Lane Diamond's Blog, page 8
February 12, 2013
Are there too many books out there, or never enough?
Dear Reader, we striving, emerging authors need you.
Prompted by a recent Facebook post, I just checked one author’s listings (she happens to be self-published) at Amazon, and she has 3 books out, the highest ranked of which is #972,xxx. That means she sells about 1 copy every 2-3 months. Her other two books are even worse. So no one is reading her books.
Yet she mentioned in a recent post that her 4th book is coming soon, and she’s all excited.
I’m not sure what to make of that. Part of me wants to say, “For God’s sake, go back to your day job and stop muddying-up the market for everyone.” Yet another part of me wants to say, “Way to stick to it.”
Sadly, one has merely to sample her work to understand the first part of the problem: no editing. It is simply rife with bad structure and grammar. And the covers are… err… not good. She’s trying to make her way completely on her own, without professional help, and not making it at all.
Yet, as a fellow author, should this bother me? Does it really muddy-up the market? Will you, Dear Reader, still find what you’re looking for in the vast sea of reading options? Will my book stand out because of its polished, professional presentation? Will you, Dear Reader, find it difficult to find the gem-like drops (he says not-so-modestly) amidst the ocean of poor work?
Honestly, I’m back and forth on this, and haven’t quite decided on the right answer. Some instinct deep inside me, however, believes that if the process becomes too confusing and disappointing for readers, they’re simple going to revert to their old stand-bys and give up on discovering new authors. This, of course, would be bad news for those of us newbies who are seeking to step into that light.
Yet one surefire method remains for us to find our way out of the abyss: word of mouth. Yes, if someone reads my book, and enjoys it, she’s likely to mention it to someone else, who might then give it a try. This is a time-tested and effective method of of bringing a new author out of the darkness. The problem with that, of course, is that if the author doesn’t have a great level of visibility out there in the world, and people are slow to find him in the first place, this process can take years.
Is there a viable alternative (without spending thousands and thousands of dollars on advertising)? Probably not.
So, Dear Reader, you now understand why it is so important to all of us authors that you post a review at Amazon, or Barnes and Noble, or iTunes, or Kobo, or Goodreads, etc. You also know why we love you when you say to a friend, “Hey, have you read this book? It’s awesome!”
And, of course, we authors must continue to write. The author I mentioned above has that part of the equation right, if not the others. I’ve been struggling with that due to time constraints, but am determined to get my sequel out soon. For now, I’ll just have to hope that more people discover Forgive Me, Alex
and feel compelled to shout from the mountaintop, “You must read this book!”.
Then, I must get The Devil’s Bane out soon.
December 30, 2012
Six-Sentence Sunday #4 – Devane’s Reality – A Short Story
Welcome to Six-Sentence Sunday.
The idea is to give you a small taste (6 consecutive sentences) of one of my pieces, but a compelling one. You can find previous Six-Sentence Sunday excerpts by searching under the Category by that name.
So, is the excerpt below effective? Only you can tell me that.
Six-Sentence Excerpt – Devane’s Reality (A Short Story)
My mind roils as I cling to hope and expectation, only to find, one day after the next, disappointment greater than in the day before. Only one creature creeps out of the darkness to haunt my nights. I’ve known this stalker before—loneliness, my sole companion on this bizarre expedition.
I now understand that we humans do not suffer solitude well. I long for contact—any contact. I yearn to meet a one-legged, one-armed, one-eyed, elderly gypsy woman who spends every waking minute singing show tunes with a voice like a howler monkey undergoing torture.
Available at Amazon
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December 27, 2012
A Shadow on the Mind, A Blemish on the Soul
(Note: I first wrote this several weeks ago as part of a blog hop I participated in. It appears for the first time here.)
“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”
That classic line from the 1930′s serialized radio program, The Shadow, functions as something of a theme for much of my writing. This is particularly true of my novel, Forgive Me, Alex. It also guides a fair portion of what I read.
For me, great literature has always been about great characters, and if I’m going to dig really deep into a character, the author needs to take me… well, really deep inside that character. I want to know what’s in that character’s mind, his heart, his soul. I want to know what scares him, what makes him nervous, what excites him, what motivates him.
Now, to be clear, this requires a level of authenticity that will bring the character to life in a realistic way. However, it needn’t be all puppy dogs and daisies. Let’s face it: there are some real sickos out there. But what makes them sick?
