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Book Trailers

I had a reader request to share about the process of making my book trailer for Enemies of Doves. I put it off for a while, because I didn’t actually make it, but the more I thought about it, I figured book trailers would make an excellent blog topic. First things first, I know veryContinue reading “Book Trailers”

Paths to Publication

Since I announced my publishing contract, I’ve received many messages asking about the process of publication. Do I need an agent? How do I get a contract? Is it better just to self-publish? After getting similar questions sent to me this weekend, I decided it might make a good blog topic for all you writersContinue reading “Paths to Publication”

CHARACTER CREATION

A reader recently sent me a message via social media and told me she had really enjoyed my book and given it 4 stars on goodreads last month, but she was going to change it to 5. Why? Her exact words were, “I can’t stop thinking about your characters. I feel like I know them,Continue reading “CHARACTER CREATION”

Making the Cover

Today I wanted to write about how the cover of Enemies of Doves came to be. A really cool benefit of working with a smaller publisher is that you get a lot of input on your cover art. I have a friend who is published with one of the big five publishers and he got his coverContinue reading “Making the Cover”

A Book With No Home?

As I’ve been working to market Enemies of Doves, I’ve been thinking a lot about genre. Genre is the style or category of any given book. It’s how bookstores and libraries know where to place the book, and where readers look to find their next great read. I think most readers stick to a favoriteContinue reading “A Book With No Home?”

Civil War Regiments, Talking Crows, and Prison Uniform Color

Today I wanted to blog about research. Even fictional novels often require a drastic amount of research. Wait, isn’t fiction just making stuff up? Yes and no. When I was in 8th grade, I started my first novel, Years of April, about three brothers fighting in the Civil War. I wanted to be accurate soContinue reading “Civil War Regiments, Talking Crows, and Prison Uniform Color”

THE END?

One question I’ve been asked more and more is what my original ending was for Enemies of Doves. If you’ve followed my journey at all, you’ll know that my first editor forced me to change the ending! 😉 Well, maybe forced is too strong a word, but she STRONGLY encouraged it. If you haven’t readContinue reading “THE END?”

Time, Place, and Memory

When I started to write Enemies of Doves, there was never any question where I wanted it set—East Texas, specifically a tiny town named Carthage and its neighbor, Longview. When I was young, my grandpa’s job transferred him to Carthage. Just a day’s drive away, but to a broken-hearted five year old, 550 miles away mightContinue reading “Time, Place, and Memory”

The First Draft

It’s been a long time since I wrote a first draft. Five years to be exact. I’ve been working on the first draft of my second book for a few weeks and honestly, it’s tougher than I remember. I’ve been trying to figure out why it’s more of a struggle this time around. I believeContinue reading “The First Draft”

Welcome

Thanks for stopping by my brand new blog! When I first started this publishing journey, a blog was suggested, but I had no interest in starting one. My first excuse was that I didn’t have time. “Do I write a blog or a new book?” was my exact response, I believe. 😬 However, life feelsContinue reading “Welcome”