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Making the Choice

I had a great conversation today with another author, and we discussed the role editing plays in our lives. I’ll have a longer conversation about this on Periscope in the upcoming weeks, I’m sure. The...

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Episode 93: Chat with M.J. Kelley—Where Has Our Creativity Gone?

M.J. and his crew, the founders of Kosa Press, have never ceased to impress me with their dedication to craft and putting out the best possible work. I had the privilege of editing their first...

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Episode 94: How to Create Dynamic Characters & Author Professionalism Unlocked

Author Becky Wade was so awesome to chat with on another podcast I host, I had to invite her to talk to you! Becky is a breath of fresh air–as an inspirational contemporary romance author, she tackles...

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Mission 2016: Better Writing  

I’ve spent the holidays pondering our craft—writing, that is. After all, a book is only as good as the writer and editor who work on it. How do we improve? Why do we create? How do we fight this uphill...

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Episode 95: When Author-ing is Hard

If you’ve ever felt this way, we know your pain. On this episode, we discussed the challenges that come with being a writer. How to cope, how to recognize when we’re just being whiny vs. really...

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Episode 96: Ready, Set, Rewrite (Prep): How to Embrace the Process

If you’ve ever found yourself dreading the rewriting process, we know your pain. But it’s actually the part of the process that should be the most fun. Yes, you read that right! You should love the...

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Episode 97: Editors and Editees…the Relationship that Makes It All Work

Patricia Eddy, William Galaini, and I discuss the dynamics of the editor/author relationship, the things that you should always talk to your editor about, and why “pushing back” is a healthy way to...

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Episode 99: Easy eBook Formatting? Why, Yes, Virginia, it exists.

I discovered Vellum like we all discover things–via social media! And I was fascinated. It can’t be this easy to format a book, can it? But it is. So I reached out to the founders and invited them to...

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Episoe 100: How to Write the “Breakout” Novel

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass has been, without question, the most influential book on writing I’ve ever read and enacted in my own work. Years ago, this gem arrived on my bookshelf right...

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Episode 101: How to Writing the “Breakout” Novel, Part 2

I’ll sound like a broken record often during this project, but this is, without question, the most impactful reading and discussion I’ve done so far. You don’t want to miss out on Writing the Breakout...

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Who’s Stealing Your Story?

I fell on this topic today while wandering the world-wide wonder of the web, and I realized that either we as writers don’t understand our writing world, or we don’t understand our writing brains.  As...

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What’s the Real Value of an MFA Program?

What’s your first memory of writing? I don’t mean learning to write words and shape letters on a lined page. Rather, when’s the first time you put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and created your...

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Episode 75: Chat with a Special Guest (Mental Health & Writing)

Upgrade Your Story on BlogTalkRadio Sometimes, you never know what you’re going to find when you put on this podcast, right? I won’t give away too much, except that we talk about creativity, mental...

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Bonus Episode: Crowdfunding with Eve Rickert of Thorntree Press

Upgrade Your Story on BlogTalkRadio If you’ve been listening to the show, you know that one of our favorite guests William Galaini is knee-deep in his crowdfunding campaign. Eve Rickert of Thorntree...

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Episode 76: Chat with Author and Social Media Introvert Tex Thompson

Upgrade Your Story on BlogTalkRadio You’ve heard Tex Thompson before, and she’s back! This time with new and improved audio equipment. Tex is one of my favorite humans, because she’s got an awesome...

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The Secret of Outlander (for Writers)

If you’re a writer in any genre, the success of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander should give you pause. A book published in 1991—yes, it won an award, and yes, it had a good reception, as many books that...

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The Worst Writing Advice Ever

  “Write what you know.” We hear this piece of warmhearted instruction given (it seems) by everyone who teaches writing. Whenever students or fellow learners struggle with their work, they’re...

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Episode 77: When Editors Chat with Patricia D. Eddy

Upgrade Your Story on BlogTalkRadio WE MADE IT! The saga of book 2 in the Elemental Shifter series is over! And we report on the results. We also discuss the concerns over writing a series, lore...

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Think You Can’t Afford Professional Editing?

During a recent conversation with authors, we discussed the cost of self-publishing and creating work that rivals the big literary giants. The problem: large publishers can afford to do several rounds...

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Finding Your Writing Voice

When I consult with clients, I  find myself saying, “You’re still finding your voice,” or “You’ve almost defined your voice. Keep writing!” And I’m greeted with variations of, “But how will I know?”...

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Episode 78: Chat with Kensington Editor Esi Sogah

Upgrade Your Story on BlogTalkRadio I had the privilege of meeting Esi Sogah at the Long Island Romance Writers Association summer luncheon, and she immediately grabbed my interest. She’s passionate...

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Astrology as a Writing Tool?

My dear friend and mentor David McDonald was kind enough to write about one of his many passions: astrology. Ever used it with your writing? Why and how? As a writer, I’m sure you’ve run into the same...

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Episode 79: Chat with Author Jenny Trout

Upgrade Your Story on BlogTalkRadio We’ve talked about this for a long time, and she’s finally here! Jenny Trout is both a popular author and the snarky blogger behind the 50 Shades of Grey recaps....

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Episode 80: Interview with Writing Coach Kevin T. Johns

Upgrade Your Story on BlogTalkRadio Kevin T. Johns admits he doesn’t know it all—and his focus is on helping writers improve their craft. His simple way of conveying his message and his enthusiasm...

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Is Crowdfunding Right for Your Novel?

If you’ve ever been involved in a crowdfunding adventure—or even contributed to one—I assure you, they involve commitment, patience, and a thick skin. They’re a new concept for authors, and one that is...