If you heard that a neighborhood kid was stealing people’s pets and first torturing them, then dismembering them, how would you react? Would you say he’s sick? Would you wonder how anyone could even think to do such a thing? Would you fear letting your dog out? Would you call that kid… evil? Yes, I used the E-word. So many today seem to want to hide from the possibility that true evil exists, to explain it away as something else, to make it not a cause, but a mere symptom. Why?
People fascinate me. Specifically, the inner workings of the human brain fascinate me. After all, as human beings, our brains are what separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom. That brain is complex, mystifying, and still largely misunderstood. Indeed, in the medical sciences, the brain is truly the final frontier. For all the extraordinary things they’ve learned about how the brain works in recent years, they’ve still barely scratched the surface.
Human emotions and psychology are particularly difficult to understand. How many times have you scratched your head at another person’s actions, wondering what in the world they must have been thinking, or feeling? Now, imagine a person who has no feelings. Would he be easier to understand? Perhaps. Would he also scare the bejesus out of you? Probably. As well he should.
Let’s return to that kid above who likes to torture and kill the beloved Fido and Mittens. The mere thought of such acts might bring you to tears, turn your stomach, and make you want to grab a baseball bat and pay that kid a visit. For that kid, however, ripping Mittens limb from limb is merely a… curiosity. As a psychopath, he doesn’t process emotions the way you and I do. (Please tell me you’re not curious what it would be like to tear Fido limb from limb.)
Why doesn’t he feel in the same way we do? The cause could be physical, environmental, or… nothing at all. Dare I say it? Some people are just evil.
It’s hard to understand, and it draws us in, perhaps out of our own sick curiosity, natural though it may be. Why is the TV show Criminal Minds, which brings us a weekly parade of some of the worst sickos in our midst, so popular? Setting aside the obvious—great cast, solid acting, exceptional writing—might it be because we’re all, at some level, fascinated by how a human being can do what we ourselves couldn’t even imagine doing, at least not without puking our guts out and collapsing into a weeping mess?
And might that sicko—that twisted, despicable, unrepentant psychopath—make a great character? Oh yeah, baby! Come on… tell the truth: you love reading about that kid who’s sharpening his knife right now, even as he’s eyeing Fido in the neighbor’s yard. At least, you love hating reading about that kid. Or is it hate loving?
Well… let me introduce you to Mitchell Norton, the devil. http://bit.ly/EPbhFMA
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December 25, 2012
As I prepare to wrap up the year, I look forward to a more engaged 2013.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and have a very Happy New Year!
All in all, I’d have to say that 2012 has been an exciting year. It’s certainly been a busy one. Whew!
Those of you who follow my blog (Thank you!) know all too well that I’ve given it short shrift in recent months. I’m not the kind of person who thinks I should be sending you a new blog post every day. Bluch! Who has time to read them? Especially of you’re like me, and subscribe to about 200 of them. So I try to pick my spots, and provide 3 or 4 decent posts a month. Usually. Yeah, the last few months haven’t been so good.
My only real excuse is that I’ve been working insane hours trying to keep up with an insane editing schedule for all those insane authors at Evolved Publishing. (Just kidding! They’re terrific.) Seriously, though, the pace of things at EP this year far exceeded our expectations, which, I must say, certainly beats the alternative. 
My business partner D.T. Conklin and I had hoped to have 10 good authors and 20 quality books in EP by the end of 2012. Well, we ended up with 14 and 35, respectively. It’s been a grind, and we experienced a few growing pains — which, in retrospect, seems perfectly natural — yet even with those few challenges, it was just plain exciting! And 2013 promises to be a good year, as we continue to build our catalog of quality authors and books.
2013 will also be exciting for me because we’re making some changes to our management team, which will free up some time for me not only to do all I must do as a publisher, but to write my own books, too. Man, I can’t tell you how excited I am to get back into the writing routine! To say it’s been driving me bonkers that I haven’t been writing would be one of the year’s great understatements.
As part of that, I expect to be more engaged at this here sad excuse for a blog. 
I doubt it will happen in January, but by February, I should be well settled into my new routine. If not, I’m gonna… I’m gonna… well, I’m gonna go truly bonkers.
