Confessions of a “Method” Writer (Pass the Tissues, Please)
I recently started reading Finders Keepers, the second book in Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes trilogy. There seems to be a recurrent theme among readers of Stephen King, and even among readers of garden-variety serial killer or other dark crime thrillers. You’ll often see the question asked (or not asked, because people are too afraid to): What kind of person comes up with such twisted ideas? I suspect a close second is: What’s it like to write something like that? Do you have to sleep with the lights on? I’ve shared before that for me, the depth and quality of my emotional involvement with Read more…
Why the Hocus Pocus? Including the Supernatural in my New Dead Hollow Series
Yay! Prodigal successfully launched in ebook on Tuesday. The paperback has me ready to cut out my heart with a plastic KFC spork. (I wish I were kidding; fortunately I’m a vegetarian and rarely have those little bags of spare utensils handy.) Despite the headaches, the paperback will be live soon if it’s not already. You can see a picture of the proof on the dining chair next to my desk. (I might need a bigger desk.) As much as I appreciate the convenience and instant gratification factor of ebooks, there’s nothing quite like holding your paperback in your hands, and I Read more…
Where Do You Get Your Ideas? The Origins of the Dead Hollow Trilogy
I’m not exactly lousy at math, but it is a skill that seems to elude me at the most inopportune times. Case in point: I forgot to include some transitional steps in my 2017 book production schedule. Whoops! That means that, despite a gorgeous spreadsheet complete with colors and formulas, I’m now two weeks behind on a tightly scheduled Dead Hollow Book Two. A few days ago, the panic kicked in and I skipped a step (shh! don’t tell anybody) and started the rough draft because I couldn’t wait any longer. It feels good, even if I’m only chipping away at the Read more…
Prodigal Release with a Special Price Just for You (Shh–Because You’re Special)
Happy Friday! Those of you who saw my post on Facebook last Friday (in lieu of a Blog Post) will know that there’s something special coming up today… hee-hee-hee—sneaky, happy writer dance! Of course, if you get my Newsletter, this won’t come as a surprise. [Hint: if you read my blog and you’re not on my email list, you should sign up; I only chunter on there once a month, and you find out everything first.] I see that my spellcheck apparently does not approve of British slang, so I will keep the chuntering to a minimum today and get right Read more…
News from the Word Mines: Polishing One Pit and Digging Another
Just a quick status report this week on the new Dead Hollow series—I’m neck deep in the storyboards (basically a very loose outline, a paragraph or two per chapter) for Book Two, and the poop is about to hit the oscillator! (Can you tell I’m almost giddy today?) My editor and I have also finished the first round of the Book One (Prodigal) copy edits. She found a couple of things to tweak that helped the story, and I felt particularly gratified that she didn’t get hung up by the seeds I’d deviously planted for Book Two. I’ve mentioned before Read more…
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