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Episode 81: How Did We End Up with Christian Grey?

Upgrade Your Story on BlogTalkRadio We’ve all asked ourselves the question at some point, right? How did we end up with this abusive alpha trope in romance, and how do we fix it? Why are so many...

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Who Forgets Their Book Launch?

Here’s the awesome: I do what I love, with people I adore, and I do it without taking a break, backing up a step, or really, “working” in the American sense of the word (you know, hating Monday...

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How to Write and Get Healthy at the Same Time

I know, right? Who worries about this crap? Well, when you spend much of your day sitting on your rear, you quickly figure out this is doing nothing for your waistline…or your heart. I’m an author, an...

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Episode 82: Authors & Social Media, with Tex Thompson

One of our favorite authors, Tex Thompson, has committed to going to ALL the conventions, and she dropped by to talk about what she’s learned so far. Never fear, she’s back on the road again after her...

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Episode 83: Interview with Author and Marketing Genius Joanna Penn

Wait, you’ve heard that name before haven’t you? If you don’t know who Joanna Penn is, let me just say, “Creative Penn.” Ring any bells now? Joanna is the guru for all things indie book publishing and...

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Episode 84: Chat with Author Jennifer Snow

Jennifer Snow’s a traditionally published romance author who is living the dream: she’s been published by more than one publisher, and she’s branching out into the hot sub-genre, sports romance. In her...

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What Happens When Writers Forget Their Purpose?

I just read author Justina Ireland’s posts about a horrible experience in her MFA program and on social media, right on the heels of a brilliant interview with We Need Diverse Books co-founder Lamar...

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Episode 85: How to Prep Your Novel for Editing

Patricia and I get a lot of questions about how to prepare manuscripts to get the most bang for your buck with your editor. How many times should you rewrite your novel before you hand it over? Your...

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Episode 86: Chat with Author and Co-Founder of We Need Diverse Books Lamar Giles

I came across Lamar Giles when the diversity discussion hit the social media big-time in literary circles, and I’ve been following the discussion ever since. After being blown away with Lamar’s frank...

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Does Your Vampire Romance Matter? The Impact of Genre Fiction

I wrote a post last week (or so…) about the purpose of writing, and I’ll be honest: it made me uncomfortable. That’s a good thing. We should be a little out of sorts when we care about something and...

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Episode 88: Does Your Vampire Fiction Matter? The Impact of Genre Fiction

Check-in podcast: I’ve been passionate about this topic for awhile, and it came time to blog and podcast about it. Writing matters. Your writing. My writing. It stands for something. But what? And how?...

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Episode 89: Chat with Romantic Suspense Author DiAnn Mills

I met DiAnn Mills through another podcast as a guest host, and I enjoyed our conversation so much, I invited her to come on the show. Now, let me explain something: y’all know how I can be. Religious...

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Are You Hitting the Publish Button Too Soon?

Why on God’s green earth are there so many books missing the mark? I’m not referring to the latest Mutant Triceratops from Planet Urkel Turned Me Bisexual. I’m talking about the vast majority of books,...

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Episode 90: Pooping Rainbows…or Why Writing 4+ Books/Year May Not Work

I know—”pooping rainbows” doesn’t exactly scream high-quality books, but really, this is what we need to think about: do we want to slam out crappy books? Or do we want to create awesomeness? There’s...

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Compromising Quality

I’ve been part of this conversation, whether on the receiving end or the ranting end, a lot this week. As I pointed out half a fortnight ago (sorry, I can’t resist), some of us are a bit too...

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Episode 91: Chat with Author and Creative Shanna Germain

Shanna Germain came highly recommended, and I’m only sad that I didn’t know about her awesomeness sooner. She’s a joy to talk with, crazy in love with what she does, and she gets it: the trial, the...

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Episode 92: Social Media for Newbies with Tex Thompson

Tex Thompson is back, and aren’t you glad? I am! She’s one of my favorite guests, and I’m always thrilled to chat with her. I apologize for the sound quality! I had an unexpected clash of life and...

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The Problem with Genre Fiction, Revisited

This past week on the Periscope channel, we discussed an article in The Guardian titled, “For me, traditional publishing means poverty. But self-publishing? No way.” You can probably guess where this...

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I Went to a Writers Retreat, and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt

If you’ve never been to a writers retreat, you are missing out. Days set aside focused on wordsmithing. Food consumed while laughing and discussing craft. Hanging out with folks who get the struggle...

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Are we trying too hard?

Ever feel that way? I do. Whether I’m writing, editing, graphic designing, or dealing with life, some days, the toll seems greater than the outcome. When we write, there’s unbridled joy that bubbles to...

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What Makes a Story Unforgettable?

From the Periscope episode on April 25, 2016.

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The Cost of Doing (Writing) Business: What the numbers really mean

We had a fantastic Blab last night about how to interpret the numbers coming at us regarding books sales, Amazon, and self-publishing. Why do they matter? Well, it’s your industry. Whether you are...

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The High Cost of Publishing

I just got home from a fabulous weekend in Long Island, NY, where I attended the Romance Writers of America Long Island Chapter’s annual luncheon. Agents, editors, and authors mingle, chat, and...

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Episode 73: When Editors Chat with Patricia D. Eddy

Upgrade Your Story on BlogTalkRadio Oy, Patricia and I are burning up the podcast lines with our recent writing experiences. Patricia’s working on her third round of editing with me (yes, third, and...

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Back on the Horse…

You know how things in life happen, and suddenly, nothing’s working quite the way you thought it would? Damn, it’s hard to get a handle on things when life shifts. I recently moved across the country,...

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