Next up is the sequel to Forgive Me, Alex (BTW, it’s on sale this week. Save $2.), which I’m calling The Devil’s Bane. Some of my favorite characters (and I hope yours) will be making a return appearance: Tony Hooper, Frank Willow, Diana Gregario, Linda Monroe, Ben Komura, and yes… that despicable Mitchell Norton. Mwoohaha! My hope — nay, my intention — is to publish it on May 21st. A lot will have to go right for that to happen, but I am an eternal optimist. (After all, I’m the guy who assumed my girlfriend quit smoking cigarettes when I started finding cigar butts lying around the house. 
)
Will it all happen according to plan? I sure hope so. I mean… err… ahem… yes, it will happen!
In the new year, be happy, be healthy, be safe. Thanks again.
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November 15, 2012
Guest Post by Emlyn Chand, Author of the BIRD BRAIN BOOKS Series
Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming author Emlyn Chand, award-winning author of FARSIGHTED, TORN TOGETHER, and the BIRD BRAIN BOOKS series. She’ll be talking about the latter here, for parents and their kids. This guest post is part of a blog hop running at Evolved Publishing this week, in which you can not only discover new authors, but win some cool prizes, too.
DON’T TALK DOWN TO CHILDREN! SMART ENTERTAINMENT EQUALS SMART KIDS.
Think back to your childhood. What was it like? What did you enjoy doing for fun? I remember playing outside, collecting Pogs and Beanie Babies, watching cartoons, and reading—lots of reading. I loved Bunnicula, because it taught me big words and never apologized for that. I couldn’t get enough of The Babysitter’s Club, which illustrated that girls could be strong and, no, you were never too young to start your own business (and follow in Kristy’s footsteps I did when I opened Novel Publicity at the age of 26. BSC totally deserves some of that credit, thank you very much).
These childhood favorites have stuck with me through the years—I even continue to learn from them! But what do kids have nowadays?
Is it just me, or have books and television seriously been dumbed down? Our kids aren’t getting any stupider, are they? I don’t believe so. Of course, this problem isn’t only the curse of the younger generation. These little kiddies have moms who read Fifty Shades of Grey and watch Jersey Shore and The Real Housewives for entertainment. What’s going on?
Am I romanticizing my childhood, or has something seriously changed? Either way, I refuse to follow trend with this stuff and drivel that’s far too widespread for my liking. What’s wrong with a little intellectual entertainment?
Smart books and TV shows equal smart children!
Although I have yet to add the mommy feather to my cap of accomplishments, I’ve been thinking about this issue quite a lot lately.
It all started when I finally decided to pursue the publication of the children’s book I penned four years ago. My editor loved the story but questioned my decision to use words like mysteriously, investigation, or catastrophe. In the end, we decided to forge forth with the larger vocabulary words and let the chips fall where they may.
… And readers noticed in a positive way!
In fact, one reader said: “This is a smart book. The storyline is simple (it has to be, to keep things interesting and quick for young kids), but not simplistic. It has excellent higher-level vocabulary (quaint, gazed, zipped, shapely, fluttered, mysteriously, frantic, flitted, nestled-the list goes on and on). As a parent who is forever obsessed with expanding my kid’s vocabulary (which, at fourteen months, consists mostly of “doggie,” “kitty,” “up,” and “hi”-but we’re getting there) and exposing her to new words, this is essential. I loved that I, an adult, was able to read Honey the Hero
without feeling cheated out of thinking. I kept imagining reading this story with my kids when they’re older, and pausing to explain what the new words meant, and how they could use them.”
And you know what? I’ve not heard a single complaint about the words being too big or challenging. There are plenty of books out there that stick to an easy vocabulary for three- to six-year-olds.
The Bird Brain Books are different, and if you ask me, they’re different in a good way.
Yes, I want to provide stories that can capture children’s interest, but it’s just as important to grow their minds as it is their imaginations. That’s why I will continue to use “big words,” make references to classic literature, and teach a lesson or two along the way—while always keeping the enjoyment factor number one.
What are some other “smart kids’ books” you’ve come across, and how have they been received by your little ones?
Don’t forget to stop by the Evolved Publishing pre-holiday blog hop. We’ve got 20 autographed books up for grabs! From thrilling young adult adventures to suspense nail-biters, thought-provoking literary novels, bright and cheery books for children, an uplifting memoir, and hot-and-steamy romance, we’ve got something for everyone on your holiday-shopping list.
About Davey the Detective
In Davey the Detective, the second of the BIRD BRAIN BOOKS, Davey dubs himself the luckiest crow in the entire world when he finds a wonderful, shiny object. It even has a fantastic name: “paperclip.” Wow!
