Category: Book News

I can’t believe I’m saying this but… I GOT PICKED FOR PITCHWARS! I’m so incredibly excited to spend the next two months revising and polishing No Man’s Land with the help of the incredible Molly E. Lee! Check her out her Goodreads page here! There are many contests out there to help writers find representation…

I’ve lived in Charlottesville, Virginia for many years. My father taught at UVA until this past spring . My brother, husband, brother-in-law and I all attended the University (yes, we capitalize it- we’re pretentious to the point of parody.) It’s where I met my husband and where we were eventually married. My young daughters often…

Until you do. I’m sitting in a quiet beach house right now as my younger daughter naps. I should be working on my fantasy novel, which calls to me every time I’m away from my laptop, but it’s already been a long (but fun!) day so I’m writing this post instead, because it’s easier on…

Deneneenoooo! Denen… okay, so trying to make a Capella music with a keyboard is perhaps a hopeless endeavor. Or maybe this is why I didn’t get into an a Capella group in college despite auditioning seven times. What can I say? I’m not a quitter. I’m also not a college level a Capella singer… apparently….

I’m tempted to start singing my POV song (“Let’s talk about POV. Let’s talk about you and me.”) but I’ll restrain myself. You’re welcome. Today I want to talk about narrative distance, and some ways to bring a reader closer, to really get them inside the head of a character. Regardless of whether you’re writing…

This post is about critical feedback. Not the feedback that makes you feel great about your book, or your talent, but the feedback that feels like a punch to the gut. Because you can’t ignore it or dismiss it. Because when you read it, you think, “Oh noooooooooooo!!!!!” as lightbulbs explode (metaphorically) above your head….

As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been waiting to hear the results from a writing contest I entered last week. Alas, the winners were announced today and I wasn’t one of them. Whomp whomp. HOWEVER, I still feel like a winner because I got my first RFP in this contest. RFP stands for…

Hey friends. It’s been a while. About a month ago I was fortunate enough to have a lovely and talented editor volunteer to read through NML and give feedback. Megan is a member of the Inkwell Council, which had critiqued my first three chapters earlier, and she liked the story enough that she wanted to…

Last weekend I immersed myself in the Virginia Festival of the Book. I’m fortunate that the festival takes place right down the road, and I took full advantage of my proximity to hit up as many panels and events as I could. My weekend started with a panel on world-building in Science Fiction and Fantasy,…

I saw a post on Twitter in January about a group offering free manuscript critiques and went to check out their website. Every month they select one manuscript and then the Council provides feedback on the first three chapters. Many writers and editors offer similar services for a fee (often a VERY STEEP fee), but…