Most of the time, we’re like leaves skittering across the surface of life, missing its cool, quiet depths. We see, but we spend very little time being still long enough to make sense of what we’ve seen – putting it all together. We scoot along,...
STILL STRUGGLING WITH FINDING TIME TO WRITE? Take Steven Covey’s sage advice, “Schedule your priorities, don’t prioritize your schedule.” When I picked up his landmark work, THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE, I finally organized the scraps of...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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.