Let’s face it, the American immigration story has been done to death. It’s the “been-there-wrote-that” tale. So would someone please tell why I’m sitting here writing a book-length memoir about leaving my native Ireland, at age 24, to come alone to live in America? While I’m penning my woman’s immigrant story, the very same story is being played [...]
I began writing very early on. As a child it was all I looked forward to in literacy classes. Evenings I’d spend in my fairylight-lit den, scribbling stories about imaginary places and characters that felt more real than any friends I had at school. It was only when I got to secondary school that I [...]
Mother’s Day is upon us. We honor our moms for nurturing care, but their contributions in other arenas are, inevitably, marginalized. Wikipedia recently excised most “American Women Novelists” from its “American Novelists” category – segregating them in a female subcategory, thereby rendering American novelists nearly entirely male. When we think of other public categories too, [...]
We are pleased to bring you this interview with A.J. Walkley, author and self-proclaimed fighter for social justice, discussing her book Vuto, which is currently on Kickstarter, her experiences in East Africa in the Peace Corps; and her writing journey. Pleased too that this is her second contribution on our site. – The Editors, Rachel and Anora. AJ, [...]
It’s almost impossible to sum up and to make sense of over forty-one years of writing, of making up stories, of being rejected and accepted by publishers, of my stories being loved or not loved, of being published over and over, of being a storyteller. Truth is, wanting to tell stories is in the blood. [...]
“Let me tell you one thing about why writers write: had I known the answer to any of these questions I would never have needed to write a novel.” Joan Didion I understand what Joan Didion means – you wouldn’t write a novel, would you, if you could possibly avoid it? Because as all mere [...]
How did a hospital secretary and single mom of four end up writing a series about a gay private investigator? My wonderfully intrepid and at times hot-headed character David Lloyd came about through a fusion of my love of crime novels, my undying support for GLBT rights and acceptance, and the brutal attack of a [...]
Writing about Muslim characters, Muslim women in particular, must be one of the trickiest subjects to write about. Especially in this specific time when everything about women in Islam seems to be dissected, probed and questioned. No matter the conflict or the aspirations of the protagonist. One thing stands out immediately: she is Muslim. Hence, [...]
What can I tell you about my debut novel, Duty and Desire, the first in my Winds of Fire series, that would intrigue you? It was a 9 year journey to finish Duty and Desire. I began writing the original draft in 2002, shortly after we moved from Singapore to New Jersey, USA. My kids [...]
Women writers with a calling to the keyboard, I salute you. For you insist on defining yourself, rather than allowing others to do it for you. There is something about you that says I have to be me – whatever the cost. And you have been willing to pay the price, because for you, there has [...]
We launched our sponsorship program the summer of 2012 and are very appreciative of the first sponsors to step up. Until we have paid sponsors for all spots, we are filling some of the spots with the books and services of close friends. Women Writers, Women Books’ Current Sponsors Send us an email at editor@booksbywomen.org [...]
It’s almost impossible to sum up and to make sense of over forty-one years of writing, of making up stories, of being rejected and accepted by publishers, of my stories being loved or not loved, of being published over and over, of being a storyteller. Truth is, wanting to tell stories is in the blood. [...]
I have a herd of elephants dancing in my tummy; my head aches and I am intermittently overcome by a wave of panic which starts at my toes and oozes from my fingers as I type; I’m not sleeping too well either. I’m not ill or on drugs – unless you count the medicinal Pinot [...]
I had a wonderful childhood, and leading up to the present, well, like everyone, I have had my share of ups and downs. But as I will tell anyone and everyone who’ll listen, I feel that I experienced a turning point in my life only a few years ago. I awoke one morning, on a birthday, with [...]
What can I tell you about my debut novel, Duty and Desire, the first in my Winds of Fire series, that would intrigue you? It was a 9 year journey to finish Duty and Desire. I began writing the original draft in 2002, shortly after we moved from Singapore to New Jersey, USA. My kids [...]
