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…
May-December Romance
While for some time now younger generations have been encouraged by media to consider mature adults to be beyond sexual thoughts and relations, historically it was common for an older…
Creative Blocks
Most blocks to creativity are internal; that is, they stem from our inhibitions and fears. And where do those inhibitions and fears come from? In my experience and observation, they…