My Blog
The Investor Strategy by Jennifer Sadera
There isn’t one surefire way to promote a book. As a debut author, I’ve researched the many opportunities for book exposure, and they are as varied and far-reaching as authors themselves. Some writers swear by social media and spend hours each day online pushing their...
How I Use Beta Readers and ARC Readers by James M. Jackson
As authors, we know our manuscripts need fresh eyes before publication. When should readers see our work, and what should we ask them to look for? Here’s my system.. Let me begin by defining how I use the terms “Beta Readers” and “ARC readers.” Beta Readers are early...
A Review of John Grisham’s The Widow by Susan Van Kirk
I’ve loved many of John Grisham’s courtroom dramas, so I was delighted to hear he had a new one coming out. NetGalley, the author, and his publisher, Doubleday Books, allowed me to read it early for a fair review. It comes out on October 21. The Widow is a story of...
From 19th-Century London to 1925 Catalina Island by Susan Van Kirk
I have enjoyed and loved Charles Finchs' Lenox series since the day I picked up the first one. It would be hard to beat #14, "Extravagant Death." I thought that to be his very best yet because Lenox was feeling his age, was alone in a different country, and was coming...
What’s a Nice Author Like You Doing in a Novel Like This? by Jenny Dandy
Readers who know me—recent acquaintances, long-time friends from college—have been making comments to me that usually contain some variation of “but you seem so nice…how do you come up with these characters, these scenarios?” Where do bullies like Philippe,...
Pantsers and Protagonists by Cathi Stoler
When it comes to writing my novels, I’m a pantser—someone who doesn’t plot out the whole story but writes by ‘the seat of their pants’ as they work out how things will evolve. However, there is one thing I’ve always done first, which is find my protagonist. And, for...