One dark and dreary day, Davey’s treasure goes missing, and he is beside himself with grief. Luckily, he knows just how he can find out which of the forest animals is to blame for the theft. Inspired by the torn pages of a Sherlock Holmes story that were used to fashion his nest, Davey calls on the help of Sarah the sparrow to investigate the mystery and, hopefully, retrieve his prize.
Together the two birds begin to collect clues. Their trail leads them straight to Mr. Bushtail, a greedy squirrel who keeps a giant store of objects in a hollowed-out tree trunk. When Mr. Bushtail refuses to cooperate, the two birds have no choice but to break into his tree house in search of the truth.
Justice will prevail and treasure will be found in this intriguing tale of mystery.
About the Author
Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children’s book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!
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November 14, 2012
Guest Post by Kimberly Kinrade, Author of THE THREE LOST KIDS Series
Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming author Kimberly Kinrade, award-winning author of THE FORBIDDEN TRILOGY and THE THREE LOST KIDS series, for a guest post designed for parents and their kids. This is part of a blog hop running at Evolved Publishing this week, in which you can not only discover new authors, but win some cool prizes, too.
THE MAKING OF A REVOLUTIONARY
When my oldest daughter was 2 years old and first learned the sad hard truth of the chicken nugget, she formed a revolt. “The Chicken Nuggets Must Live!” she shouted, tiny fist in the air.
She turned 10 years old this Halloween, and while she still eats the occasional nugget (my children were contemplating a world where nuggets were made of people, butterflies and dinosaurs ^.^), she is still a revolutionary, and the staunchest environmentalist I know.
I have been recycling–and sometimes composting–since she was born. She went to a Waldorf School for her first year, and she loves animals and nature. It’s not surprising, then, that she doesn’t want the Earth to die. What is surprising to me is how consistent she is in the little things.
She will pick up the grossest, nastiest piece of garbage you can imagine, and walk blocks to find a proper receptacle for it. As a mother, I cringe. And caution. And buy her gloves. As a human, I applaud her. (I do this as her mom too; don’t get me wrong.) She even cleans up lunch trash while other kids play. And she is making a difference. With each piece of garbage she picks up, she is saving something of our Earth for the future.
Lessons from the Young
So often, we as grown-ups get so burdened by oil spills and toxic waste and ozone layers that we forget to bend down and pick up that paper on the sidewalk. Yes, we need to be conscious of the global impact our collective choices make, but, don’t let those issues become so overwhelming as to paralyze you from the simple day-to-day things we all can do to make life more beautiful.
When she was 8 years old, after cleaning up some trash in our neighborhood, she came home and drew the picture you see above. On her own. Without any prompting. I was floored, and awed, and proud. In case the quality makes it hard, that’s an “X” in the eye of the deer eating trash, because it will die. (The other deer is smiling, by the way, and I’m really—mostly—sure that’s a leg….)
Inspiration
My kids inspire me daily—in my writing and in life. They are the reason I took a small break from writing my YA paranormal novel Forbidden Fire
(book #2 in the Forbidden Trilogy) to write three children’s chapter books based on worlds they discovered.
Now, all three of their books are out, and a new book, The Three Lost Kids & The Death of the Sugar Fairy
, just launched October 2nd, and The Three Lost Kids & The Christmas Curse is following close on its heels, to be released November 26th. (I even managed to finish the Forbidden Trilogy as well!)
Don’t forget to stop by the Evolved Publishing pre-holiday blog hop. We’ve got 20 autographed books up for grabs! From thrilling young adult adventures to suspense nail-biters, thought-provoking literary novels, bright and cheery books for children, an uplifting memoir, and hot-and-steamy romance, we’ve got something for everyone on your holiday-shopping list.
About Lexie World
The first book in The Three Lost Kids series is Lexie World, all about the environment, and how one little girl and her sisters learn that the little things make a big difference. (No, this world does not include chicken nuggets made from people, or dinosaurs.)
5-year-old Lexie is tired of getting in trouble for leaving her stuff and trash outside. She doesn’t mean to litter or ruin her shoes, but it’s just so hard to remember sometimes.
When she, her two big sisters, and their dog TayTay end up finding a portal to Lexie World, Lexie discovers the consequence littering has had. Garbage Goblins have taken over and are destroying the Earth!
