Independent author
Last weekend, I patted my next novel “Separation” on the butt and sent it out into a little slice of the world, letting my beta readers explore the town of Alessandra and its various characters. Hopefully, they’ll enjoy the read, and won’t ultimately tell me to toss my computer in a fire and start over from the beginning. [Read more…] about How to Write a Beta Reader Checklist
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter (or if you actually, ya know, know me), you know that one of my passions in life is trying new beers. Delving into local brews is one of my favorite ways to get to know any city I get the chance to visit in this country, and I enjoy supporting the local breweries around Atlanta. I know a lot of the brewers, and I really appreciate the community aspect of how breweries tend to become neighborhood gathering spots with fiercely local mindsets. Oh, and the tasty beer. There’s that too. [Read more…] about Books & Brews: Speaking at Reformation Brewery
In case you didn’t see my social media teases leading up to Saturday afternoon, I was on an online radio/podcast show Saturday afternoon called “Tag Team 2*4*5,” in conjunction with the Rave Reviews Book Club. The numbers refer to two hosts, four authors, and five minutes each, just to solve that baffling mystery for you. [Read more…] about Radio Didn’t Kill the Book Star
I want to quickly introduce you to Ellen Smith, author of a terrific and well-received book from earlier this year called Reluctant Cassandra — she describes it as Southern Fiction, which could interest a number of you — and the curator of a cool little blog at ellensmithwrites.com, where she does much of what I do here … talk about what motivates us to write, our challenges, share a little something from behind the scenes with those of you watching this whole crazy process from the outside. [Read more…] about The Interview with Ellen
Yes, the rumors are true. I’ve got a second book out on the Amazon stage. It’s been a different journey on this one than with the first. I knew a bit more about the publishing game this time around. I knew a bit more about my own writing, and how to get this whole thing to work. I’m still trying different things, and I’m a long way from having any secret formula, but I’m hoping I’ll keep learning as I go.
This one’s called “Tomorrow’s News Today,” and it’s hugely influenced by the hours upon hours of Hitchcock and Twilight Zone I’ve spent watching over the past 30+ years. [Read more…] about Tomorrow’s News Today … is Out Today
For those of you who missed me at the Decatur Book Festival, you’ve got another chance to catch my book-readin’ self out in the wild very soon. Next week, I’ll be reading an excerpt from “Killing the Immortals” at the Snug Gastro Pub in Canton for the “A Novel Idea” event on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
The theme for the event is “scary stories,” and I’ll be joined by other local authors Lee Gimenez, Alex Hughes, Lynn Hesse, Frank Reddy, and Marsha Cornelius. I won’t be able to get up there until 7:30 or so, and I’ll probably be speaking around 8. I’ll bring some bookmarks, and I’ll probably read Chapter 1 because I think it’s a great introduction to the book. [Read more…] about Speaking at A Novel Idea in Canton