Robin Lee Hatcher's Blog, page 56

Why I Gave Up on my Facebook Page Doing It All

Three years ago last month, I made the decision to migrate my personal Facebook Profile to a new author Page. There were several reasons for thatdecision, among them the ability to access insights about the Likes on my Page. But the most important reason was the 5,000 friend limit on a personal Profile while there is no limitation on the number of Likes/fans who can follow a Page. It seemed like a good move, and indeed, since I now have over 11,000 Likes/fans on my author Page, it still seems...

Bending and Breaking the Rules

One of the things I have told aspiring novelistsover the years is that they need to learn the rules of good writing, especially the rules of writing fiction. Not just learn the rulesbut understand the whys behind them. Once the rules are understood, then a novelistcan know when to bend them and even when to break them (on occasion).

If a writer breaks the rules because shedoesn’t know them or why they exist, it will= sloppy writing.

If a writer bends/breaks a rule intentionally for a creative p...

Christian Fiction Wednesday 05-07-14

I know many, many authors of Christian fiction, and while I don’t have time to keep up with reading all of their books, I love to tell readers about them. Look for my posts about new and recent releases on most Wednesdays. You just might find a new-to-you author or see a new release by an already favorite author. Happy reading!

~robin

WISH

by Jake Smith

James McConnell’s one wish is that his nine-year-old son will finally be healthy enough to play a game of catch. Then he and his wife, Emily, re...

April Wrap Up

It’s going to be 84 degrees here in SW Idaho today. Air conditioning weather already. And my office does get quite hot, partly due to the southwest facing wall that gets no shade and partly because of all the electronics that are generating heat (computer, printers, router, modem, and desk lamps). In the winter, I’m glad for it. Not so much in the summer.

One thing I really love about my office is the tree outside my window. We hung a thistle seed sock on it a few years ago, and all summer lon...

Like Having Homework for the Rest of Your Life

I saw this Lawrence Kasdan quote on Facebook awhile back, and it made me laugh: Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life.

Yes, being a writer does seem to feel like that much of the time. One story or another is always rolling around in my head.

I’m currently working on line edits for my November release (first book in a three book series). I’ve shared before about the different editing steps that most publishing houses follow (and which I recommend those who...

Throwback Thursday: The Love of Dance

I love to dance. I’ve loved it all of my life. I took ballet for seven years. Tap for at least four. The photo at left is from the spring recital when I was in the sixth grade.

My dress and hat were a brilliant red. Mom saved that costume and a few others, and many years later, my daughters would dress up in them until they eventually fell apart. The dresses. Not my daughters.

As a young adult, my favorite dance was country swing. I was pretty good at it. Sadly, my dear hubby flunked the countr...

Christian Fiction Wednesday 04-16-14

I know many, many authors of Christian fiction, and while I don’t have time to keep up with reading all of their books, I love to tell readers about them. Look for my posts about new and recent releases on most Wednesdays. You just might find a new-to-you author or see a new release by an already favorite author. Happy reading!

~robin

UNSEEN

by James Pence

Where is Justine Bishop? And why did she abandon her children?

Thomas Kent is determined to find out. Asked to pick up a “package” at the airpo...

When All An Author Had To Do Was Write A Good Book

When I was first published, the Internet didn’t exist. At least not for ordinary citizens. Maybe for geeks in a lab somewhere.

Back then, whatever marketing and publicity was done for a book was created by the publisher. The author’s job was to stay at her typewriter or computer and try to write the next great novel. And when that one was done, she needed to try to write an even greater novel. And so on and so on.

Those days are long gone. Whether an author is published by a traditional publish...

Throwback Thursday: Remember the Personal Computer of 1984?

My first two books were released in early 1984. And with the small advance I got upon publication, plus a bank loan for $5,000, I bought my first personal computer and set it up on a card table in a corner of the bedroom.

It was an IBM clone. No hard drive. Two 7.25″ floppy drives. A monochrome display (mine was black with orange type). Along with the computer, I got a daisy-wheel printer that used continuous form paper; you had to separate the pages and the little feed strips after printing....

Christian Fiction Wednesday 04-09-14

I know many, many authors of Christian fiction, and while I don’t have time to keep up with reading all of their books, I love to tell readers about them. Look for my posts about new and recent releases on most Wednesdays. You just might find another favorite author or see a new release by a favorite author. Happy reading!

~robin

EMMA OF AURORA

by Jane Kirkpatrick

A three in one book containing three bestsellers.

Set in the 1850s, Emma of Aurora shares the story of a woman involved in one of the f...