Michael Allan Scott's Blog, page 4
January 5, 2014
5 Reasons Why Authors Need Editors
So Obvious It Hurts – I made a tough decision the other day. You see I LOVE to read a good book—nothing is more gratifying than a good story well told. It’s what inspires me to write. And I’m sure I’m not the first to make such a claim. Typically, I read several books […]
December 7, 2013
Book Review – The Author’s Guide to Working with Book Bloggers
Knowledge Is Power – In today’s rapidly changing, highly competitive publishing industry authors need all the help they can get. And to her credit, Barb Drozdowich has done all authors, including us mystery authors, an incredible favor, empowering us with her knowledge, wisdom and experience. I’ve had the exceptional pleasure of working with Barb […]
November 21, 2013
One Mystery Writer’s Social Media Experience
My Art Is My Business – Most of my posts are mainly for readers to enjoy, so bear with me while I digress. Hopefully, you’ll find this peek behind the curtain of a mystery writer’s business interesting; and for many of you who are writers, informative. In a perfect world artists would create their […]
October 27, 2013
The Art of Song – Three Magicians
Storytelling with Melody and Lyrics – Throughout history singer/songwriters have been weaving their magic for anyone and everyone who will listen. Minstrels wandering the roads of medieval Europe, troubadours kept at Court, buskers and rock stars, they all have a story to tell. A Penny for a Song— Today, the best of the […]
October 17, 2013
Tarantula Hawk Ascending
Flight of the Tarantula Hawk – A Lance Underphal Mystery – Flight of the Tarantula Hawk, the next of the mystery books featuring that reluctant psychic, Lance Underphal, is back from my Alpha Readers and about ready to go to the publisher. The book’s cover art is done and already with my publisher, […]
October 3, 2013
The Art of the Book Cover
The Art of the Book Cover – Book cover art has a long illustrious history, dating back to the very first books. An integral part of books, cover art and book illustration combine with the written word to provide a more complete reader experience. Art is in the Eye of the Beholder – How we […]
September 19, 2013
To Masturbate Or Not To Masturbate, That Is The Question
Gored by the Horns of a Dilemma – Last night, when I pushed back from my latest manuscript in progress, I left my character dangling, somehow incomplete. She’s not as well developed as she could be and I’m three quarters of the way through. I need to express her more fully, as a real person. […]
September 12, 2013
Dark Pieces of a Paranormal Mystery
Flight of the Tarantula Hawk is the next in the Lance Underphal mystery series. As mystery stories go, it is a dark atmospheric tale of paranormal twists. Flavored with intense images, it is presented in a style I’ve dubbed Noir Nouveau. The following excerpts are a just taste. Pieces of Nightmares – Beware, [...]
September 5, 2013
Reading Habits of a Mystery Writer
Reading Habits of a Mystery Writer— When I read fiction, which is almost every night, it’s in bed and I’m usually in the midst of three or four books, at once. The first stack on the headboard is the in-progress stack. It currently includes: In the Shadow of the Master – Classic Tales by [...]
August 28, 2013
Random Access to a Paranormal Mystery
The Art of the Vignette – The following excerpts are from the latest mystery book in the Lance Underphal mystery series. The upcoming paranormal mystery is in the final throes of publishing. Prologue: What ho! What ho! This fellow is dancing mad! He hath been bitten by the Tarantula. —All in the [...]
