Selina J. Eckert's Blog, page 7

3 Ways Food is Worldbuilding

I love food.

No, really. I know that a lot of people love food, but really. I. Love. Food. I love the cultural identity that comes with it, the bonding experiences with people over meals, and of course the delicious flavors. I love food in cartoons, I love it in books, I love it in movies.

But did you know that food can also be part of worldbuilding? And that how you use and present food can help to define your world and character relationships better to readers?

And what better topic to...

The Lore of a Story

So I recently got a revise and resubmit request from an agent (woo!), and she was kind enough to provide incredibly detailed edit notes. I mean, like wow. Of course she is right on her criticisms, and I’m so excited that the story will be stronger for it.

But one note tripped me up: she wanted to see more lore about one aspect of the story.

Lore? Like, folk tales and writings and all that? But this book has excerpts from books and stories at the beginning of every chapter! What does it mean?!

And so I delve...

Why Readers Struggle to Quit Books They Don’t Like

I used to have a huge problem. If I started a book, I had to finish it. Even if it took me months. The entire year. Even at the cost of getting to books I’m really excited about.

And there are plenty of reasons you may not want to keep reading, like the writing isn’t the right style for you, the story doesn’t hold your interest, or it’s not a genre for you. I can’t express how many books I read just because they were popular and I thought I had to read them even though I knew I didn’t like the gen...

Pumpkin Spice Pie-Jinks Release Day!

Happy book birthday to Pumpkin Spice Pie-Jinks, Reese, and her magical bakery!

If you’re ready for all things fall, pie, and tricky, sweet magic, check out this novella inspired by Hansel & Gretel.

But don’t rely on me. Take a look at the blurb!

When fate comes knocking, feed it pie!

Reese was never a risk-taker…that is, until she quit her job to open a bakery serving magical pies from her home. Now, she has the opportunity of a lifetime to win a contract with the visiting Autumn Court. But when two troublesome Fae...

5 Great Books for Halloween

You may or may not have noticed that last week’s post is a bit late. Well, hubs and I took a vacation to Peru! However, I forgot to schedule the post ahead of time. But instead of skipping, I wanted to make sure to post before Halloween so we can talk about some good books to read this time of year!

(Side note: if you’d like to see a few pics from our trip, make sure to subscribe to the newsletter!)

Without further ado, five great books to read this Halloween!

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

I’m currently r...

3 Things to Consider When Writing Seasonal Stories

You may have noticed that I recently began releasing seasonally-themed novellas (if not, scroll to the bottom for the latest news!). I have plenty of reasons for creating these books, but have you ever considered what exactly goes in to preparing a book for a seasonal release? Let’s talk about three things to consider before releasing your own seasonal stories!

You probably have to start off season

Yup, I started writing my summer story actually way back last winter. And my next release, a treat filled wit...

How to Add SPOOK to Your Story

It’s October, and I’m loving the fall weather! But all the ghosties and spiderwebs around the neighborhoods got me thinking: what are some ways to make our writing spooky?

So today we’ll discuss three quick tips to add some spook to any story. Here we go!

The Sound of Language

I’m pretty sure I’ve discussed this before, but just in case, or if you’re new to the blog, one of the easiest ways to set the tone of a story is by deliberately choosing specific words.

Let’s look at an example, and yo...

What I Learned: Pitching an Agent

Hey writer friends! Last weekend I got to go to a writing conference in New Jersey. I haven’t been to one in a few years now, so it was really exciting to get to travel, meet with other writers, and have the chance to pitch Sea of Broken Glass to an agent.

But let me tell you: it is not easy figuring out how to pitch. There aren’t a ton of resources out there. And it is so nerve-wracking!

But luckily, the host, Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Agency, shared some helpful tips, and I have some...

Pumpkin Spice Pie-Jinks Cover Reveal!

Guys, it’s time! I don’t have an official buy link for you yet, but I am ready to share the beautiful cover of Pumpkin Spice Pie-Jinks with you!

But first, the blurb.

When fate comes knocking, feed it pie!

Reese was never a risk-taker…that is, until she quit her job to open a bakery serving magical pies from her home. Now, she has the opportunity of a lifetime to win a contract with the visiting Autumn Court. But when two troublesome Fae appear on her doorstep, determined to find a mate for t...

Ongoing Series I LOVE

Okay, so we talked about why readers and writers love series, the series that are complete that I adore, and the series I NEED to finish…but that leaves out one major category of books: series that are not yet complete but are on my auto-buy or will-eventually-buy list.

Ongoing series I adore! Let’s finish this series (ha!) strong!

The Others, by Anne Bishop

This is a world full of vampires, shifters, elementals, and other dangerous creatures…and oh yeah, they’re in charge. It’s such an inter...