Writing Tips

  • rlslider-2-2



Character Motivation Part One: Using Your Inner Critic to Shape Your Protagonist

Posted by on Oct 30, 2013 in Blog, Writing Tips | 0 comments

Today I’m over at RomanceUniversity.org talking character motivations today. Here’s a preview:   I wrote a post at The Debutante Ball last week about wrestling with our inner critics and it got me to thinking. Those inner critics help shape our goals and motivations. And wouldn’t they, in turn, shape the goals and motivations of our characters? HELL YES! Let’s look at those types of inner critics and use them to our advantage. Is yours… The Ruler-Wielding...

Read More

The Seasons of Writing

Posted by on Oct 10, 2013 in Blog, Writing Tips | 0 comments

It’s Thursday and I’m talking the writing seasons, among others, over at The Debutante Ball today. Here’s a preview:   Speaking of seasons, cold season is ramping up and I have my first one of the year! Blarrgg. But other than that… I love the seasons. Spring with its hopeful sunshine and soggy earth, summer’s ripe vegetables. The windswept colors of fall and even the silvery clouds and naked forests of winter. They each hold a certain beauty, but I have to admit, the...

Read More

Landing an Agent Ain’t No Cinderella Story

Posted by on Oct 3, 2013 in Writing Tips | 0 comments

I’m blogging at The Debutante Ball today. But here’s a preview: My agent story is a fun one to tell, at least for me. I don’t have five trunk novels. I didn’t query hundreds of agents and field dozens of rejections. One might call my story the Cinderella story. Kind of. (Well, other than the three years and hundreds of hours of writing, revising, studying craft, going to conferences, and wiping breast milk off of my ink-filled pages.) Where was I? Oh, right. The Cinderella...

Read More

My New Website! And a Giveaway of Becoming Josephine

Posted by on Sep 30, 2013 in Blog, Contests & Hops, Writing Tips | 36 comments

I’m so excited to launch my brand-spanking-new website courtesy of the very talented artist, author, and web designer Kris Waldherr. Please dig around on the BOOK CLUBS page and also the FOR FUN page to see little extras including the cast of characters, author notes, discussion questions, and resources. IN OTHER NEWS I will be touring with Historical Fiction Virtual Tours and the link is now live! Stop by these blogs on the designated days for reviews of the novel, interviews or guest...

Read More

“Firsts” are like buttholes. Everyone has got one.

Posted by on Sep 12, 2013 in Writing Tips | 0 comments

“Firsts” are like buttholes. Everyone has got one.

It’s Thursday so I’m over at The Debutante Ball again, spilling my guts out. Today is all about “firsts”–those hard moments when all is new and shiny and SCARY. Here’s a little preview… “Firsts” are like buttholes. Everyone has got one. They are! Seriously, firsts really are like buttholes. There are several reasons why, but let’s keep it clean. To start, everyone must experience them. First heartbreak, first bounced check, first car...

Read More

I Have a Dream!– The Making of Becoming Josephine

Posted by on Sep 5, 2013 in Writing Tips | 2 comments

Today I am over at The Debutante Ball, sharing where the inspiration came from for my debut novel, Becoming Josephine, which releases Dec 31, 2013. Here’s A Sneak Preview: For the first dance here at the Deb Ball, we’ve been talking THE BOOK. The big kaboom of inspiration that ultimately led to a book deal. So here’s my story. Writing this debut changed me forever. It all began when I was expecting baby number two. My plate was full and the wonderful job I had loved so much began to...

Read More