The holiday season always reminds me of my mother’s sugar cookies, warm sweaters, and cozy mysteries—novels, short stories, Hallmark Movie Mysteries—any variety will do. I love sipping an Eggnog Latte curled under a warm blanket reading (or watching) a good cozy mystery while the rest of the world rages outside. There’s something about the familiar… Read more »
In his Pulitzer-Prize winning biography of American aviator Charles Lindbergh, author A. Scott Berg begins page one not with Lindbergh’s birth but with a buzzing crowd in Paris. Lindbergh, hoping to be the first pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic nonstop, has not been seen since he left New York twenty-four hours earlier. Was… Read more »
If you have a spiritual side, you might consider penning inspirational fiction. According to a 2017 news release from the Association of American Publishers, books with “religious and inspirational themes” are in high demand. A wider audience, including millennials and people of color, are discovering this genre once read almost exclusively by mature caucasian females…. Read more »
Stephen King told us, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” But merely reading isn’t enough. Close reading is necessary to learn the secrets of how stories tick, which will help you sharpen those writing tools Stephen King mentioned. First we need… Read more »
Do you want to let drawing become a part of your writing life, but are afraid to start? Do you long to dive into the world of books with pictures, but fear drowning? Let this article be your floaties to keep you safe in the deep end of the graphic novel pool. First, some history…. Read more »
Reading makes us smarter and healthier. It influences the way we think and learn. It has a positive impact on your brain, encouraging mental stimulation and slowing the process of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Reading polishes our writing skills, no matter if we write academic essays, web content, or fiction. In plain English, books make us… Read more »
Of all the seasons, summer is the most conducive to reading. Longer days, beachside lounging, and the greater availability of iced beverages are perfect companions for paperbacks in your sandy hands and audio books lulling through your earbuds. It is also the most fleeting season. As quickly as night turns into day, so too will… Read more »
I worked as a bookseller and library clerk in multiple places. I enjoy talking to people about books and offering them recommendations. My best selling display was one where I offered cross-media recommendations (for example, if you enjoyed the Netflix series Stranger Things then you should read the graphic novel series Paper Girls). I love… Read more »
It starts with an idea, or at least, an urge to write a love story. There’s a nugget, a kernel of inspiration. But how does that idea turn into a full-fledged romance novel with lovers, a first meet, love scenes, conflict, tension, breakups, and an HEA (happily-ever-after)? There are many ways to brainstorm a romance,… Read more »
On May 22, PBS launched a new television series called The Great American Read. The goal is to discover the country’s most loved book. Following a nationwide survey of Americans, an advisory panel assembled an initial list of 100 possibilities. Over the next five months, the list will be whittled down via viewer voting until… Read more »
