Jae Holt's Blog, page 7

February 11, 2014

Writing romance is a gift

As Valentine's Day approaches and I frantically put together little gifts for my son's classmates, find the right greeting card for my husband, and set a reminder to tell me it's Valentine's Day on Friday, I am forcefully brought to face a discouraging fact - I am not a romantic.

I have never wanted roses for Valentine's, or any occasion (although I'll take a box - or a bag - of chocolates any
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 11, 2014 11:13

February 4, 2014

4 reasons why Pete Carroll inspires me

Now, I am not a fan of football, I would rather watch soccer or hockey. But ever since the Seattle Seahawks organization took a chance on USC coach Pete Carroll, I have been inspired as a writer by the happiest coach in the NFL. Well, what does an NFL coach have to do with writing? Let me give you four reasons.


From espn.com, look at that smile!


Coach Carroll is a writer. He did write a book,
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 04, 2014 12:56

February 1, 2014

Chapter 3 of A Demon Born is out!

Just a quick little blurb that I have pushed chapter 3 of A Demon Born out on Wattpad.

Pumping out a chapter a week is so hard for me because I want it to be perfect, both grammatically and stylistically. But with really only 4 1/2 days to do it (I can only write when I'm not doing my wonderful full-time job of being a wife and mother!), it gets pretty dicey coming up with stunning dialogue and
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 01, 2014 17:24

January 30, 2014

The public persona dilemma of author branding

Finding time to create and maintain a "brand" is a tedious task. I did it when I started my bookstore, and it was hard then. I had to determine my niche, create a logo and style that matched what products I offered, and draft a marketing plan that outlined my goals. But as a writer, I'm not branding a store that sells books, I'm branding myself and the writing I create. Yet I still have to define
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 30, 2014 13:40

January 22, 2014

Random thoughts on writing a prequel

Wattpad cover art

As a way to get readers interested in my first novel, I decided to write a prequel to Circles to provide a "sneak peek" for those who haven't read it yet.

So I began this creative adventure to write a short story that introduced how Solus, a main character of Circles, came to be a demon. My goal was to write a chapter a week for the next five weeks and have it available
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 22, 2014 10:04

January 15, 2014

A little sneak peek at what to expect on Saturday

I have been working tirelessly all week to bring you a stunning short story that ties in to the novel, Circles. Many of you have asked for more, so here is a bit of a prequel to give readers more of our favorite demon, Solus.

This short story will be available via Smashwords and Amazon for free. Why free? Because this is just a sampling of the world of Circles, not a new novel (That may come at
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 15, 2014 23:52

January 9, 2014

A New Year's resolution

Happy belated New Year everyone!



After a relaxing vacation, I’m finally catching up to the “real
world” and getting back on track. Bills are paid, projects are prioritized
(deadlines…not so much), and the house is back in order. Although there are
still remnants of our suitcase explosions in the closet.  Since we weren't home for the holidays,
Christmas kept coming for my son as family
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 09, 2014 12:48

December 8, 2013

First episode of "Read Write!"

I hope you enjoy this very first episode of "Read Write!" that I produced. The sound is a bit off, but I'm looking for a new video editing program so the next one won't be so terrible. In the meantime, please enjoy the News Bits, Quick Read, What are You Reading?, and Conversations segments.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 08, 2013 20:25

December 3, 2013

Thoughts on a high-coverage tragedy, and the choices we make

Today's post is off-topic with regards to reading, writing, and communication in general.

I was sad to hear on Saturday (Nov. 30) that actor Paul Walker, famous for his role in the Fast & Furious movie franchise, died in (perhaps not so ironically) a violent car crash. He and a friend, who was the driver, were speeding in a Porche Carrera down a street with a "reputation for fast drivers" before
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 03, 2013 14:13

December 2, 2013

Happy Holidays!

I have a problem with Christmas encroaching on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is just as important a holiday because you spend it with family and reflect on what you have to be thankful for - loving family, good friends, a place to live, a working vehicle; people, places and things that make you happy.

My family spent Thanksgiving being thankful for many things, and then enjoyed a marvelous feast
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 02, 2013 10:28