Cara Brookins's Blog, page 6
October 28, 2015
Murder And Mayhem
It’s been ten years since I’ve been to my home state of Wisconsin. (Tragic!) This time next week I’ll be huddled in a thick sweater, wrapped in a blanket, clutching a hot beverage, and asking, “How can you guys live in this arctic tundra?” I’m driving up for Murder and Mayhem—which is crazy fun to say on the phone. You have to follow it with a long pause and let
October 22, 2015
Murder Under The Oaks – Bouchercon 2015
Authors frequently say they have the greatest job in the world. While the deadlines and late hours agonizing over plot holes might sound less than appealing, there’s a lot more to writing than time alone with a laptop. Attending conferences is high on the list of fun things authors get to do. And while they are a great escape from the solitude of our secret writing spot, they are also part of
October 20, 2015
Why I Moved My Daughter Into A Tent
When I imagined my kids moving out after graduation, I thought I had covered every scenario. Not that I dreamed about it often… okay maybe on some days it could have been considered often. But in all those imaginings, I never once considered moving one of my daughters from a solid house with furniture, heat, and […]
October 19, 2015
Why Every Author Needs A Website
Your author website is your modern day postal address. You must have one in order for people to reach you, and it’s the easiest way for you to reach other people. There are two main reasons you need a website—beyond the obvious reasons like creating a professional image, sharing more info about your books, and […]
September 19, 2015
The Return of Geek Girl
I’ve always believed in doing the impossible, which made surviving childhood a minor miracle. My older brother often stepped in to test my most dangerous ideas, so he ended up at the ER a lot more often than I did. Superpowers were my specialty, and I was convinced if I concentrated hard enough I could […]
July 29, 2015
Rise Under Contract
Time flies under two key conditions: 1. when you’re having fun 2. when you’re exceptionally busy My life has met both conditions to the extreme lately. I can’t believe almost two months have passed since Rise sold at auction to St. Martin’s Press. Since then, it’s been difficult to prioritize the flood of work on my to-do list. Of course the […]
Talk Business Interview
I sometimes forget that there’s no place like home. Every year I travel around the country to conferences and events to speak about writing and business. Online interviews take me even further away, traveling the globe virtual style. Too often I forget to connect with everyone in the state where I live. So this week […]
July 14, 2015
PBS at Thrillerfest
I was fortunate to be invited for an interview with Frederic Colier. We chatted about Little Boy Blu and Rise. You can catch this segment with Books Du Jour on New York Public Television in November 2015, and on national PBS in January-February 2016. What a lot of fun! Conferences provide important publicity, including book signings. […]
July 12, 2015
Thrillerfest in New York City
Show up. Conferences are the second most important part of being a writer. The only thing more important is writing. It’s tough to drag a bunch of introverted, keyboard loving, creative sorts into crowded rooms for panels and cocktail parties, but it’s worth the struggle. Not only do you meet best friends, you create a […]
July 8, 2015
Meeting My Publisher
My first solo taxi ride in New York City was fittingly to meet my editor at St. Martin’s Press. I was thrilled beyond words when my memoir Rise sold at auction to St. Martin’s Press. In fact, after the first bids came in from well known publishers, I said to my agent, “The one thing that […]
