Plot is important. You’ve gotta have a great setting. Evocative imagery, strong dialogue, prose that stands the test of time… All of these things are important in the quest to be a writer who stands out in a very large crowd. But what defines great literature time and again, from Charles Dickens to James Lee …
Feb
01
Short Story: Ghost Hunting
Author’s Note – This is a short story from the perspective of “Diggs” Diggins, Erin Solomon’s partner in crime in my novel All the Blue-Eyed Angels, out March 1st, and the subsequent books in the series. I love thinking about these two characters as young people in their hometown of Littlehope, Maine – brought together …
Jan
31
Writer’s Toolbox: Improve the Pacing in Your Novel by Graphing the Action
One of the most common issues plot-driven novels face is that of pacing – scenes are too long, resolutions come too early, action doesn’t begin until fifty pages in. As a writer, it is often difficult to judge how our novels stack up when it comes to keeping the reader engaged throughout the course of …
Jan
30
Mystery Pick Monday!
Before getting started on this week’s Mystery Pick Monday, I just wanted to let readers know about a new series of webinars on Social Media for Authors that I’ll be conducting through Indie Authors, Inc. beginning March 6. Students can choose between enrolling in individual sessions or the entire series, which includes the bonus webinar, …
Jan
24
How to Outline a Novel Using the Three-Act Structure
In this week’s Vivisection Tuesday, I use Dennis Lehane‘s A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR to demonstrate how a three-act structure can be applied to the mystery novel – and how you can use that structure to outline your own mystery and ensure that your pacing and tension are sufficient to keep a reader engaged all …
Jan
16
Mystery Pick Monday! An Indie Spectacular Courtesy of Twitter
This past week, I focused on getting to know the offerings of some of the many stellar indie authors on Twitter. Here are just a few of the novels I found – mystery, romantic suspense, and thriller – worth checking out by these talented folks… Amazon.com Widgets The Kate Jones series, by D.V. Berkom Price: …
Jan
09
Mystery Pick Monday! 10 Titles to Keep You Reading ‘Til Dawn
It’s another Monday – which means another batch of scintillating mysteries to add to your bookshelf. Or Kindle, Nook, or iPad. Whatever rocks your boat, kids. I’ve got a good range today, many of them thanks to the fabulous folks in my Goodreads Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group. Each month in the group, a whole …
Jan
03
Book Review: Cutthroat, by Steve Brewer
Title: Cutthroat Author: Steve Brewer Publisher: Bleak House Books, Sept. 2007 Rating: Cutthroat is another of those great $.99 finds I’m always raving about from Kindle Nation Daily. In it, Solomon Gage is a hired gun/bodyguard/all-purposes cleaner for the Sheffields, a mega-rich family whose patriarch earned his fortune in some very questionable ways. Now, Dominick …
Jan
02
Mystery Pick Monday
2012 is upon us! And with a whole new round of Mystery Pick Monday, since one of my (many) resolutions for this year is to not only post more frequently, but to read and review a whole lot more books in the new year. I’m shooting for 100 books in 2012, and certainly found plenty …
Dec
30
Jen’s Top 10 Favorite Reads of 2011- Both Indie and Traditionally Published
The end is nigh… Well, the end of 2011, anyway. And since the trend at this point in time is to look back fondly at the year behind us, and this is ostensibly a writer’s/reader’s site, I thought it would make sense to take a look at some of my very favorite indie reads of …
Coming March 1st!
