Here’s a helpful rule of thumb for novelists: Read 100 novels in the genre that you want to write in. You can choose any novels you like, but include recent novels, good books written within the last 10 years. Read the classic novels from this genre, too — just so you get a bird’s eye view of how the genre has changed over time
“This is an experience that a lot of women don’t get to have.”
So, okay, Assassin’s Blade came out, and I tell you what, I’ve never shot up so high and fast on Amazon in my life. I passed a few of Diana Galbaldon’s books, but her Highlander book stayed just ahead of me and I couldn’t catch up to that one. Still felt pretty good about the whole thing.
In 1995, I sent out my first novel and got my first rejection. I was a bright-eyed college student of 25 years, just married, and a writing hotshot. I read a lot of classic literature and I’d been churning out stories since grade school. “You must want to enough,” Phyllis …
Now I am writing a new book. Recently, Derek Murphy posted a list of the most popular keywords in YA titles, winnowing down a nice word cloud from 1,000 descriptions and titles he fed into the keyword machine. At the same time, I read an article about the state of …
Mainly because it was cheap. It’s a 2013 Nissan Leaf. We have a grounded outdoor outlet where I plug it in, and then I plug it in again at work. At Hy-Vee (one of the grocery stores here in town) there’s a big outlet thingy that will give you a …
To recap: My book, Courageous Women of the Civil War: Soldiers, Spies, Medics, and More came out in August of last year. Shortly after, several things happened. I was at a local author’s showcase with my one book on the table, and folks I knew and admired had a whole …
Dang, I am happy to see this one finished. Charles Anctil, Master Rosarian with the American Rose Society, and personal buddy, has looked over the manuscript and made recommendations, all of which I followed, so I have his stamp of approval on this book. Roses are the Queen of Flowers. …
I do a little regular work for Xiaoduo Media, writing science and tech articles for young readers in China (somebody else translates them, thank goodness). Recently they had me do a little Q&A for their readers, which I had fun with as usual. I don’t know when it’s going to …
