Anne Patrick's Blog, page 26

Fall Newsletter

If you haven't already received my fall newsletter you can read it online. In this edition you'll learn where I found my first inspirations as a kid. Also I'm pleased to announce that Ties That Bind and Out of the Darkness have gone to print. Yaay! And you can read my latest reviews and news of upcoming releases! Oh, and you won't want to miss my author spotlight on a wonderful and inspiring lady named Sharon Donovan. Sharon has a new release out titled Her Biggest Fan. On a personal note, I ...

Trying to Write Great Characters by Allison Knight

I'd like to welcome back Allison Knight.  Allison will be sharing her tips on writing great characters today in our Writing Tip of Week segment.  Welcome, Allison, take it away! 

Novels always involve characters. They can be people, animals, or strange objects that don't look or act like anything we know. So, how do you go about creating a character, and how do you make them believable?

The answer is simple and then not so simple after all. And, that is not a contradiction. First, to create a ...

Cheryl Pierson Interview

I'm thrilled to have Cheryl visit us again. For those who may have missed her first interview, here is her bio.


Cheryl was born in Duncan, Oklahoma, and grew up in Seminole, Oklahoma. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma, and holds a B.A. in English. She has taught numerous writing classes and workshops over the past years and also works on an individual basis with many of her students, and other authors, locally and nationwide.

Cheryl's most recent publications include her debut novel...

Ties That Bind & Out of the Darkness - Now in Print

Ties That Bind available at Mundania Press & AweStruck Publishing


FBI profiler, Jo McDaniels has an unusual gift. As with most profilers, they are able to take the evidence, background of the victims and crime scene photos and reenact in their minds what took place between the killer and the victim. But what if there are no crime scenes and the victims have been decapitated in order to hide their identity? This is where Jo's unusual gift comes into play. Unlike most profilers in her field, she...

New Suspense Thriller by Sharon Donovan

Many of you have probably already heard about Sharon's health problems. In case you haven't she suffered a major heart attack, followed by a minor stroke, last month. Although she is doing much better, and is out of the hospital recuperating at home, it will be some time before she's able to get back on line. Sharon has a new release coming out Sept 24th that I encourage you to check out. Below is a blurb and excerpt. For those of you who like suspense, this sounds like a doosy.

From the Men I...

Writing Tip of the Week - Write What You Know by E.A. West

One of the most popular pieces of advice given to writers is: Write what you know.

My question to you is this: Are we supposed to take this advice literally?

I seriously doubt it. Each of us has a finite amount of knowledge, regardless of our level of education. There is always something we're not familiar with, something we can learn. If we only write what we already know, we will have very limited options for characters and plots. We would never grow as writers or as people because we would n...

Author Interview with Naomi Chapman

Naomi Chapman was born and raised in Ohio. She is a single parent of a young son. Her son is very active in sports. She enjoys watching in participate. She works at a hotel and attends college part time working towards getting an Associates of Arts Degree. She loves to run.


[Anne:] Thank you for joining us today, Naomi. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

[Naomi:]I was writing short stories in grade school. My family encouraged me to keep writing. So writing has been a part of...

Writing Tip of the Week - Using Action in Dialogue by Joselyn Vaughn

My first drafts of scenes with dialogue are often disembodied monotone chanting where it's difficult to discern who is talking, how many people are in the room or on the phone, and what they are all doing while they are conversing. It's all clear in my head until I read it the next day.

The second draft improves enough that I can tell who is talking and how many people are in the room. However, these people do an inordinate amount of standing, sitting, leaning, nodding, turning and smiling. S...

Author Interview with Allison Knight

[Anne:] Joining us today is author Allison Knight. Allison, let's begin with when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

[Allison:] I started writing when I was in grade school, but at first my love with teaching and or course, reading. I've always been an intense reader. I loved the "Cherry Ames - Nurse" books, so I'm really dating myself. One of my favorite places was the local library. But, teaching, marriage, raising a family kinda stopped the desire to write for awhile. As the kid...

Writing Tip of the Week - Conflict: Tip the Scales and Keep the Balance by Regina Andrews

One of the essential elements of a good story is conflict. Whether just starting out or experienced professionals, writers know that conflict is the nexus of every good story. Conflict is spice. Conflict is passion, drama, elation, irony and anxiety. Unbearable lows and incredible highs. Living on the edge. (Just think of the fiercest PMS episode you've ever witnessed – or experienced. Then pump up the intensity level a thousand times.) That's the essence of conflict.

Who wants to read a flat ...