Now that I have published my first YA novel, my friends (and my brother!) ask me this question. Of course, it's very subjective. Every writer's definition will vary. Some might think it's numbers of books sold, or the amount of money earned. Others might say it's getting an agent or publishing with one of the… Continue reading How Does a Writer Define Success?
Come on a Story Safarai with Joyce Hostetter! If you've followed my blog for awhile, then you are not new to my friend and mentor, Joyce Hostetter. I have learned so much from Joyce over the twenty years that I've known her, that I'm happy she will be leading the next Write2Ignite virtual Master Class.… Continue reading Unlock Your Writing Potential with Joyce Hostetter
Fellow writers frequently ask me what I am doing to market Half-Truths. I have learned a lot from podcasts and blogs on this topic, but since becoming the volunteer publicist for my publisher, Monarch Educational Services, I now have hands-on experience publicizing books. Since Half-Truths doesn't come out until April, it's too early to say… Continue reading Nine Tips on How to be Your Own Publicist
By the time you read this, I hope to be well on the road to recovery from pneumonia. Getting sick got my attention. I had to rest! I put aside my pile of revisions for Half-Truths courtesy of my mentor, Joyce Moyer Hostetter, but I didn't put aside the "thinking about" process that all writers experience. I'm re-reading Blue Willow by Doris… Continue reading Blue Willow -PART III: Comments on a Surprisingly Influential Book
It's been a long time since I've published a "You Heard It Here First" blog post. It's been an even longer time since I first began writing Half-Truths. My first blog was in 2007 when I wrote about attending a SCBWI-Carolinas conference and finding my character's voice. Since then, I've written over 100 blog posts about this… Continue reading YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST- HALF-TRUTHS HAS A HOME!
This post has been a long time coming. About 16 years long. There have been times when I thought I was ready to submit my middle-grade novel, HALF-TRUTHS. But now I KNOW it. IN THE BEGINNINGFrom the beginning, I imagined a story about a white girl and a light-skinned Black girl discovering that they were second… Continue reading On Submission
"This is the house that the Hinkle sisters lived in, and that's the muddy river where Thomas and Jackie fished together." Joyce Hostetter pointed out the car window as we drove around around her hometown, Hickory, NC--the setting for her Bakers Mountain Series. "See that old building? That's the hosiery factory where Junior worked for a few days. Over there… Continue reading STORIES IN JOYCE'S BACKYARD: A "PICK-YOUR-OWN" GIVEAWAY!
If you're a writer, then someone has probably said to you: "So, are you done with your book yet?" If the person who you are talking to loves you then he may say, "How's the book coming along?" Which is a softer, kinder way of saying the same thing. Either way, most people who are not… Continue reading Revision Revisited
Congratulations to Connie Saunders who won The Middle School Writing Toolkit from last week's blog. ******"May I ask, how do I even begin… Continue reading How Do I Find An Agent?
If you write Christian fiction for children or young adults, here is an outstanding workshop with my mentor, Joyce Moyer Hostetter. I have learned so much from her--this is your opportunity to do the same! Mark your calendars. Registration opens May 1.