A.L. Sowards's Blog, page 11
May 10, 2014
A Few More Deadly Alliance Items
I can’t believe it’s already May 10th. The last month and a half have been busy for me. My children no longer take naps, and quiet time isn’t very long, so I’ve decided blogging will be a lower priority for me so I can spend most of my writing time on new novels. (I’m typing […]
April 3, 2014
Release Day
I’m excited to announce that my third novel is now available to the public. Deadly Alliance is a WWII thriller set during the final months of the war in Europe. The plot revolves around a commando mission gone bad in Yugoslavia and a counterintelligence duel in Italy. It’s also about hope, love, and sacrifice. This one can be read in paperback or […]
March 13, 2014
Why Repetition Can Make Your Book Better
Today I’m posting over at author Rebecca Belliston’s blog as part of her annual March Book Madness series. I’ve written about circularity and repetition in books and movies, and included a small sneak peak of Deadly Alliance. Click on the link below to read all about it! Filed under: Deadly Alliance, Elsewhere Online, Movies, Reading, Writing Tagged: Circularity, […]
February 19, 2014
A Post about Book Covers
Last Friday my next book, Deadly Alliance, went to the printer. It has front-cover artwork, a back-cover blurb, and it’s been through an editor, a copyeditor, and several proofreaders. I hope that means it’s ready to go. When the book hits bookstores in April, it can begin a long career of keeping readers up past their […]
January 30, 2014
How to Code Messages Like a WWII Spy
This blog post will take you through the steps of encoding a message using double transposition, just like British and American spies did in WWII. Should you feel like trying it out, it will be up to you to look up the Morris code, secure a radio, and find someone to transmit it to. Early in […]
January 6, 2014
I have a new title, and a map
The title for my third novel was finalized last month: Deadly Alliance. I like it. A lot. No, it wasn’t one of my suggestions, but I’m completely OK with that. I have a fascination with titles that include the word dead or any of its derivatives (as long as it doesn’t sound like a novel about zombies). In […]
December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas!
“. . . For, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) Merry Christmas! May the spirit of Christ be with you this day and throughout the […]
November 25, 2013
Writing from the Opposite Gender’s Point of View
Another writer recently asked me for advice. He’s writing a novel with several point of view (POV) characters, including some female ones. So how does a man write a woman’s POV? Can a man realistically write from inside a woman’s head? And can a woman realistically write from inside a man’s head? I sure hope […]
November 11, 2013
Arlington in Autumn
A friend took these pictures of Arlington National Cemetery early in November. I love the fall colors, and I love Arlington, so when I saw these, I wanted to share them with my blog readers. Thank you to our Veterans. Your service is remembered and appreciated. And to any international friends, happy Armistice Day.Filed under: Holidays, […]
October 3, 2013
A farewell to Tom Clancy
My first memory of any Tom Clancy work was when my parents went to see The Hunt for Red October in the movie theater. My parents didn’t go to the movies very often—only when there was something they really wanted to see, like a movie adaptation of a book they’d read. I didn’t have any […]
