Have you ever read a book and wondered which character you are most like? Maybe you see a little of yourself in the main character, or maybe a supporting character. When I started creating the characters for A Birthday Surprise In Triple Oaks Forest, I…
Recently, an aspiring author asked me the question, “How do you know when to end the story?” I think this is a fairly common question, and you would think the answer would be easy. You write the beginning, you work your way through the middle,…
There is a stage in writing a book that I like to call the “almost finished” stage, and every author has had this experience at one time or another in their writing career. It sounds encouraging, doesn’t it? Almost finished. You can practically see the…
Sometimes you start writing a story because you have an idea that you really like. You have a character(s) in mind, you know where you want the story to go, and you’re pretty sure you know how it’s going to end. At least, that’s what…
You might be thinking that if you can write books for children, writing for adults can’t be any more difficult. I mean, writing is writing, right? You have an idea, you put it on paper, you edit it, and eventually you have a book. Well…not…
When people hear the words home library, they may picture an entire room filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a cozy reading chair, and thousands of beautifully displayed books. While that sounds wonderful, you don’t need a dedicated library or a huge budget to create a special…
I am one of those authors who has to let an idea circle around in my brain for a while before I can commit to it. I think about the idea. I think of different scenarios, and I basically start writing in my brain first,…
When you hear the words “author brand,” you probably think about a logo, a website, or the colors you use on your book covers. While those things can certainly be an important part of your brand, an author brand is much more than a logo…
When I decided to become a children’s book author, I had no idea how much marketing I would have to do when I decided to go the self-published route. Sure, I did all kinds of research (in everything from A-Z) and I knew as a…
There was a time when how-to books were expected to maintain the same tone from the first page to the last. They were often written in a formal, instructional style that focused almost exclusively on delivering information. While there’s certainly a place for that approach,…
A couple of weeks ago, when I was going around town doing cold calls, one of my sisters and I heard of a new bookstore in our city called Final Draft. After the success there (read my July 13th blog, “A Self-Publisher’s Dream Come True…
In the past, I have talked about visibility as a self-publisher and its importance. It is probably one of the most important jobs a self-publisher has when it comes to selling and promoting their book. With traditional publishers, such as those known as “the Big…
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