While no one-size-fits-all blueprint exists for promoting books on social media sites, there are several important areas to consider to connect with your target audiences. You can put as little or as much time and effort into promoting your book online as you choose; the power to connect with potential readers is in your own [...]
At the bottom of guest posts, we like to include links so that interested readers can learn more about the author and his or her written works. When submitting a guest post to Women Writers, Women Books, feel free to include a link to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Smashwords, or author website (or all [...]
Through the creation of my own website and assisting fellow authors to create their own, I have discovered one basic strategy that can help bring readers to your site. Many of us either do not have the time, or just do not want to learn the ropes of SEO for ourselves. Of course, this is [...]
While no one-size-fits-all blueprint exists for promoting books on social media sites, there are several important areas to consider to connect with your target audiences. You can put as little or as much time and effort into promoting your book online as you choose; the power to connect with potential readers is in your own [...]
Through the creation of my own website and assisting fellow authors to create their own, I have discovered one basic strategy that can help bring readers to your site. Many of us either do not have the time, or just do not want to learn the ropes of SEO for ourselves. Of course, this is [...]
Most writers feel that our work is to create the best book we can, and then we’re done, well, besides getting an agent or a publisher. But the success of that huge journey to write our best book is tied to your efforts in capturing the words and messages about your book that will create [...]
Hello! I am Patricia Carrigan; you can call me Patti. Here is a little information about me. I am 18 years old, and I graduated from high school a couple of months ago. I’m enrolled in a nearby college, and I’m a fashion consultant at a junior teen fashion store, as well as a published [...]
It’s every writer’s dream to receive an email that says, “We would really love to publish your book.” Well, it’s finally happened for me. I expected myself to jump up and down on the lounge suite like Tom Cruise on the Oprah Winfrey Show, but I didn’t. I just read over the email a few times to make [...]
While no one-size-fits-all blueprint exists for promoting books on social media sites, there are several important areas to consider to connect with your target audiences. You can put as little or as much time and effort into promoting your book online as you choose; the power to connect with potential readers is in your own [...]
This spring I am working as the virtual editorial intern of the wonderful online literary magazine known as Women Writers, Women Books. Here is a little bit about who I am and how I became a part of the WWWB team. About Me I am currently a sophomore at Elon University, a liberal arts college in [...]
My name is Victoria and I co-authored a book with a taxi cab driver I met at an all night diner. The book, Interrogation Tango, was released at the end of 2012. It was March 7th, 1994 at an all-night Greek diner called The Silver Star at 65th and Second Ave. in NYC around 1 [...]
I don’t recall the name of the male author or the title of the book that I was reading in my early 20s when I came upon the phrase, “her heaving breasts” one too many times. Ugh! Who were these raven haired, luscious lipped female characters whose breasts were constantly heaving? Nobody I knew, that’s [...]
The business of creativity is changing, not just in the formats in which ideas are presented internationally but also how authors perceive themselves. Today, a creator needs to be an ‘authorpreneur’. What is Authorpreneurship? Author = originator Entrepreneur = seller who initiates Apart from crafting words or images for specific audiences, ‘authorpreneurship’ means learning the marketing, publicity, [...]
Writers are fragile. When rejection slips pile up one yearns for reassurance. A decade back I would feel delighted if someone from my family or a close friend volunteered to read my work. But, often after reading they would feel obliged to make some positive remarks or critical comments. These casual reactions are just that: [...]
MariJo – It was a pleasure to connect with you on Facebook today over the photo of the Red Tailed Hawk. I’m glad we interacted enough for me to look at your website, and you to look at Women Writers, Women Books. And thank you very much for your interest in participating, it’s especially timely [...]
Continued from Losing the Artist, Saving her Art Part 1. Eugenia’s physicians finally allowed her to travel with considerable misgivings, as she was 84 and had a metallic heart valve. Transatlantic travel is stressful one way or the other, but there was no holding her back. She wanted to experience the place that her daughter had loved [...]
