Category: Guest Post

Today, I’m happy to welcome Donna Galanti, author of A Hidden Element. She's talking about last lines, those last sentences in scenes or chapters or at the end of books. Last Lines: In Books, In Life By Donna Galanti What makes you decide to buy a book? Do you open up to the first page and decide to buy based on the first paragraph, or even first line? I have one writer friend who studies first lines. She roams a library or bookstore and randomly selects books to read their first lines then dissects them based on how drawn in she is. Did it grab her attention? Did it raise a question? Did it introduce the main character? And most importantly, does she want to keep reading? Those first lines. They either grab you or they don’t. As writers, we only have a few seconds to impress readers enough so they will buy our book. But what about those last lines? Those lines that complete a...

Today, I'm happy to welcome Jo Sparkes, author of The Agben School. She's talking about bucket lists, a fun topic. You can actually find my list here. Bucket Lists by Jo Sparkes   Now life, for me, is full of mysteries.  Why didn’t the U.S.A. – Germany World Cup Soccer Game end sooner? Or a perfectly clean ten year old boy be sent to his spotless room for twenty minutes and return with grimy hands? How can a husband expert in making computers stand on their ear not know how to turn on a coffee pot? But this bucket list concept was a huge mystery. Trying again, I was sharing my latest with Carol. Carol’s the type of friend who’ll laugh at you to your face, and defend you behind your back. A true friend. She was laughing now. “You’ve got ‘finish your novel’ and ‘repaint the garage’.” Now I was truly confused. After all, Carol had write a novel on her list. That’s where I got it...

Today, I'm happy to welcome Daphne Michaels, author of The Gifted, to my blog. She's talking about her experience at Book Expo America. The Buzz at Book Expo America This year at the International Book Expo in New York someone had a great idea to do something new and wild. While the Book Expo has traditionally been limited to trade professionals, this year they opened the last day to the public. It was amazing to be a part of this experience! One day people were holding business meetings and talking shop, the next day up to ten thousand readers made their way through long lines to be a part of the international readers experience. From tiny children being carried by adults to teens hoping to meet their favorite authors, people looking for gifts for loved ones and book club members deciding on their next selection, the enthusiasm that readers brought to the event was incredible. I was there to launch my new book,...

I'm happy to welcome Ron Parsons, author of The Sense of Touch, to my notebook today talking about the story behind his collection. The Story Behind The Sense of Touch by Ron Parsons When I was attending the University of Minnesota, a friend of mine loaned me copies of two short story collections: “Like Life” by Lorrie Moore and “The Watch” by Rick Bass.  I think I read both books on consecutive nights.  I thought they were truly perfect – collections of small, brilliant gems – and I resolved that someday I would publish a short story collection of my own. The road to transforming that resolution to reality was long and filled with curves.  I started by taking fiction writing classes and was lucky to be placed in a seminar taught by Alexs Pate, now an award-winning novelist and playwright.  I’m sure he has no recollection of me, but his class had a lasting impact.  He was working on his first novel...

Today, I'm happy to welcome Kevin Bohacz to my blog, discussing his publishing journey. The Three Bears of Publishing… By Kevin Bohacz My first novel, Dream Dancers was conventionally published in 1993 in a deal closed by the agent I had at that time. In 2003 when Immortality was finally completed I assumed I would be able to get it published since I was already a published author. I soon found myself waist deep in rejection notices from both agents and publishers. All the rejection notices basically said, “We are sure this is a wonderful book but we don’t have the time to read a long manuscript by an obscure author.” In other words, I wasn’t able to even get into the Three Bear’s house, let alone try the porridge or sleep in their beds. I knew Immortality was a timely, entertaining, and marketable novel. Some extremely successful literary professionals including more than one famous writer had read it and told me they...

Today, I'm happy to welcome T c Tombs, author of Run with the Wolves, to my notebook, discussing the time period his trilogy is set in Story and Setting In writing the “Run with the Wolves” saga I initially had a concept for a story about a number of different people who suffered from afflictions that were not of their choosing – and how differently those various people chose to deal with what fate had cruelly bestowed upon them. I had in mind a ‘Vampire-like’ character; a ‘Pack’ of both wolves and wolf-like humans who suffered from a lunar-sickness; and finally, a group of people who were rejected by society due to physical abnormalities or forced into hiding due to religious persecution. To make these characters come to life, it quickly became apparent to me that the setting was going to be every bit as important as the story itself. I did a lot of research – and a lot of soul-searching too, I suppose. The...