Columns

6 Tips On How To Be Prolific

February 19th, 2018

I get a lot of teasing or gentle (and not-so-gentle) ribbing about my prolific output from other authors. I started writing novels in 2009 and I just released my 20th book. Along the way I’ve written around one hundred short stories, two TV pilots, several articles—and that’s not mentioning the five novels that remain unpublished (at least one for good reason). A question I get a lot is how I do it with a full time day job, two kids, a podcast, a sideline designing book covers and that elusive commodity: sleep.

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6 Royal Books for the Blue in Your Veins

February 16th, 2018

Thank you Netflix for reminding me that no, my obsession with all things fancy and British was not just a thing of my childhood. It's a thing forever. Season two of The Crown - so good - is now very much in my past because I binge watched it in like two (maybe three) days, and now the world is grey and boring. What to do? The librarian in me demands that I run to the stacks. Thankfully, there's no shortage of British drama to be found there.

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The Two Lukes: Comparing and Contrasting 'Dark Empire' and 'The Last Jedi'

February 15th, 2018

Released more than 25 years ago, the comic book mini-series Star Wars: Dark Empire by writer Tom Veitch and artist Cam Kennedy is notable for many reasons. It marked the start of a 20-year-long relationship between Dark Horse Comics and Lucasfilm that would result in thousands of issues and countless storylines expanding on the galaxy far, far away.

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Single And Loving It: A Reading List

February 14th, 2018

When you say "There are some great things about single life," people look at you like you're saying, "There are some great things about having oral surgery." They figure you're a person so deluded you'll try and find the upside of bleeding from the mouth for a few days. 

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10 African American Authors to Read This Month

February 13th, 2018

Header via thirteen.org February is African American History month and the month when we celebrate Women in Horror. I have strong, mixed feelings about both of these because I think women and black authors should be part of your reading all year long.

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Forget the Love Poems This Valentine's Day, But Fall in Love With Poetry

February 12th, 2018

Valentine's Day is upon us, and with it—for those of us with kids, at least—comes the inundation of Valentines to our children and from our children, with ridiculous Hallmark poetry about roses and candies and choo, choo, choosing you.

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'Veronica Mars' Should Continue…In Book Form

February 12th, 2018

Last month, Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell and creator Rob Thomas did their semi-annual rounds, reaffirming their sustained interest in creating more stories about the former teen detective.

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The 12 Steps for Struggling Writers

February 9th, 2018

1) We admitted we are powerless over the literary marketplace—that our writing life has become unmanageable. When you humble yourself and admit, “I don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to writing, and what I'm doing is not working.” A lot of writing struggles occur when you’re writing to an audience of one—yourself—or you’re too paralyzed to continue because you are focused on the results—publication.

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7 Interesting Romance Fiction Trends from the Past 10 Years

February 8th, 2018

All corners of publishing are affected by market trends. If more people start buying more books on computer programming, then publishers will naturally acquire and publish more manuals. If a female-led thriller becomes the read of the summer (think Gone Girl), then you can bet that agents will be looking for a Girl on the Train or a Woman in the Window. However, no category is more affected by market forces than the romance novel. In no other literary genre will you see trends pursued so doggedly.

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Rocket Launcher Bayonets, Secret Babies, Rock Powers: This Is 'License To Love'

February 5th, 2018

Allow me to take you on a journey, not only of romance and love, but of Vegas magicians and UFOs. Take my hand and marvel with me at the plot of a book that features the most asinine poker scene of all time. And learn the ideal way to read a romance novel (spoiler: 5 feet from a toilet with a belly full of disgusting wine). Make the commitment. Earn your License to Love. How I Got The Book My own stupid life is my own stupid fault.

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