To save Lexie World, the girls (and dog) must travel with their new Unicorn friend through the Waters of Waste and over the Mountain of Lost Clothes to retrieve a piece of the Mirror of Ice in order to remind the Garbage Goblins of their true form and break their curse.
On this journey, Lexie learns about courage, love and the importance of taking care of her world.
(Just 99 cents, everywhere eBooks are sold.)
I’m a Mom
I’m a mom, and I wrote this book, and the subsequent books, for my kids. I also wrote them for your kids. Lexie World includes discussion questions for you and your child to talk about how they can participate in caring for the Earth.
About the Author
Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, young adults and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal Forbidden Trilogy—Forbidden Mind, Forbidden Fire and Forbidden Life—and her children’s fantasy chapter books Three Lost Kids series Lexie World, Bella World, Maddie World, The Three Lost Kids & The Death of the Sugar Fairy, and The Three Lost Kids & The Christmas Curse.
She is also the co-owner and marketing director of Daring Books Design & Marketing, and Marketing Director for Evolved Publishing. She lives with her three little girls who think they’re ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think they’re humans, and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner.
For a list of her books, check out: http://Amazon.com/author/kimberlykinrade.
Find Kimberly Kinrade
Website Twitter Facebook IPI Twitter IPI Facebook
IPI Website Three Lost Kids Website
Daring Books Design & Marketing Website
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November 13, 2012
Guest Post by Angela Scott, Author of DESERT RICE
Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming author Angela Scott, award-winning author of WANTED: DEAD OR UNDEAD, DESERT RICE, and SURVIVOR ROUNDUP, for a guest post I think you’ll find interesting. This is part of a blog hop running at Evolved Publishing this week, in which you can not only discover new authors, but win some cool prizes, too.
How do you balance your religious beliefs but stay true to the story you need to write?
I’m not a religious fanatic, but I do have a moral compass and “rules” for myself that I try my best to live by. But here’s the thing…I belong to a religious affiliation who have even more rules that I should be living by, and the kinds of stories I find myself writing tend to break a lot of those rules. I’m a good person, but my characters make a lot of mistakes–some pretty big ones. These are the stories that come to me, the voices that whisper in my ear. Personally, I think I would be HORRIBLE at writing religious fiction type books, so knowing that, I don’t even try.
So why does any of this matter? I guess because I worry someone might mistake my stories as my own personal belief system. What I write about rarely matches up to what I believe to be true. Do I believe kids should be having sex at fifteen-years-old? Heck no. Do I believe it’s okay for kids to drink? Never. The list goes on.
Desert Rice deals with some pretty tough topics. I don’t go into details, but there is enough there for a reader to paint their own sordid picture. This is a book that I know might offend several people of my church. I guess, even after all this time, I still worry about what people think of me. Sad, I know.
So then why write the stories I do? Why write about zombies or child abuse? Why not just stick to my moral compass and do the right thing? Because rarely do I pick the story or its characters–they come to me. That sounds crazy, but it’s true. So I write what I write, and I will let the chips fall where they may. I don’t think what I write about pushes any major envelopes–there are MANY books out there with topics and word choices I would NEVER do–but to be a member of a religion that preaches building up the kingdom God, I’m pretty sure my books aren’t doing any of that.
Take Stephanie Meyer for instance (I know, I know. We really don’t want to talk about her, right?) but her fourth book got some members of her religious group in an uproar. They didn’t agree with what she wrote. They attacked her and questioned her standing in her church. Besides her writing not being up to par, she didn’t write anything completely offensive or downright evil, but she suffered some backlash for it, regardless.
So how can I be who I am, believe what I do, but write books that contradict some of those beliefs? Am I a hypocrite? Maybe. I don’t know. There are certain lines I have drawn, certain “things” and word choices I would never use, but I have made some “creative choices” (for lack of a better term) that some in my religious community would say is wrong–I should be sticking to my standards, so they would say.
What do I do? How do I walk that fine line? How do I explain myself…or not?
What do you think? How do you balance it? Do you draw lines in the sand or do you write the story that needs to be written…no matter what? I’d love to know.
Click HERE to learn more about Angela Scott.
Don’t forget to stop by the Evolved Publishing pre-holiday blog hop. We’ve got 20 autographed books up for grabs! From thrilling young adult adventures to suspense nail-biters, thought-provoking literary novels, bright and cheery books for children, an uplifting memoir, and hot-and-steamy romance, we’ve got something for everyone on your holiday-shopping list.
