Happy Spring! Even though it was snowing yesterday, the air feels different—warmer, moister, kinder. Maybe it’s all in my head. Spring Fever for sure. Well, it makes me want to celebrate, so I’m giving away a swag bag with a copy of Buried Secrets, and I’m putting The Cavanaugh House on sale. I hope you’ll join in my celebration. I’d love for you to read my book or win my swag bag. The Cavanaugh House – only 99 cents on Amazon from March 25-31. Click to order your copy now! “This house held secrets …” A broken heart. A haunted Read More
Tag: The Cavanaugh House
Writing Lessons Learned from a Virus and a Puzzle
I’ve just recovered from a recent virus that laid me flat for over two weeks. In addition to a wicked sore throat, unstoppable cough, and absolutely no energy, I walked around in a brain fog. When I felt well enough to be vertical, I did jigsaw puzzles in spurts throughout the day. This is what this virus and my jigsaw puzzles taught me about writing. Sometimes Pieces Just Come Along and Fit I finished three puzzles in the course of the two weeks. The first one went together in my usual process: complete as much of the outside frame as Read More
What Makes a Good Book Title?
Have you ever chosen a book based on its title? I’ve always wanted to title a book with some literary or religious allusion, like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Or even a musical or cultural reference like Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin. Titles, by the way, are not copyrighted, so I could have titled my book To Kill a Mockingbird. I also like titles that are a pull quote about a major theme from the book. So, my original title for The Last Crossing was All Read More
5 Topics to Know About Before You Read THE LAST CROSSING
The Last Crossing Book 3 in The Finger Lakes Mysteries Release date: Nov. 30, 2018 Paranormal mystery, paranormal romance, mystery Click to order What was going on in Jesse Graham’s world in 1969, the setting for The Last Crossing? Vietnam War protests were at an all-time high, lots of people were getting high, the Women’s Liberation Movement was making gains, though meeting with derision in many quarters, and Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. Amid all this social upheaval, people were still pursuing normal things like … Books Jesse is an English teacher, Read More
My Secret Strategies for Handling Edits
Okay, this post is going to be really short because I’m on deadline and my revisions are due back to my editor Julie Sturgeon by Saturday. Many readers ask me how I handle editing and revising my manuscripts. I have decided to reveal a few of my deepest secrets. Some of my editing strategies for The Last Crossing: 1. Set the timer on my iPhone for 30 minutes so I get up and move around. It’s good for my health and clears my mind. Plus, potty break. (amended: Pay attention when the timer goes off.) 2. Set my iPhone Read More