Tag: featured
Writing Aside: How I Spend My Time Between Projects by Donna Carbone
I retired from full time teaching in June–my other full time job when I’m not writing. For the past five years, I’ve been anticipating this decision to tip the scale toward writing more and teaching less. True to my nature as an organized plotter, I meticulously outline my writing at the onset, always knowing full […]
Welcome the Truth When Writing Fiction—Just Brace Yourself
By Catherine Marshall-Smith My novel, The Resilience of Red Thread, tells the story of a woman escaping an abusive relationship—and the essential role female friendship plays in making that happen. Writing it required deep research: interviews with social workers, time in family court, listening to survivors, and studying case files. It was inspiring but often […]
An Imagined Interview Between Meryl Branch-McTiernan and the Fictional Dr. Melfi from The Sopranos
A Conversation between the Writer and Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi Me: Hi Dr. Melfi… Jennifer? Dr. Melfi: Dr. Melfi is fine. Me: I’m thrilled you were willing to come out of retirement after—what—nearly twenty years, to work with me. Dr. Melfi: What brings you to therapy? Me: I’m having trouble deciding what to […]
From an Idea to a Bestseller: Why You Should Never Wait to Write Your Book by Janine Lowe
If someone had told me a few years ago that I would be writing books, presenting on UK Health Radio, speaking to people around the world about Feng Shui and manifestation, and launching my own publishing company, I would probably have smiled politely and thought, “That’s for someone else.” But isn’t that exactly how so […]
Why the Romance Genre is Raising the Bar for Modern Relationships
How does romance fiction reflect the changing expectations around communication, masculinity, and emotional safety? Romance has maintained a poor reputation over the years across every medium. Books, movies, TV shows—life in general, I’d argue. Why? Because it’s painful. Love hurts. It’s obsessive and toxic and one-sided. It doesn’t let you sleep. It doesn’t let you […]
Authors Interviewing Characters: Pamela Kelley
NANTUCKET SECOND CHANCES From USA Today and WSJ bestselling author Pamela Kelley, comes a new beach read filled with family, friendship, romance and second chances. Nantucket Second Chances is “Warm, witty, and atmospheric… This is the perfect summer read.” ― Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author She doesn’t have a job–but she does have a […]
Authors Interviewing Characters: Grace Helena Walz
PRETTY AS A PEACH A rising star in Southern fiction, Grace Helena Walz returns with Pretty as a Peach, another story full of charm, sass, wit, and characters you’ll want as friends. A group of life-long friends. A secretive MLM cosmetics company. Some opportunities cost more than they’re worth. Delilah Thomas has a stellar track record […]
Not Every Book Easily Finds its Spot on a Bookstore Shelf by Janet Roberts
It began when I checked the wrong box on the Novel-in-a-Year application to The Story Studio in Chicago. I’d written and self-published two books by then, both women’s fiction with domestic suspense, instinctively mixing genres with little understanding of the craft of writing. Sales were minimal. The class seemed like a good way to improve […]
Edith Netter: On Writing
How to tell a story that’s intimate and true when the people you want to write about didn’t talk about themselves, left no diaries or letters, and are no longer alive? This was my challenge when I wrote “The House at Schumannstrasse 7”, about my grandmother who escaped two countries during two world wars and […]
My Writing Path by Marina Evans
Authors are artists. Some people may disagree with that statement, but in my opinion, authors painstakingly sketch, sculpt, paint, and carve the written word. And as we whittle, hone, and polish our work into near-perfect sentences, a novel emerges. Once we are finally able to step back and admire what we’ve created, it’s incredibly worth […]
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