Tag Archives: Writing

6-Word Stories and my SIX WORDS Novel

Image: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net In honor of short story month, here’s how Hemingway initiated the six-word story: For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn. Okay, but enough about Hemingway’s brevity. Now here are six words to describe my novel SIX WORDS: … Continue reading

Posted in Creative Challenges and Goal-Setting, My Books, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Short Story Collection Giveaway

  This month Erika Dreifus (author, blogger, and editor of Fiction Writers Review) is coordinating a short story collection giveaway in honor of Short Story Month. I’m participating by reviewing and giving away a copy of Other People We Married … Continue reading

Posted in Author Profiles, Book Reviews, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest Update

Last Tuesday I found out that my novel Food and Worry didn’t make the latest round in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. I’m disappointed but still believe that Food and Worry is great. Since the novel was published in November … Continue reading

Posted in My Books, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Author Profile: Leslie Pietrzyk

Leslie Pietrzyk is one of my favorite authors, teachers, and creative mentors, and she’s funny and a great source of recipes and restaurant recommendations. Her Work-in-Progress blog is helpful to writers in the DC area, and everywhere else. For example, … Continue reading

Posted in Author Profiles, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“McQuestionable Musings” about Self-Publishing

Karen McQuestion is one of the most successful novelists to emerge from Amazon’s CreateSpace platform. To quote her bio: “I’m the author of six books, including the novel, A Scattered Life, which has been optioned for film. Five of those … Continue reading

Posted in Author Profiles, Blog Reviews, Self-Publishing Advice | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Celebratory Discount & ABNA Contest Update

I’m proud to announce that I’m a quarter-finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest. In this third round, novels were judged on excerpts (the first 3,000 to 5,000 words). I entered Food and Worry, though I am equally proud of … Continue reading

Posted in Creative Challenges and Goal-Setting, My Books, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Guest-blogged for The Writer’s Center

The Writer’s Center’s “First Personal Plural” blog kindly reposted the two-part series about self-publishing that I did for Leslie Pietrzyk’s Work-in-Progress blog. Here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2. And on this blog, please click the “Self-Publishing” … Continue reading

Posted in Self-Publishing Advice | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Update

First, a grateful welcome to anyone visiting this blog for the first time via The Writer’s Center’s “First Person Plural” blog. I just checked out Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award Update for the zillionth time this morning and I made it … Continue reading

Posted in ., Creative Challenges and Goal-Setting, My Books, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

One Week in a Novelist’s Promo-Life

On this public version of my promo diary excerpt, I’ve removed specific names of the people and organizations that I reached out to. I don’t want to make any of them feel self-conscious if they turn down one of my … Continue reading

Posted in Creative Challenges and Goal-Setting, My Books, Self-Publishing Advice | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, Deadline 2/6

I want to encourage unpublished and self-published novelists to join me in entering Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest. There are two categories, General Fiction and Young Adult Fiction. The deadline is Sunday, February 6 at midnight. The winner gets $15,000 … Continue reading

Posted in Creative Challenges and Goal-Setting, My Books, Self-Publishing Advice | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment