Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing the award-winning author and my friend, Leanna Renee Hieber. Leanna is an actress, playwright and the author of thirteen Gothic, Gaslamp Fantasy novels for adults and teens. Her books have been published by Tor and Kensington Books and they include the Strangely Beautiful saga, the Magic Most Foul… Read more »
[Hello Readers! If you missed the first article of this three-part series, check it out right here. Parts I and II of this article deals with ideas for writing plot twists. Part III will take you through the mechanics, the nuts and bolts of making it happen.] Let’s do the Romance Twist: Seduction for Hire … Read more »
From big picture elements to sentence-level style, editing is a natural and necessary part of writing. It can also be terribly intimidating. While there are plenty more aspects to review, here are eight essential things you should be editing for in your own work. Be sure to take care of these essential edits before sending… Read more »
Imagine this. You have an idea for a story but for some reason, you’re having trouble getting started. Days, even weeks go by and you stare at that dreaded white page as if the words are going to magically appear. Whether it’s writer’s block, sheer procrastination, or a mix of both, you’ve let enough time… Read more »
Most often, the questions that I get from readers and writers are about my process of writing historical fiction. Why did I choose the time periods that I did for the story? How did I do the research for four different timelines? Now, fully immersed in the research for my third historical fantasy novel, I’ve… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Cynthia Leitich Smith. Cynthia is a New York Times bestselling author known for her award-winning children’s and YA books. She writes both realistic contemporary stories and fantastical narratives, and most recently, she won the American Indian Youth Literature YA Award for Hearts Unbroken published by Candlewick. Today we’ll… Read more »
Recently in this column, I discussed real authors featured as fictional sleuths. But I discovered that real authors are sometimes real sleuths as well. Some seek to fight injustice and others become swept up in a mystery or crime. Some find the answers, some don’t, and some are the mystery rather than the sleuth. But… Read more »
Do you have trouble finding comparable titles for your book? Are you confused about how to use comparable titles in general? Or understand what they are? Comparable titles (also known as comps) can be extremely helpful when writing and pitching your book to a literary agent or editor. They are also a huge way to… Read more »
Writers often struggle with fiscal matters. After all, few things are less creative or elegant than a calculator or a checking account. Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that a successful freelance career is dependent on sound finances. Here are five simple ways that you can care for your freelance finances without getting too… Read more »
Today’s #OwnVoices installment is an interview with Kellye Garrett, author of the award-winning “Detective by Day” mystery series. Kellye and Sara talk about the influence of her TV writing days on her books, the difficulties of writing humor, and Crime Writers of Color, a writers’ group she co-founded with Gigi Pandian and Walter Mosley. About… Read more »
