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...
The Dead Husband
What If?
Screw outlining.That’s easy for me to say, because I suck at it. Sure, I had tried outlining very early on in my career, but never in earnest. So after I'd written a few books, I decided to give it a serious go—notecards and everything. I spent nearly six months...
Now What?
With the launch of my seventh book now more than a month behind me, it's natural to wonder what I should be doing now. In books past, during the few weeks post-launch I would obsessively monitor sales ranking (It just hit #1,054 in Domestic Thrillers Featuring...
How a Book is Born
This month my seventh novel will officially launch. Maybe "will be born" is a better phrase, considering how many of my titles have either had boy or girl in them. In this case, my publisher will be giving birth to a dead husband, and I'm not sure what kind of...
I Remember
I write a lot about memory in my books. Good memories, bad memories, and especially false memories. My dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at the age of 62 and he passed at 69, so the horror of slipping into a milky haze of one's own existence has never...
“Not Enough Time” is a Myth
Not to brag (okay, maybe a little), but someone recently told me they were impressed by my productivity. The thing is, this person is the lyricist/singer for a band that's produced 15 studio albums, selling more than 25 million copies worldwide. So, a productive...
My 2021 To-Do List
Well, so much for hoping the flip of the calendar into 2021 would magically erase all the shit 2020 threw at the wall. COVID is worse than ever, murderous rioters descended on the US Capitol, and Netflix took The Office off its platform. Two weeks into this year and...
What Didn’t Suck About 2020
My end-of-year newsletter is usually a reflection of gratitude for the year. Then along came 2020 and spit globs of infectious goo in all of our faces, making this year's annual rite a bit challenging. Still, there were things in 2020 that didn't suck. In no...
Halloween Recap
BIG NEWS: Halloween wasn't a horrible disappointment! After my rant last month about the challenges of Halloween during COVID, I'm pleased to announce that it ended up being quite the success at the Wilson household. Instead of creating a suffocating walk-through in...
Unveiling a New Cover
Cover reveal! I normally begin each newsletter with an essay of sorts, but I just received my batch of advance reader copies for my upcoming book, The Dead Husband (coming May 2021) and can't wait to show you the cover. There's nothing like opening a box of your books...