More Editing
I freely admit that I could wish that I had more education and experience in life. Both would make writing and editing easier. Turns of phrase, vocabulary, and correct literary…
Old and New
Some people limit themselves to up-to-the-minute products, even going as far as to camp out in a store parking lot in hope of being among the very first to buy…
What readers want
The advertising industry created the slogan "Give me something new!" But is that truly what people want? There is another maxim that crosses many industries: "Give them what they expect."…
The Stakes
In every story, there must be something at stake. This is especially true for thrillers and suspense novels, but it actually applies to all in some way. For example, in…
There’s action and then there’s…action
Once upon a time, sex in fiction was rare. Nowadays, most Romance stories, and many others, contain at least a hint of sex, before and/or after the wedding. The quantity…
Digital Art
Put simply, GIMP is a free design software similar to Photoshop. (Whether they have the same features I could not tell you, never having used Photoshop.) I have begun to…
Book Covers Part Two
As Derek Murphy of creativindie.com tells all independent authors (and I highly recommend his books, courses, and articles), covers serve but one purpose: to draw the eye of the potential…
Book Covers Part One
Independent publishers have a variety of options, whether publishing digital or print books. There are individual designers who specialize in cover design; their prices vary. There are companies that make…
Website Woes
The internet is a dynamic place. And a weird one. Not only are there constant changes wrought by software companies forever fixing and improving their products, and people like myself…
Emotion
Romance books specifically evoke emotion; that is part of their appeal for many and what repels others. In my experience, men in general and academics in particular often dismiss the…