My Books

Surprise! It’s an IWSG Posting

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. You can find the group on social media with #IWSG. Also, ¡Feliz cinco de Mayo! Recuerda, no hay ninguna fiesta de alcohol los estadounidenses no robarán ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Every month, a group of wonderful co-hosts steers us all towards meaningful discussion. We owe our May thanks to  Erika Beebe,…

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Author Life: Setting Off on My Self Publishing Voyage

Agent querying has been what I would humbly term an “Epic Fail”. A solid year of querying the latest finished manuscript has netted exactly zero interested replies. And each publisher accepting un-agented manuscripts replied to my submission with an email which basically said “not for us, but if you do write something else—something, y’know, better—we would love to see it. Take care. Bye.” I’m still not willing to give up, though. This manuscript made it to the finals of an…

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So You Need a Book Cover: 16 Romance Cover Designers

It turns out, finding a ‘book cover’ design is pretty simple. There are options. LOTS of options. But when it comes to a romance book? Suddenly those choices are whittling down from Covered Log Bridge With Fancy Carved Bits to Number 2 Pencil size. Turns out creating a steamy book cover is kind of a niche thing. Rendering eye-catching mystery covers does not translate automatically to lush romance covers. It takes skill and experience with the genre to create a…

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The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Takes Risks

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group meets online on the first Wednesday of every month for the purpose of sharing expertise, discussing struggles and triumphs, and most especially propping supports underneath other struggling writers. Come, come join us and offer your own insecurities to the fresh air and sunshine. Fresh air kills insecurities, they’re exactly like viruses. Just trust me on this. To sign up for the group yourself, click here. You can also find the group on social media by…

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The IWSG and Making Friends

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which means it’s Insecure Writer’s Support Day! Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit around the group and connect with your fellow writers – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Also check out the handles @TheIWSG and #IWSG on your social media. The co-hosts keeping us on track today are Louise – Fundy Blue , Jennifer Lane, Mary Aalgaard, Patsy…

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When I Said I Wanted Critique: Feel That Author Pain

The stages of accepting constructive criticism, as told through gifs. We all can agree that beta reading is crucial to the success of a story. Having other eyeballs touch your story, pre-publication, is one of the necessary steps a book goes through. Whether it’s a kind friend who volunteers, a writing group, or a professional editor — the link goes to a good post by author D.E. Haggerty on why she uses editors vs. beta readers — you will be…

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