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LitReactor Community Spotlight: January 2015

January 19th, 2015

Welcome to the new middle-of-the-month time slot for the Community Spotlight. This was done partly to make for less confusing titles, partly because it allows me a little flexibility, and partly because I already have an end month obligation to the carrot monster that lives in my refrigerator.

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Ring in the Noir Year: 8 Promising New Crime Titles For 2015

January 19th, 2015

Winter is a good time for crime fiction. The snow has lost its whiteness, all the holiday decorations are back in the attic, and by February it feels like spring will never come. What’s left to do? Crack open a book and try to stave off frostbite. For your depressed reading pleasure, here’s a New Year’s roundup of some promising noir, mystery, and true crime to ring in 2015.

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What 65,000 Words In One Month Feels Like: My Life So Far As A Full-time Freelancer

January 16th, 2015

On Monday August 25, 2014, I quit my job. It’s not something I broadcasted or touted on social media (okay, I did a bit on Twitter, but that’s kind of like yelling into a bottomless pit where thousands of other people are screaming, ‘Buy my book! Buy my book!’, so obviously no one really noticed except for a few pals), I just did it and did it without an ounce of regret.

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14 Highly Anticipated YA Novels for the First Half of 2015

January 15th, 2015

Whether you're looking for big-time followups to your favorite series (I'm looking at you, Keira Cass fans!) or new single title releases from authors like Sarah Dessen, there's a 2015 YA release for you. These fourteen novels are highly anticipated by readers everywhere. Be sure to load up your to-be-read lists with these great selections.

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LURID: Written On Her Body - The Black Dahlia

January 15th, 2015

LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading.

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Breaking the Rules: How the Serial Podcast Achieved its Insane Popularity

January 14th, 2015

You’ve heard of Serial by now, right? Oh, I’m sorry, you haven’t? Now that you’re out of your cupboard under the stairs, you’ll find what I’m talking about here.

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Edit My Paragraph! Episode Eight

January 14th, 2015

First up this edition is Carolina Tsukino with the following passage: For a reason that I’m yet to comprehend, instead of going on, I sit on the couch and rub my eyes with my hands and then just stare at the white wall in front of me. I’m not tired, but I don’t want to keep on searching either. My arms are covered in dust, same with my clothes and hair. I cannot deny I’m a little worried about her, but I’d like to think she’s fine, she always is.

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Hitting Your Stride: 7 Tips for Higher Word Counts in 2015

January 13th, 2015

The New Year is often a time when we take a good hard look at what we accomplished (or failed to) in the previous twelve months while looking ahead, in glory, to all we will accomplish in the year to come.

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The Big Six: A Glance Back at the History of Publishing

January 12th, 2015

The world’s first movable type printing technology was born in China in 1040, the Gutenberg press created its first Bible in the 1450s, and books have been symbols of status and wealth since the days of ancient Rome. Desktop publishing, on the other hand, has had since the early eighties to make its mark on the world, but digital technology has revolutionized the way words and ideas are consumed by the public.

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Five Books to Read in the Dead of Winter

January 9th, 2015

It's midwinter, Christmas is over, and you’re sick of the snow and cold. Looking down the barrels of January and February can be daunting, but here are five reads to help you embrace the bleakness. So grab a cup of tea and a blanket. Wallowing optional.

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