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Why Having a Mentor Changes Everything
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a mentor. At least one, but in some cases, more than one. In my previous life, as a career professional then business owner for sixteen years, mentoring was critical for survival and success. But mentoring isn’t just for business. It’s a success strategy for excelling in…
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Carving Out Time for Writing
Often authors, writers, aspiring authors, journalists, and those who journal, struggle with finding time. For many it seems like a luxury to do so, or a guilty pleasure. Many people believe the writing life is a combination of taking naps and nature walks for inspiration, then opening a laptop at a favorite café and instantly…
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Are Three Heads Better Than One? Tripling My Literary Agent Expertise
Interesting thing. One of my books was picked up by a literary agent. Then after a while, it got the attention of three. Am I published? Not yet. But here’s the twist. Three agents within the same agency have offered their support and expertise. In other words, the agency has my back. This is incredibly…
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Building Your Street Team
The phrase street team was a new one for me when I first embarked on the publishing journey. I had to ask a couple of seasoned authors what it meant, and though I received varying definitions, I got the gist. A “street team” is the group of people who act as ambassadors for your book and…
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The Ups and Downs of Book Signings
It’s the icing on the cake. The cherry on the sundae. The crowning glory. When you look at the long line of people snaking out the bookstore waiting to meet you and get a signed copy of your book, your heart soars. It’s the ultimate validation that you’ve made it as an author. Or is…
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The Light and Dark of Writing (and Reading) Romantic Suspense
This isn’t a blog about the ups and downs of the romantic suspense genre. Rather, it’s about the light and dark. To clarify, I’m using those words as a “simplistic umbrella” when describing novel elements and author styles. It’s also how I categorize my works of fiction. Just because I write light, doesn’t mean I can’t…
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Finding a Good Critique Partner
Critiquing is a critical part of the author’s journey. Whatever your writing, beta readers and writing buddies are a must. If you don’t ask for feedback, you’re not going to produce your best product. So, put ego aside and get psyched to find yourself a stellar critique partner, one who is willing to be honest,…
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Please Unsubscribe Me from This Newsletter
How many times have you submitted such a request? Probably more often than you’d like. If you’re like me, you probably have subscribed to a few newsletters you look forward to and fully read. And the others? Sometimes you get picked up as part of a “stop by” on a website, signed up for a freebie,…
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Developing an Expert Network
We all have different gifts, talents, and strengths, but one thing we have in common is connections. Don’t believe me? Well, if you have family, friends, or neighbors, or yes, if you’re on LinkedIn, then you have connections. Now that I’ve proven that point, let’s talk about why it matters. No man (or woman) is…
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Where Do Ideas Come From?
It’s funny how many times I catch myself going down a rabbit hole. Imagination is a wily beast. The other day I heard an intriguing story about a property site inspection where an abandoned suitcase was found. Because of the nature of the business and the timing of this incident, the authorities were called in…