After years of frustration and re-writing and re-framing and biting my fingernails and pulling out my hair, my first novel will hit the stores! This particular story was my favorite one. It’s about two sisters and their struggle after having experienced a rather dysfunctional childhood. There’s a lot more to it than that, but what […]
Lay vs. Lie vs. Help!!!
One of the most confusing words in the English language is lay (or is it lie?). Most of us have no idea about the rules that make lay and lie so difficult. We probably use them incorrectly all the time. As we move from the present tense to the past, lay, laid, lain, things get […]
Indie Publishing vs Self Publishing
How many of you are confused out there? I see a number of hands raised. When it comes to publishing these days, the reader must beware! Today’s world of publishing is quite murky. It is hard for readers to know if a book has been self-published, published by a small publisher or traditionally published. Why […]
A Tragic Story but a Must-Read–Review Untouchable
I wouldn’t label Untouchable by Scott O’Connor a fun read. It was tough but excellent. The author did a masterful job of writing stream of consciousness and keeping the reader engaged. He picked a very hard topic–grief and he demonstrated two responses to grief in his two main characters. The story is about how a […]
E-Murderer Chapter 1
How would you like to be the first reader of a new mystery? I’d love your feedback. I’m starting with the first 1500 words of the first chapter. Chapter 1 All I wanted in life was a good man and a million bucks. But so far both eluded me. This Monday morning like every other […]
I Couldn’t Care Less That you Could Care Less
Another grammatical dilemma facing writers is the common expression: I couldn’t care less vs. I could care less. A colleague once asked me which way I used this expression. I had never thought about it until she brought it up. Apparently, the expression, I couldn’t care less has frustrated writers for quite some time. According […]
Video Review of Hire Smart and Keep ’em
This 5 minute review says it all. If you’re frustrated with high turnover, maybe you need to re-think the way you interview. The price of this book is well worth it. The steps outlined will help you learn the skills necessary to hire smart and keep ’em. Isn’t that what we all want to do?
Why I Love Lee Smith
If you haven’t read Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith, you are in for a real treat. It is one of my all-time favorite books. Lee Smith is an incredible storyteller. She writes with the beauty of a poet. But, she creates memorable characters and a complete sense of place. In Fair and Tender […]
A Must Read! Good Writing in a Wonderful Setting
Wow! Before the Poison by Peter Robinson was a great book. If you like reading about Yorkshire England, you’ll love this read. Furthermore it’s full of mystery. The protagonist is a writer of musical scores for movies. He’s got enough money to purchase a remote home in Yorkshire. The home is the setting and the […]
A New LinkedIn Group for Serious Writers
Are you tried of all the self-promotion on LinkedIn? Most of the groups I belong to are so full of self-promotion I rarely pay attention to the discussions. I put out the question on two writer’s groups to locate a writer’s group that monitored the spam. The responses were interesting. Some people don’t mind the […]
