A writer's journey...

In the last week or so, I've been very honored to be featured on several sites.  I wanted to share these with you so maybe, if you had time, you could check these posts out and also learn more about the wonderful people who have hosted me. A big thank you to: Carmen DeSousa @Author_Carmen Thriller Thursday spotlight, May 17th:   A private peek into the psyche of, TIES THAT BIND,protagonist Madison Knight by @Carolyn_Arnold Detective Madison Knight at the shrink's office?  No way you say.  Well she is now. Catch an exclusive peek into the mind and make-up of Madison Knight.  A fictional piece written for this purpose of this post. Douglas Dorow @DougDorow Interview:  Carolyn Arnold Doug asked me some good questions, such as:  What recommendations do you have for other writers who are looking to publish the stories they've written? and What's the most surprising thing you've learned as an author this past yea...

I debated whether to post about this but decided to because I think it’s time indies, and self-published authors started to talk about it.  We’ve all heard, or experienced, the slowdown in sales -- drastic decreases.    But that’s just one part.  This isn't a bash on Amazon post, but there are some obvious inconsistencies and discrepancies  occurring .  The following are things I've noticed with my account.  Maybe you've noticed the same? Free downloads increase after promotion period Amazon says:  “Our technical team has confirmed that there is currently a lag time, due to which there is a delay in the free downloads being reported on the Month-to-date Unit Sales reports. We are aware of this issue, and it should be fixed soon.” Okay, so if that’s the case wouldn’t my free show higher on the Prior 6 Week Report, and then grow on my MTD report?  Not the case with me.  For the promotion I did last week, my free downlo...

This is a subject that will warrant different responses from each author.  Some cannot help themselves but to edit as they go along trying to get down that first draft.  You have others of us who fly through a first draft with very little thought to the editing.  Their drive is in getting the story out.  For myself, I’m normally somewhere down the middle.  I believe there are advantages that come with approaching it in this manner.  In fact, I believe all things in life should be about balance. And that includes all aspects of our writing processes. When I first started out writing, I never really gave much thought to the editing side of things.  I was more excited that I was writing in the first place, and once I had the first novel behind me, it was like “Wow! I wrote a novel!”  But things changed.  I continued to grow in my writing journey.  I realized I didn’t just want to write, I wanted people to read my work, and I w...

It's been a long time since I've featured another author on this blog.  Normally, I support and feature my fellow authors over on my Celebrating Authors blog.  But what an honor to have friend and former cop, Zach Fortier (known as zachfortier1 on Twitter) as a guest.  He's an amazing supporter of others, and once you read this interview you'll appreciate even more, a terrific human being. Zach has also agreed to answer any "cop" questions you may have for the next couple days, so be sure to post these in your comments and he'll respond to you. Without any more delay, let's get to the interview. Tell us about you and your background . I recently ended a 30 year career as a cop. I have been involved in police work mostly in the western U.S. I started as an MP in the military at the age of 18 and worked in both military and civilian police departments over the span of 30 years. I have been divorced three times and married 4. I am married t...

You held my hand when I was small You stood by me once I grew tall You taught me things I never knew You imparted unto me your wisdom You tucked me into bed at night Kissed me on the forehead and said “sleep tight” You whispered things in my ear To build me up and make me strong You believed in me when others didn’t Telling me they must just be jealous. You caressed my head when I was ill And held my hand There will never be another To take your place as my mother.

As I sit on the bank of the river, my toes dipping in the cool water, I dream about being somewhere far away from here.  Everything is the same around here.  The same people gossiping about the old lady who lives in a house large enough to fit ten, or about Jenny, a girl who just turned twenty and how she should be focused on settling down, finding herself a nice man, getting married and having children.  There’s times I would gladly exchange places with the old woman.  At least she had made her decisions, and created her memories over a lifetime.  My future still lay ahead of me. I lift a leg, and tap a toe on the surface of the water; circular ripples birth around it.  As I watch it grow and dissipate into nothing, I think about the old lady.  Her name is Elizabeth.  People have discussed whether it will be her cancer or Alzheimer’s that gets her first. I tap my toe on the water again—this time harder.  The ripples spread ou...

The darkness seeks me And taunts my soul It threatens to consume Taking away all that is good Tainting all that’s true Making me wonder will it ever end The pain and sorrow Aches my bones And strips me of purpose Sometimes in the silence I wish I could succumb And close my eyes one last time But in me there’s a yearning That sees the light Aligning my focus and keeping me aright. For if I ever let the darkness feed The nightmarish emotions Would steal my life Yet crack of dawn Bestirs my spirit Awakening in me a need to go on

It's game time! Ha!  My friend Kirkus MacGowan nominated me for The Lucky 7 Meme.   It's where I'm to go to page 77 of a current work in progress, to line 7 and share the next 7 lines, sentences or paragraphs.  After I share mine, I'm to nominate 7 others. I've decided to share a "sneak peek" at SACRIFICE, the third in The Madison Knight series, coming this summer. Here's the blurb:  The Bradshaw River claims lives every year.  But when the body of a young man washes up during a winter thaw, it’s obvious he wasn’t a victim of the high waters.  Now it’s up to Major Crimes Detective Madison Knight and her partner to find out the truth.  But things only get more complicated when his identity comes back as the son of Marcus Randall, business tycoon and founder of an investments firm worth billions.  With Marcus Randall already on the radar of the Secret Service for fraud and counterfeiting, the investigation sheds new light and they requ...

Most of us would go a little crazy without our internet.  It's like our entire world is wrapped up inside a "box".  As authors we depend on it for research for our books, to interact with other authors and connect with readers.  It's so easy to get sucked in because, it's enjoyable--let's face it!  All these other like minded individuals who get you!  Add to that, online is where our business lives. But at what cost are you spending hours online?  I tease my husband because he loves to play XBOX--hey, there's nothing wrong with that--but I tell him I want to rescue him living inside a box.  He looks at me, and I know what he's thinking before he says a word.  I spend hours online, and it's not just for marketing purposes. I converse with fellow authors, connect with them, promote them, set up tweets and other means to not only market myself but to support them.  It's so easy to get obsessive.  Sometimes it feels like there's a...