Kate Padilla's Blog, page 4

ROULETTE: 'EMMA'

Sometimes it's hard to approach a familiar book with a new perspective. I have read Jane Austen's Emma over and over since I was in high school. I have seen the movies. It's a classic, both in the canon of English literature and in my own reading experience. And rightfully.

And now, as part of this project (which I took on myself) I tasked myself to read this book with a question in mind: How can this novel better me, and other authors, in our craft? Is there something to learn from Emma and...

TWO (CONTRADICTING) STATEMENTS I OFTEN HEAR FROM AUTHORS

As part of my work here -- and, really, just general interest -- I belong to several writers' groups on Facebook. It's a great resource for me; when I was planning out my content for next year I scrolled through posts to find interesting questions to answer or topics to talk about (including this one).

But one thing I also noticed were two types of statements (well, one is technically a question), and they came up frequently. In my opinion, these statements directly contradict eac...

NEW RELEASES: NOVEMBER 4-10

NOVEMBER 6 BREACH (COLD WAR MAGIC, 1), BY W.L. GOODWATER
Fiction: Fantasy. Ace. 368 pp.

The first novel in a new Cold War fantasy series, where the Berlin Wall is made entirely of magic. When a breach unexpectedly appears in the wall, spies from both sides swarm to the city as World War III threatens to spark.

THEY PROMISED ME THE GUN WASN'T LOADED, BY JAMES ALAN GARDNER
Fiction: Fantasy. Tor. 352 pp.

The eagerly awaited sequel to All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault, by a...

NEW RELEASES: SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 6

SEPTEMBER 30 JACKAL (JESSICA JAMES, 4), BY KELLY OLIVER
Fiction: Suspense. KAOS Press. 376 pp.

With only an old photograph to go on, Jessica James is sent on a mission by her dying mother to find a washed-up magician called the Mesmerizer. Along the way, Jessica gets way more than she bargained for when she stumbles into a black market organ ring and learns secrets about her mother that will change her own life forever.

OCTOBER 1 THE BERLIN TUNNEL, BY ROGER L. LILES
Fiction: Thrille...

FEATURE: THE BIG ALPHA IN TOWN

THE BIG ALPHA IN TOWN, BY EVE LANGLAIS, MILLY TAIDEN, AND KATE BAXTER
Fiction: Romance. St. Martin's Griffin (May 15, 2018). 384 pp. Buy THE BIG ALPHA IN TOWN on Amazon THE STORY Three hot stories about three sexy shifters from a trio of today's hottest paranormal romance authors, headlined by bestselling authors Eve Langlais and Milly Taiden!

Bearing His Name
Meeting his mate should have been cause for celebration. There's just one teeny tiny problem. Jade...

THE STORY MAP: FUN AND GAMES

If you've ever watched a romantic comedy from the '90s, you'll know what I mean when I refer to the "makeover montage." It's the part of the movie where the Leading Lady (usually still frumpy at this point) gets a makeover by her Best Friend (or Popular Girl) in order to attract the attention of the guy she's had a crush on since the Beginning of Time. This is the the first thing that came to my mind when I started to think about the Fun and Games section of your book, except I know that you...

THE STORY MAP: INCORPORATING THE B STORY

By now we've covered the concept of the B Story pretty extensively, and you likely have an idea of what your B Story is and its role within your overall story. But how do you incorporate it in? There are two things to consider in this: Make the B Story parallel to the A Story. Your primary character should be the same in the A Story and the B Story. As I mentioned in a previous post, changing to the villain's perspective isn't a B Story, it's still part of the A Story.

Additi...

REVIEW: 365 DAYS OF HAPPINESS

BUY 365 DAYS OF HAPPINESS ON AMAZON 365 DAYS OF HAPPINESS: BECAUSE HAPPINESS IS A PIECE OF CAKE!, BY JACQUELINE PIRTLE
Nonfiction: Self-Help. Self-published: February 28, 2018. 385 pp. Do you have fun with your own life? How often do you really pay attention and choose things to improve your day? In 365 Days of Happiness, author, energy healer, and mindfulness teacher Jacqueline Pirtle has created daily inspirations that help you mindfully work toward living a more vivid exp...

THE STORY MAP: WHAT IS THE B STORY?

B-Story: Often the "love story" (except in a romance novel); this part gives us a break from the tension of the A-story and carries the theme of the story. This second part of The Story Map introduces what many of us may not readily think about when we contemplate writing our story (especially if this is our first novel): The B Story.

If you read with a keen eye, you will notice that every single novel includes a second, less-emphasized story along with its primary sto...

NEW RELEASES: AUGUST 12-18

AUGUST 14 BLIND KISS, BY RENEE CARLINO
Fiction. Atria. 320 pp.

A new novel by the author of Swear on This Life and Wish You Were Here.

DENIED, BY CATHY CLAMP
Fiction: Fantasy. Tor. 368 pp.

The thrilling standalone conclusion to the paranormal fantasy Luna Lake series, packed with action and romance.

MINDFUL ARTS IN THE CLASSROOM: STORIES AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING, BY ANDREW JORDAN NANCE
Nonfiction: Education. Parallax Press. 272 pp.

Written especially for the teac...