Columns

10 Things Every Reader Should Do in 2017

January 6th, 2017

Everywhere you look, there's someone trying to give authors advice. What to do, what not to do, how to behave, how to use social media, the best way to engage readers, etc. However, all of that only works if someone is reading your books. Simply put, there is no writer without readers. Sure, you can write your novels and get them published, but if no one's reading them, you might as well become best friends with that famous tree that keeps falling in the forest when there's no one around to hear it crash.

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The Book as the Most Powerful Object of Our Time

January 5th, 2017

Are books still relevant? This is the question that has been asked since the dawn of the 21st century, and perhaps even before that. With technology delivering content to be “consumed” rather than engaged with in a thoughtful manner, it’s hard to see a future wherein the book has a resurgence. I wrote about this recently with my article “Google Made Me Stupid.

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7 Books on Finance to Start Your Year Off Right

January 4th, 2017

If there is one thing we all have in common, it's the fact that the New Year starts with feeling spent. All the sparkle and warmth of the holiday season is gone, and we're left with a brittle and crumbling tree, lawn ornaments that look sad and trashy, and piles of dirty snow. And typically many, many regrettable financial decisions that we now have to pay for. Thanks, credit cards, for allowing me to give so much "fancy" peppermint bark to my friends and family! If this feels like you, then read on.

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10 Politically Subversive Novels Veiled in Absurdism

January 4th, 2017

There are politically or sociologically-charged novels that come right out and say what they mean, with varying degrees of heavy-handedness. And then there are novels that make sweeping critiques of government and society through gross (in both senses of the word) surrealism and absurdity, often doing so via subversive means. 

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My Resolution to Write Less

January 3rd, 2017

The Best-Laid Writing Advice Write write write. Every day, write. A hundred words. A thousand words. Five words. Doesn't matter. Just write. Admit it. You've heard that advice, offered unbridled by legends like Ray Bradbury as well as dozens of contemporary authors. "If you want to be a writer, you should write. Every day. Write."

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Paul Neilan, Soiled Underwear, and The Best Book I'll Never Read

January 2nd, 2017

This is a column about something we've all experienced, which is KNOWING a great book is out there but wondering if it's ever going to be in here [gestures at brain].  And it's also about the best poop story I've ever heard. My mother always told me to lead with a poop story whenever possible. My mother's weird, but I respect her. Which is why I'll follow her advice, die alone, and lead with the poop portion of this story.

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13 Can't Miss 2017 Young Adult Releases

December 29th, 2016

The holidays are over and it’s time to look forward to all that 2017 has to offer. Fans of Young Adult novels can rejoice in knowing there are a ton of amazing new releases to look forward to. Whether you’ve got a holiday gift card to the bookstore burning a hole in your pocket, or you’re planning your 2017 book budget now, we’ve got 13 highly anticipated releases to add to your list. So give that one-click pre-order button a workout and be ahead of the game with these stunning new Young Adult releases.

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My Life Dumpster Diving for Books

December 28th, 2016

It’s eight minutes past midnight on a warm summer Texas night. I’m sure most of the city’s relatively young residents are out enjoying adult beverages, live music, and the company of wonderfully inebriated cohorts. Not me. Instead of cavorting downtown, I’m sweating inside a dumpsters full of books in the back of a parking lot, using my phone’s flashlight to dig around the massive pile of discarded tomes under my feet. I’m looking for treasures I can recycle. You know, one man's trash and all that.

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Resist, Rebel, Repeat: A Writer’s Guide to Post-Trump America

December 27th, 2016

I grew up during the Reagan administration. For a lot of you, this little statement probably doesn’t evoke any kind of emotion. Chances are, you either weren’t born yet, or you were so young you have zero memory of the guy. But for me, the mere mention of the dude sends a chill down my spine.

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The Guide To Building Your Own 2017 Reading Challenge

December 26th, 2016

It's that time again. The time of year when we all decide to get in shape, stop being jerks, and start a new reading list. That means finding a gym, finding a path to inner peace, and finding a reading list.  And for most of us, that means abandoning the gym after a few weeks, deciding it's better to be an asshole (more fun, too), and forgetting entirely about that reading list.

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