So I’m interviewing Kyle Prue at an event later this month, and he’s written a book called How To Piss off Men. It’s a collection of a bunch of one-liners you can use to upset your special guy. Made me start thinking, what pisses me off? Not too...
It’s August and I’m ready to tell you about my new book. It doesn’t come out until January 2025, but an author has to start promoting early. From Goodreads giveaways, to website refreshes, to social-media posts, it’s critical for every author to get the word...
I launched my podcast Making It Up nearly three years ago with the goal of interviewing writers not for any particular work of theirs, but to talk to them about their lives. I didn't want to ask them what famous author they want to have dinner with or what their top...
Choosing which point-of-view to write from is one of the most fundamental decisions an author has to make, well before a single word is put to page. And like all rules a writer "has" to follow, the POV rules are made to be broken. The only thing that matters is the...
It was early 2021 and I couldn’t stop thinking about the eighties. For you maybe it was the seventies, or early 2000s, or whatever time it was that whisked you back to your youth, what we collectively call the good ole days, even if we can never all agree on when...
You smell that? That’s the scent of a new year, fresh out of the dryer. Crisp and clean, almost like new. So what are you going to do with 2024? Fold it, put it away, and forget about it? Or put it on immediately and get it covered in dirt and sweat before it’s...
This was my first Halloween with neither of my two kiddos at home. Wow, how fast it all goes by! Seems like it was just yesterday I was showing the little ankle-biters the proper way to decorate for Halloween. They didn’t listen at first; for the few several years...
Who the hell is Penny Bly? Early in the pandemic, this was the question I couldn't get out of my head. Penny Bly was going to be the driving force behind my next thriller, but I knew very little about her. As most of you know, I don't outline; my books simply start...
I have a few mantras about writing that I like to push out to the world through public speaking and social-media posts (you may have seen my "writing tip of the week" videos; if not, shame on you). I'm a big believer in substituting action for excuses. As such, it's...
People are always surprised when they find out book titles are often not the title the author used. Looking back, my publisher changed the title of five of my nine books. And that’s okay! I’ve long since learned not to get attached to my working title, and often I’ll...
