Book Launch for My Name is Erin

Book Launch April 27 Amy Voltaire’s debut book, My Name is Erin, and My Mom’s an Addict, will launch this Saturday, April 27. I’m very excited to have been a part of this process with Amy. Her young adult novel is about Erin, whose mother left her to get a heroin fix when Erin was […]

Cover Art

Creating cover art is a specialization in the book world. It is NOT my specialty. There are trends to track, colors to express emotion and fonts that convey meaning. In the traditional publishing world, the author may or may not have input into the cover process. As a hybrid publisher, I’m able to guide my […]

The City of Lost Fortunes Book Review

The City of Lost Fortunes I LOVED THIS BOOK! Bryan Camp did a great job weaving together many different spiritualistic beliefs in a way that was entertaining and educational (in a fun way). The dialogue was realistic and catchy. Hard to believe this is his first book. I look forward to reading more of his […]

Conjunctions Reborn

Chicago Manual Style – Conjunctions This is a fun bit of trivia I wish I could go back and show my high school English teacher: according to the Chicago Manual of Style 5.206, it’s okay to begin a sentence with a conjunction. A conjunction is a joiner, typically of two sentences or thoughts—and, but, however, […]

Commas, Commas, and more Commas

Chicago Manual Style – Time So how do you do with commas? I think I’m pretty good most of the time. It took me a while to adjust between the military writing style using American Psychological Association and the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) used in novels.You may have heard that it’s optional to put […]

Time According to Chicago Manual of Style

Chicago Manual Style – Time Am I the only one that gets confused by 12 a.m. and 12 p.m.? Probably not, which is why the Chicago Manual Style suggests always using the terms noon and midnight to avoid misunderstandings (CMS 9.39). That will make my life much easier. The book has a lot of helpful […]

Chicago Manual of Style

Chicago Manual Style The Chicago Manual of Style is an essential guide for writers, editors, and publishers…and word geeks. I turn to this 1,000+ page reference guide often as I’m writing or editing to look up the approved way of formatting or abbreviating something. But I get lost in the interesting facts that probably only […]

Prepare for NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The stated goal is to write 50,000 words—an entire novel—in one month. But the real goal is to motivate you to write. I find getting started is the hardest part. I have an idea. I even have a whole book outlined in my head, and I could tell […]

Book Festivals

Just finished the Williamsburg Book Festival. It’s a great chance to connect with readers and writers-in-the-making. I love sharing a story. Your story can be about anything–totally fiction, autobiographical about how you were raised, a children’s book teaching a lesson. Stories are fascinating! And I love helping them reach the world. I was encouraged today […]

Where do Agents Fit in?

Where Do Agents Fit In Some publishers won’t talk to you without an agent. Agents have contacts with various publishing circles and pitch your manuscript to publishers on your behalf. The better deal they get for you, typically the more money they make, so they are motivated to get you as much as they can. […]