About DESERT RICE: Samantha Jean Haggert is a beautiful twelve-year-old girl, but no one knows it. All they see is an awkward boy in a baseball cap and baggy pants. Sam’s not thrilled with the idea of hiding her identity, but it’s all part of her brother’s plan to keep Sam safe from male attention and hidden from the law. 15-year-old Jacob will stop at nothing to protect his sister, including concealing the death of the one person who should have protected them in the first place–their mother.
Sam and Jacob try to outrun their past by stealing the family car and traveling from West Virginia to Arizona, but the adult world proves mighty difficult to navigate, especially for two kids on their own. Trusting adults has never been an option; no adult has ever given them a good reason. But when Sam meets “Jesus”–who smells an awful lot like a horse–in the park, life takes a different turn. He saved her once, and may be willing to save Sam and her brother again, if only they admit what took place that fateful day in West Virginia. The problem? Sam doesn’t remember, and Jacob isn’t talking.
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November 11, 2012
Six-Sentence Sunday #3 – Forgive Me, Alex
Welcome to Six-Sentence Sunday.
The idea is to give you a small taste (6 consecutive sentences) of one of my pieces, but a compelling one. You can find previous Six-Sentence Sunday excerpts by searching under the Category by that name.
So, is the excerpt below effective? Only you can tell me that.
Six-Sentence Excerpt – Forgive Me, Alex (A Psychological Thriller Novel)
Mitchell Norton, the man I’ve long considered the devil, smiles atop the courthouse steps and waves to the simmering crowd. He tilts his head back to soak in the sunshine and cool breeze of the late spring day, the tranquility of which stands in stark contrast to the circumstances of this event.
The mere sight of him pushes me to the dark edge of my mind, where sanity hangs like… like… like a balloon in a tornado!
I stand in shadow across the street, one amongst many in the crowd of curiosity-hounds gathered to watch a monster’s release. As my face blazes, fists clench and teeth grind, I can easily imagine the onset of a stroke, an aneurism, a pulmonary embolism, a raging scream—
Control yourself, Tony!
Available at Amazon
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October 15, 2012
I Didn’t Disappear – I’ve Just Been Editing, Editing, Editing
Yep, I’ve been a busy editor, indeed, with no time for writing (including this blog… yeesh!).
In the last couple of weeks, Evolved Publishing has released the following books, all of which I had a hand in editing:
If you like contemporary romance, you’re going to love Secret Storm by Amelia James. This is a companion piece to her first novel, Tell Me You Want Me
.
If you’re a fan of YA Paranormal Romance, or movies like X-Men, you’re going to love Forbidden Life (Forbidden #3) by Kimberly Kinrade, which is the final installment in the Forbidden Trilogy.
If you have kids 6-9 years old, they’re going to love this chapter book, The Three Lost Kids & The Death of the Sugar Fairy by Kimberly Kinrade, a Halloween adventure sure to make reading fun for the kids.
Introduce your kids 3-6 years old to the joy of reading with this picture book, Tommy Goes Trick-or-Treating (A Bird Brain Book) by Emlyn Chand, with full color illustrations by the talented Noelle Giffin. This Halloween adventure, featuring Tommy the Woodpecker, and his pal Michael the Racoon, is sure to be great fun for the little ones.
Last but not least, Evolved Publishing has put out its 2nd anthology, resulting from its 2nd Short Story Contest. Evolution: Vol. 2 (A Short Story Collection) contains 10 terrific stories from 10 talented authors, and is sure to offer a little something for everyone (multiple genres and styles).
I hope you’ll check these books out. I’m quite proud of them, and I’m sure you’ll love them.
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September 19, 2012
A High Commandment of Effective Writing: Show; Don’t Tell
From the Editor’s Desk:
I’ve been posting articles about how to write better for some time now. Many of them go back to my old freelance editing days, and many of them, I’m afraid, have been lost in the shuffle.
Well, I think it’s time to blow the dust off a few of them, and to make it simple for you to visit (or perhaps re-visit) what I hope you’ll find to be helpful articles.
Let us start with one of the primary commandments of effective writing: Show; Don’t Tell. I’ll link here 3 posts from long ago that might help you grab readers, to provide a more satisfying visual experience.
Remember: Stronger writing makes for stronger reading.
Under the Heading of SHOW, DON’T TELL: Make Your Characters Blind, Deaf and Dumb
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