L. MacNaughton's Blog, page 19
November 3, 2015
The Spider Thief: Benjamins
It didn’t take FBI agent Cleo Barrett long to find Prez’s office. She just followed the thin strains of old funk music back through the warehouse. Prez turned out to be a thin, middle-aged black guy in a sharp suit. He leaned over a granite counter in a little kitchenette, assembling a salad, his back […]
October 9, 2015
4 Free Spooky Ebooks (with Sound Effects!)
When I was about nine years old, I ordered a cassette tape of Halloween sound effects out of the back of a catalog, But here’s how big of a sound-effects nerd I am: It wasn’t even October. Seriously. Today, enhanced ebooks from Booktrack.com combine two of my favorite things: sound effects, and reading. So here are four free reads perfect for the […]
May 8, 2015
Life Is a Filmstrip, Not a Snapshot
We tend to think of life in moments, as if you snap a photo, and that’s your life. Fixed, unchanging. But it doesn’t work that way. Life is more like a filmstrip. It’s constantly in motion. Wherever you are in life right now, next year will be different. It might be better. It might be […]
March 20, 2015
What Do Men Really Think About Your Hair?
My next book is so new that even the title isn’t settled yet. But my agent sent me a nice note about how well I pulled off the simmering romantic tension between the lead characters. Considering that the point-of-view character is a smart young woman, and I’m a guy (in my case, smart and young […]
February 27, 2015
Spider Thief Steals Hibernating Tarantulas
Did you know that there’s a black market for stolen tarantulas? Or that these spiders hibernate during the winter? Can you imagine someone crazy enough to break into the dark, cobweb-choked crawlspace under a house and steal a bunch of giant spiders? Yeah. My thoughts exactly. Read the full article > So, real life can be stranger than fiction. But […]
February 6, 2015
How to Be Creative First Thing in the Morning
If you want to write a book, why do it first thing in the morning? Studies show that not only are we more creative in the morning, we’re also more optimistic. In other words, we’re happier. Sure, misery and angst have inspired plenty of creative geniuses. But personally, I’d rather be creative when I’m in […]
January 23, 2015
It Doesn’t Get Easier. You Just Get Better.
This is the week that New Year’s resolutions die. I didn’t just make that up, by the way. I read it in The Wall Street Journal. Also, there was something in there about bonds or treasuries or whatever. So much for my financial resolutions. Look, your New Year’s resolutions are doomed. But there’s a better […]
November 26, 2014
Sneak Preview: Jack Campbell’s The Dragons of Dorcastle audio book
Let’s be clear: Jack Campbell is possibly my favorite author of all time. That’s no hype. When he publishes a new book, I put the world on hold until I’ve devoured every last page. The Lost Fleet series (and its spin-offs, The Lost Stars, and Beyond the Frontier) are beyond addictive. They’ll make you forgo food […]
November 20, 2014
Book Trailer Contest: Win an Autographed Paperback!
Help me spread the word about Conspiracy of Angels. Share the official trailer, and you could win a paperback book autographed by yours truly. Come on, it’s fun. And it couldn’t get any easier to win. Check this out. How to Win the Book Trailer Contest: 1) Watch the official Conspiracy of Angels trailer […]
October 24, 2014
11 Tips for World-Building in Science Fiction and Fantasy
How do authors create an imaginary world from scratch? This weekend, I’ll offer writers some world-building tips at MileHiCon in Denver. Can’t make it to the convention? No worries. Here are the answers to eleven of your burning world-building questions. MileHiCon: How do authors go about building a world? Laurence MacNaughton: Personally, I immerse myself in […]
