 19, 2020

I have recently returned from a nearly two-week trip to the African countries of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. This trip was part of the outreach efforts for The World Orphan Fund charity that my husband founded. I mainly play a supporting role to this effort, but I often get asked how “we” started this charity.

Here’s the team we traveled with on this trip. (L to R Dena Donovan, me, RJ Johnson, Tom & Elizabeth Evenson, Steve Donovan, and Ellen Nowak)

 

Ten years ago, my husband (RJ) was a chaperone on a mission trip our daughter was on. One of the male volunteers had dropped out and they needed someone in a hurry. He went. One of the staffers he met on this trip told him about a special place in Honduras called Orphanage Emmanuel that members of... Continue Reading

January Writers' Forum 2020

January 28, 2020

FEATURED ARTICLES:
Make Writing Resolutions That Stick
Writer Beware: 2019 in Review

 

Make Writing Resolutions That Stick

Kristen Overman at the Good Story Company writes a perfect post for the beginning of a new year (and decade) on how to make writing resolutions that you can actually keep. Her key points are really thinking about what you want your writing year to look like, investing in yourself (maybe go to a conference?), and measuring your small steps toward greater goals. She even gives us five (sample) resolutions that might help us get started. See it all HERE.

Writer Beware:... Continue Reading

THE MAKING OF AN AUDIOBOOK: An Interview with Narrator Paige Jensen

January 21, 2020

The making of an audiobook was something of a mystery to me before I jumped into this market in 2019. The audiobook listening audience is growing—myself included. The first audiobook I listened to was Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick. 

She narrated it herself, which makes sense as it is her autobiography. The experience was a delight and I was hooked. I love having a book keep me company as I go about other tasks—cleaning, exercising, driving, and (yes) berry picking. (Seriously, the massive 2019 blueberry crop allowed me to devour two books while harvesting! Yes, my life is soooo glamorous!)

So . . . with a number of readers consistently asking... Continue Reading

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