Blog
Author and Editor: A Perfect Partnership
After an author hits the last keystroke on the first draft of a new book, the real work begins. During the drafting stage, it’s just the author and the characters as a new world is built—word by word, page by page. Even as I breathe a sigh of relief when the story is finished, I…
Read MoreBook Club Discussion Guide
Public Libray Podcast – Discussion of The Last Mrs. Parrish
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Read MoreNot If, But When: Persistence is Key in the Writing Game
About six years ago I became serious about pursuing my dream of a writing career. I’d written a book with my sister years earlier and had coasted on that accomplishment for the next ten years—calling myself a writer, but doing very little writing. And then I saw an ad in Writer’s Digest for Thrillerfest. I…
Read MoreGuest Post on Jungle Red Writers – How Do Two Sisters Write Together?
As co-authors, we’re often asked the “how” of writing together. People are curious about our process. Fortunately, both of us are solidly in the middle of the pantser/plotter road. We begin by talking about the central idea of our book then narrow that down into a solid premise. Before we type the first word, we…
Read MoreWriting a Three-Dimensional Villain
While cooking up the storyline for The Last Mrs. Parrish, some of the most fun we had was bringing Amber Patterson, our antagonist, to life. Actors often talk about how exciting it is to play the villain — it’s also exciting to create a villain for the page. ♥ Only a few paragraphs in, it’s…
Read MoreAre you a Panster or a Plotter?
At Thrillerfest 2012, I had the pleasure and honor to meet and hear from the best in the industry. A variety of topics were presented on the craft of writing including: Crafting a Story Outline, Finding Your Storytelling Voice, Creating Mind Blowing Twists, Creating Compelling and Complex Antagonists, as…
Read MoreThere's Something Special About Your First Book
What Circle Dance means to me When my sister and I first agreed to collaborate on a story, we constructed one similar to what we loved to read at the time—stories about women, their emotional lives, and the choices they make in life. Our first characters were three sisters—beautiful, blonde, rich, and American. The story…
Read MoreWhere is the Best Place to Write?
Everyone needs a room of one’s own – at least according to Virginia Woolf. Whether this is a literal or metaphorical dictum is open to interpretation – the state of women’s rights in Woolf’s day vastly different from today. Still – the idea that a dedicated writing space was integral to my success as an…
Read MoreWriting with a Co-Author
People often ask me – “How do you write a book with another person?” When my sister and I decided to work together on Circle Dance, we didn’t know the answer to that question. I bought a book (“How to Write and Sell Your First Novel”, by Oscar Collier), read it, and proceeded to follow…
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