I belong to several online groups, nings, forums, and Facebook fan pages for writers. In the last few days I have seen quite a few pleas from writers asking for feedback on why their books aren’t selling. On the surface, all of the writers are doing the right things to market themselves. They’re using social [...]

Writing can be a very isolating experience because most writers choose to write in solitude away from family and friends. Since writing really doesn’t require the help of others, we often find ourselves holed up in our office, sifting through our imagination, channeling the characters we’ve created in our minds. In previous posts, I’ve discussed [...]

I had a rough weekend guys. I woke up Sunday morning to a throbbing in my left nostril, eye, ear, cheek and teeth. As soon as I had a moment to wrap my mind around the pain I was experiencing, I knew that I had a sinus infection. Luckily Walgreen’s Take Care Clinics are open [...]

This may sound weird but I had no idea my mother would want to read my novel The Buzz. I guess I should explain. My book was a labor of love that I worked on for about two years and my mom was one of the few people I shared the process with. Her support [...]

I’m just days away from releasing the eBook Marketing and Publicity for the author and my weekend was so busy trying to get everything ready! The weeks and days before a book launch can be really stressful, especially if you’re a self-published author and you’re handling all of the major and minor details yourself. But [...]

A few days ago I proudly completed my upcoming eBook Marketing and Publicity for the author. Yesterday while editing, I was giving thought to the official release date and in having that thought, I had an epiphany about my writing process I’d like to share. There’s a point when we as authors have to accept that [...]

There are so many different kinds of writing and so many ways to work that the only rule is this: do what works. Almost everything has been tried and found to succeed for somebody. The methods, even the ideas, of successful writers contradict each other in a most heartening way, and the only element I [...]

By special request from one of my dear readers, here are the top five things I need in order to write, in no particular order: 1.) Peace and quiet – In order for me to write I have to be in a quiet house with no interruptions. This means no TV, no Blackberry vibrating, and [...]

I’ve been blogging in some capacity since 2005. But its this blog that has me blogging from a personal perspective. What’s most comfortable for me is talking about what I know. I know and love writing. Blogging allows me to share my journey as a writer, with you the reader. In a time where gossip blogs [...]

Going from sitting in a cubicle to running a business of my own has been a fascinating adjustment, and I am so grateful for the opportunity and this new phase in my life. As I reflect on my experience in Corporate America, I am so thankful that I was able to see first hand what [...]

Chicago has been home to some of the most popular talk shows and I can guarantee you that I’ve been to a taping of most of them. Talk shows were just beginning to gain popularity when I was a child, so as a little girl I enjoyed watching them. One day, I was watching an [...]

One of my dear readers asked if I use an outline when developing a manuscript. And the answer is no. When I first started writing The Buzz I let the story flow and I’m actually writing my current novel Rules of the Game the same way. I know who my characters are way in advance [...]