I have come face-to-face with something I had always hoped for but wasn’t sure would ever happen. That is, writing the next book in a series. Now, before I start sounding all new and everything, the truth is, I have written the first three books of the Mik Murdoch series. Even still, I wasn’t sure what the future of said books would ever be. In fact, I know books two and three are pretty rough so I have to do some serious rewrites. What is different, is there is now a need for those books. I actually have to take the time to ensure they are as good as they can be so they are publishable. That is the difference. […]
Read moreTag: irreverent muse
I’m on to the Next Project, or Am I?
I am now able to say, Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero, is done. At least, all of the writing , revision and proofing. That, of course, just means I have finished another chapter in the road to publication. There are still many, MANY things to do: Prepare and send out Advanced Reader Copies (ARC’s) for review (Lorina Stephens is working on that as I type, I am sure); Create a book trailer; Get publicity for myself and the book; Book launch; Write the next book in the series. Am I missing anything? Undoubtably. As I have never done this before, everything is new to me. I am pretty sure I have left a few things out. So, let’s talk about book […]
Read moreKnowing Your Audience
I thought I would talk about audience today. Specifically, knowing who you are writing for and how you can ensure that you’re hitting the mark. I’ve been shown the value of understanding who might want to read my stories several times. When I sent in Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero originally, I kind of knew who I expected my eventual readership to be: boys, ages 9 – 15. Simple enough, right? After all, the book is about a boy in that age category who wants to be a superhero. I expected some girls might like it and the occasional adult too. Then my editor, Robert Runte, and I had the chance to meet last Fall. He told me that when he […]
Read moreGuest Post – Books that Inspired – A Classic and a Fairy Tale by Starla Huchton
I read a lot growing up. As I was “the weird, poor kid”, it often felt like my only reprieve from the constant assault of my peers was the escape I found in stories. But they weren’t just hiding places for me, they were where I could make discoveries about myself, form opinions about the broader world around me, and get the one thing I was lacking more often than not: hope. It’s probably not surprising then that I love Alexandre Dumas’ THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. It’s one of the few books I’ve read more than once. I discovered it in high school, maybe my sophomore year. There’s so much to love about that book; it wasn’t simply about […]
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