Jessica McCann's Blog, page 8

Spring 2018 Online Book Tour for Jessica McCann

Perspective Books has finalized the Spring 2018 online book tour for the April 17 release of my historical novel, Peculiar Savage Beauty. I hope you will join in the fun and the conversation at the blogs and writing websites highlighted below. Please mark your calendar and share on social media....

Pay No Attention to the Teenagers behind the Curtain

Huge thanks to Mrs. Markham and her students at Accelerated Learning Center for reading my novel, All Different Kinds of Free. Teenagers have always been a mystery to me (even when I was a teenager and especially when I was a parent of teenagers). So when a local high school...

Book Recommendation – All That is Solid Melts Into Air

One of the first books I read this year was All That Is Solid Melts into Air by Darragh McKeon. It immediately landed on my list of all-time favorite reads. As 2017 comes to a close, I still miss the people in the book terribly. Yes, I know they are...

New Novel from Jessica McCann coming April 2018

My latest historical novel, Peculiar Savage Beauty, is now listed on Goodreads. It is forthcoming in hardcopy and ebook from Perspective Books in April 2018. There will be give-aways for advance reader copies (ARCs) in the coming months. Click here to put it on your “want to read” list now,...

In Praise of the Handwritten Thank You

Even though many people feel awkward or embarrassed accepting thanks face to face, everyone likes to be appreciated. In addition, a great deal of research shows that expressing gratitude has both physical and psychological benefits (see links below). That’s why I love mailing handwritten thank you notes. I feel good...

Learn from Great Memoirists

Memoirs have always been in my reading repertoire, and Mary Karr’s The Liar's Club is among my favorites. She grew up in a small, poor Texas town in a family rife with alcoholism, violence and mental illness; through it all, despite it all, she maintained a fierce love for and...

Writing Podcast: On freelancing, novel writing and life

It was so much fun recording this interview for the Writer’s Market podcast. We chatted about maintaining a successful freelance writing career while pursuing the goal of becoming a published novelist. I also shared some personal stories about my writing journey, as well as general freelance writing and business tips....

This is Not about Politics

Brace yourself for a strikingly-simple, yet brilliant idea. It’s super easy, and it’s something each of us can do, today. It will make us happier people, and it will make the United States an even better place to live than it is now. Ready? Here it is: For every minute...

Video Blog: Where do novelists get ideas?

Where do I get the ideas for my novels? This is one of the most frequent questions I get asked. In this brief video, I share my thoughts about where ideas come from and why reading is my most powerful writing tool.

Book Reincarnation

What do you do with an old book that has special meaning to you but otherwise has no real purpose or value? Its paperback binding is shot. Its yellowed pages are falling out. Toss it in the recycle bin? Never. Keep it on your bookshelf gathering dust forever, knowing you’ll...