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Hello! You’ll find posts here for readers, writers, and anyone interested in life. Check out the categories to the right for your favorite topics, or just start browsing. Sometimes I throw in a recipe or a poem, share my writer’s life, or tell you how I came up with one of your favorite characters. I’ll announce contests and share pics from events. Sometimes I delve into how to handle tough political, social or religious topics in your own books if you’re a writer, or share what I learn about the ever-evolving world of publishing. Whatever the topic, I promise to do my best not to waste your time. There’s enough clutter online without my adding to it.
I love to hear from readers, so feel free to comment on any post or write to me directly through the Contact page.
Patterson’s MasterClass
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ARROGANCE AND HUMILITY lies a writer's sweet spot. (For example, I need my editor to proof my use of lie vs lay.) Writers must be original, free thinkers in order to create fresh, amazing novels. On the flip side, we also need to learn to plot,...
The Elegant Mrs. Nguyen
Mrs. Nguyen is not an easy character to love, but dig a little deeper into FOREST PARK: Logan Book 2 and you may change your mind. Yes, she's an judgmental bigot who holds a grudge, but, like the diamonds she has kept hidden for many years, when you hold her to the...
The Viking Next Door
“Feeling better than she had in months, like a twelve-year old about to ride her new bike, Logan practically skipped down the stairs, grabbed her tennis shoes, and, balancing on one foot, was tying the second one when someone knocked on the door. Just before 8:00 AM....
Who is Logan?
I had someone ask me once what my protagonist’s “super power” was. That stumped me, but not for long. Just like you and I, Logan McKenna doesn’t have one. She’s an ordinary woman plopped down in the extraordinary circumstances of life. What makes me want to keep...
Can I Write a Novel?
With enough hard work, support, butt kicking, and time, almost anyone can write a novel. Here are 5 Questions to ask yourself before you take those ideas floating around in your head and try turning them into a story others will want to read. Do I have a burning...
The Amazing Tava’e
Everyone’s favorite Chess Queen, Coffee Shop Owner and All-Around Samoan Goddess, Tava’e lumbers into our lives in Chapter 8 of SHATTERED: Logan Book 1: Advancing impressively across the room, she adjusted her tremendous body, enveloped in a bright, boldly patterned,...
5 Tips to Writing a Series
1 Create a lead character you want to get to know. You’re asking your readers to invest time and money into this fictional person, so make them someone you care about. Unless you’re writing a romance novel, give your protagonist at least one gnarly flaw. One that...
Finding Time to Write
ACCORDING TO DIGITAL BOOK WORLD and Writers Digest survey, the median annual income for authors, self or traditionally published, ranges between $5,000 - $19,000. Not exactly enough to live on. That means most writers, including myself, have day jobs. Finding time to...
Why I Wanted to Write a Mystery
Every good story has an element of mystery, or we wouldn’t bother turning the pages to get to the end. That said, few mysteries found their way into my backpack or onto my bookshelves until a few years after high school and college. In the 90s,while working as a...
Creating Logan
READERS OFTEN ASK how I come up with my characters. Are these people you know and just changed their names? Is the main character really you? Writers want to know if there is any trick to creating memorable characters, particularly the main protagonist in a series....
About Valerie
A self-admitted book addict, Valerie was the kid with the flashlight under her pillow. A life of travel with exposure to many different cultures led to a pervasive interest in people, with degrees & teaching credentials in Cultural Anthropology & English. Logan McKenna Series
