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...
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...
Think of all the ways to spread an idea and you'll probably get a consensus that one of the most difficult ways is to write a novel. To express through character, emotion, and story that big idea you have. So many people tell me they've always wanted to write a book....
Back in September I asked you all to suggest a topic for my newsletter, and a reader said they wanted to know what my fears are. Well, number one on that list is a fear of my cat taking over my newsletter (and based on the number of emails I got, Guff has a lot of new...
It's that lovely time of year ago when thoughts turn to scaring the hell out of little kids. Halloween!For my newer subscribers, you should know I'm kinda into this holiday. I remember, when I was a little kid, there would always be that ONE HOUSE that was the crazy...
I was interviewed the other day in a writers' workshop, and the topic was newsletters. I was asked how long I've been writing mine, and I answered three years. After the workshop, I went to check. And you know what? As of this month, it's been FIVE YEARS. I was...
I have eight books published, and they are all standalone thrillers. By standalone, I mean none of my books is part of a series (though The New Neighbor and The Dead Husband have very direct ties to one another.) In case you haven't noticed, series...
