Mark O'Neill's Blog, page 11

How Fast Is Too Fast? When Publishing Quickly May Become a Liability - Mark O’Neill

I am a fast guy and proud of it.

I can read over 750 words a minute and utterly devour books (2-3 a week). I have done this since I was first able to read. Teachers called me “unique” which I guess is their polite way of saying that I was a freak. My mother told me often in the past that she found it unnerving to see me reading so fast.

So when it comes to writing my books, I am also a speed demon. With a touch-typing speed of over 130 words per minute and a “pantser” writing style, it isn’...

How Fast Is Too Fast? When Publishing Quickly May Become a Liability

I am a fast guy and proud of it.

I can read over 750 words a minute and utterly devour books (2-3 a week). I have done this since I was first able to read. Teachers called me “unique” which I guess is their polite way of saying that I was a freak. My mother told me often in the past that she found it unnerving to see me reading so fast.

So when it comes to writing my books, I am also a speed demon. With a touch-typing speed of over 130 words per minute and a “pantser” writing style, it isn’t...

My Guest Post On “The Creative Penn” About Depression - Mark O’Neill

Having depression, the condition interests me a great deal and I care about educating others on the subject. There is so much ignorance and misinformation out there that it is truly staggering to stand by and watch.

So when I had the opportunity to write a guest post for the highly talented and respected indie author, Joanna Penn, I immediately jumped at the chance to do some educating.

Writers seem to be more susceptible to depression than people in other professions. This is something I w...

My Guest Post On “The Creative Penn” About Depression

Having depression, the condition interests me a great deal and I care about educating others on the subject. There is so much ignorance and misinformation out there that it is truly staggering to stand by and watch.

So when I had the opportunity to write a guest post for the highly talented and respected indie author, Joanna Penn, I immediately jumped at the chance to do some educating.

Writers seem to be more susceptible to depression than people in other professions. This is something I w...

Don’t Get Hung Up On Researching Every Little Thing - Mark O’Neill

When The Renegade Spy came out, I inevitably had the nitpickers send me emails and Amazon reviews about inaccuracies they found in the book. Oh, this gun should be called this, you can’t do this, it should be called a suppressor, not a silencer, etc, etc. Being the polite person I am, I thanked them all sincerely for their feedback. But truth be told, when it comes to fiction, I don’t get totally hung up on researching every little thing to be 100% accurate.

Of course I would never say anyt...

Don’t Get Hung Up On Researching Every Little Thing

When The Renegade Spy came out, I inevitably had the nitpickers send me emails and Amazon reviews about inaccuracies they found in the book. Oh, this gun should be called this, you can’t do this, it should be called a suppressor, not a silencer, etc, etc. Being the polite person I am, I thanked them all sincerely for their feedback. But truth be told, when it comes to fiction, I don’t get totally hung up on researching every little thing to be 100% accurate.

Of course I would never say anyt...

“The Renegade Spy” Is Out In Paperback! - Mark O’Neill

When I was younger, I had four main ambitions in life – get married, have kids, have at least one dog, and get at least two books written and published.

Well, the kids are never going to happen now for a variety of reasons. But the others have come true. I’ve been married since 2010, I have my beautiful dog, Schlumpf. And now my second book – “The Reichsbank Gold” – is about to come out at the end of this month.

The first book though, “The Renegade Spy“, has been out since the beginning of...

“The Renegade Spy” Is Out In Paperback!

When I was younger, I had four main ambitions in life – get married, have kids, have at least one dog, and get at least two books written and published.

Well, the kids are never going to happen now for a variety of reasons. But the others have come true. I’ve been married since 2010, I have my beautiful dog, Schlumpf. And now my second book – “The Reichsbank Gold” – is about to come out at the end of this month.

The first book though, “The Renegade Spy“, has been out since the beginning of Au...

[Book Review] – Munich – Robert Harris - Mark O’Neill

There are so many books – both fiction and non-fiction – about Winston Churchill and the war, that it has become an industry in itself. Every year, historians and publishers try to find the next unique angle about Winston, and as much as I love the man, it does get tiring after a while seeing yet another Churchill book.

Which is why I feel sorry for Churchill’s predecessor, Neville Chamberlain, who has been relegated to Churchill’s shadow ever since he resigned as Prime Minister in 1940. Th...

[Book Review] – Munich – Robert Harris

There are so many books – both fiction and non-fiction – about Winston Churchill and the war, that it has become an industry in itself. Every year, historians and publishers try to find the next unique angle about Winston, and as much as I love the man, it does get tiring after a while seeing yet another Churchill book.

Which is why I feel sorry for Churchill’s predecessor, Neville Chamberlain, who has been relegated to Churchill’s shadow ever since he resigned as Prime Minister in 1940. The...