Characters We Love to Hate

Isn’t it odd that you can love and hate a character at the same time? Like House. I love it when he’s painfully honest with an idiot who needs a dose of reality. I hate it when he’s cruel to his boss and co-workers for no reason.

Then there’s Ari Gold from Entourage. He’s horrible to everyone except his favorite client (Vinnie Chase) and his own kids, but I still enjoy watching his character in action. I think it’s the Jeremy Piven factor. Read more

Is My Novel Ready?

I’m re-working the outline and first few chapter for my fourth Detective Jackson novel before I send them to an editor. Things were bothering me, so I went back to the basics and decided to share my 8-point checklist.

Plot. Is your plot logical? Do you have important scenes that would make a reader say “No one would ever do that”? Is your plot both linear and complex? Read more

Job Choices and Healthcare

In a letter to the editor this morning, a writer claimed many people stay in jobs that are unhealthy for them, physically and/or emotionally, just to keep healthcare benefits for their family. What a sad tradeoff.

I believe it happens more often than you think. My brother, for example, stayed in a job he hated for 20 years because his wife had diabetes and couldn’t work and he felt trapped into providing healthcare benefits Read more

Finding Time to Be Yourself (and Stay Sane)

pam-ptv-sml1Today’s guest blog about work/life balance is from Pam Ripling—lighthouse aficionado and cross-genre author.

When I first saw the title of L.J.’s wonderful blog, “Write First, Clean Later,” I had to laugh. It’s a laudable mantra, not only for authors but for anyone who works out of their home. I’ve had a home business for 18 years, and I had to learn that work—be it writing a novel or balancing a Read more

Friendly Buzz

Here’s 10 things your friends and family can do to help you and your book catch a little online buzz:

  1. Set up a Google alert for your name and book titles.
  2. Search for your name or book title frequently using various search engines. (Google, Dogpile, Alta Vista, Bing, etc.)
  3. Visit your website and blog, then comment while they’re there. Read more