Beth Martin's Blog, page 20

Announcing My Next Novel: Quality DNA

I've talked a little bit on here about how busy I've been as a writer, but I think I failed to mention one of the key things I've been doing in that post. I've been writing. So today, I'm finally ready to announce that I will be publishing my second novel later this year.




He will do anything to make the perfect human.
She will do anything to uncover the truth.

In 2059, every person’s DNA

Book Review: The Scorching by Libbi Duncan

The Scorching by Libbi Duncan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So... I read another YA dystopian novel with a strong female lead. I can't help myself. I'm sorry.

First off, this book was nothing like I expected. It follows Madi, a determined young woman who's parents have disappeared. When she learns that they were sent on a secret mission to Earth, she decides to go there and rescue them.

Instead of

Writing as Business

When I decided that I was serious about getting published, part of that was upgrading my writing from mere hobby to business. I knew from the start that I would be investing a lot of time (and probably money as well) into getting my novel in print, and I'd have to continue to work hard if I wanted to be successful.

This post was inspired by a discussion (okay, argument) I had with a fellow

Debut of The End of Refuge's New Cover

Alright. I finally did it. I pulled the trigger.

I changed the cover for The End of Refuge.

Don't get me wrong, I still really love the previous cover, but I think this one will do a better job of selling it. At its core, it's a young-adult novel and needed a person on the cover to connect with potential readers. By now, the new cover should be approved by all retailers (except iBooks,

On Being Social

I know not every writer is a recluse, spending countless hours indoors writing their manuscript, shunning the outside world. However, being a writer has kind of led to that, at least in my case. I posted recently about the huge heap of work I've piled on top of myself, so I have nothing to blame but myself. Still, writing is a solitary endeavor, and no amount of reaching out and being social will

Post-Vacation Post

I really needed a vacation to get away and recharge. No obligations, no work, and no responsibilities. Although to be honest, I did bring the proof of my next book and marked all the needed changes.





Naturally, getting back into the routine has been rough. I normally get all my posts for a week together on Sundays, but the in-laws were visiting and we took them to a festival, so I didn't get

Cover Poll

Which cover do you prefer?

Keep the original on the left.


I like the new one with the woman on the right.





pollcode.com free polls

I'm on a Boat!

I've gotten some of my social media stuff automated so that I can still share with everyone on social media, even while I don't have a reliable internet connection.



"But Beth! The internet is your life force. Why would you ever go without it?"

Because I will be on vacation! My husband and I are going on a cruise to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I can't believe we've been married for

How to Write a Novel: Inciting Event

This week in the "How to Write a Novel" series, I'll be focusing on the inciting event. If you haven't noticed, I've added a link to the series on the pages bar above. There, you'll find links to all the posts in the series.






The inciting event is the thing that happens to get the main plot going. The best place for the inciting event near the beginning. After you've hooked your reader and

How to Write a Novel: Exposition

Today, I want to focus on Exposition. I'm doing an entire series on how to write a novel, so if you haven't read the previous posts, make sure to check them out:


Make a Plan
Chapter One
Staying Motivated


So, where were we? We've got an idea of our story, a first chapter, and the dedication to keep writing. Great.





I tend to subscribe to the three act structure for my novels, so let's talk