David Fingerman: FRESH

I say fresh, as I've had David visit before, but last time it was for his collection of short stories, and this time, he has released a NOVEL. So you see... he's FRESH. Fingerman's collection of short, speculative fiction got some great reviews, and his novel, Silent Kill, looks pretty darned scary—you know how I like scary stuff.



So I welcome David today to tell us a little about some of the key DIFFERENCES between writing short stories and novels. So welcome, David!

Novel vs. Short Story



For those of you who have checked out my website, you know that I've been writing short stories for quite some time. It wasn't until I left my job and started writing full time that I attempted to write a novel. One question that I get asked frequently, well, not frequently but at least a few times, is which do I like writing more, the short story or the novel? Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Obviously, the short story doesn't take nearly as long to write (or at least shouldn't). One of my favorite things about writing the short story is that by the time I'm starting to get sick of it, I'm done. That being said, I have talked to writers who tell me they can't write a short story ~ too confining. It's true that you don't have the space to waste words, but isn't that true for a novel also? The biggest disadvantage I find writing short pieces is that there is so much more I want to tell. You can only go into your character's past or psyche so far. You can only describe a setting to the essentials. There is credence to the cliché ~ every word is important. One tip that I like to give writers wanting to write short stories. If there's an exact word count, keep it in the back of your mind while writing but don't worry about going past. When you're done with the first draft the fun starts ~ editing. As big a pain as it is (for me, anyway), by the time you chop enough words off your masterpiece to meet the word limit, you should find your sentences tighter and making every word count.

The advantage of writing the novel is freedom. Delve as deep into the character you want. Add back-story and fill out the scene. You can play with more than one idea (in fact, if you only have one idea I highly recommend sticking to the short story). Of course the downside is you're not going to finish in a day. Just like a short story, you're going to have to read it over and over again. Unfortunately, going over a novel can take days. I completed my third novel and I must say that there has not been a at least one point in time when I haven't despised all of them. Often times it's best to take a step back and just let it alone for a week or two. Come back with a fresh set of eyes. Leave it alone long enough and you might actually think, "Hey, this is pretty good."



So, which is preferable? For me it depends on my mood. I've got a file folder loaded with scraps of paper, each with story ideas. Some are for novels, others for short stories. If I'm working on a novel and get blocked, I jump into a short story. If I'm working on a short story and in the mood to expand, I switch to novel. All-in-all, I just blathered on to say do whatever feels right. As long as you're writing, it's all good.



http://davidfingerman.com/

Guest Author Douglas Corleone

Today's guest has something ALL of us need... a truly committed spouse (and I don't mean the kind of committed I sometimes think MY spouse needs *cough*. Seriously though, Douglas's lovely wife Jill was the contact seeking places to guest blog. I think we ALL need somebody that fabulous helping us out. So if any of you want to be my devoted spouse, I am willing to consider bigamy.



That said, Douglas's book is an award winner (very promising).  It came out in April, so you can go get it in your hot little hands!  He is talking to us today about development of a series character—something I think a lot of us can use. So WELCOME Douglas Corleone!



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Author Bio: Douglas Corleone's debut novel ONE MAN'S PARADISE is the winner of the 2009 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award. A former New York City criminal defense attorney, Corleone now resides in the Hawaiian Islands where he is at work on his next Kevin Corvelli novel. Visit the author online at douglascorleone.com.

Till Death Do Us Part: Thoughts on Creating a Series Character



In the process of writing a novel? Careful when creating that main character. He or she just might be with you for life.



When I set out to write my debut novel One Man’s Paradise, I concentrated heavily on developing the protagonist, hotshot Honolulu criminal defense lawyer Kevin Corvelli. As a fan of hard-boiled mysteries, my aim was to create a lead character with the potential to be as tough yet touching as Dennis Lehane’s Patrick Kenzie and Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. I was also intent on giving my lawyer the smarts and savvy of Steve Martini’s Paul Madriani and the wit and cunning of William Lashner’s Victor Carl and David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter.



In a way, Kevin Corvelli is a Frankenstein of my favorite lead characters, a hodgepodge of literary powerhouses spiced with a unique voice and enough flaws to make Charlie Sheen cringe. And I confess to having a man-crush on him. Which is a good thing, because (thanks to my agent and editor) it looks as though Kevin Corvelli is going to be with me for some time.



Of course, many first-time novelists don’t set out to create a series. But the reality is, if you are fortunate enough to get that first book published, fortunate enough to have it read and adored, your publisher - and more importantly, your readers - may very well want to see more.



So when crafting your first novel, be sure your protagonist is not just someone who your readers will want to spend time with, but someone you might consider spending your life with. Which character traits do you find most endearing when you’re reading a novel? Do you enjoy edgy humor? If so, make certain your main character doesn’t take himself (or herself) too seriously. Imagine a straight-laced New York City homicide detective who not once cracks a smile in Books 1 and 2, but suddenly becomes a regular Jerry Seinfeld in Book 3. Taking a risk like that could lose you some readers, and by extension, your next book contract.



My personal pet-peeve in crime fiction is a hero who unfailingly does the right thing, a by-the-book bozo who is too self-righteous to take a drink (with the exception of reforming alcoholics, of course), to throw a punch when a punch is called for, or to hop into someone else’s bed when the timing’s right. Had I created Kevin Corvelli in that vein simply to please a particular agent or editor, I’d be pulling my hair out right now. Because Book 2 would have been an impossibility for me.



Instead I get to spend at least the next couple years of my life with my pal Kevin Corvelli - who I would trust with my life, if not my wife. And that’s a relief. Because as much as we writers want to get that first novel published, let’s face it - what we want is not a single book but a career. And quite often, a series is the best way to achieve that objective.





Link is http://www.amazon.com/One-Mans-Paradise-Douglas-Corleone/dp/0312611587/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1 edition (April 27, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0312611587

ISBN-13: 978-0312611583

Guest Author Diane Griffin

I think this is my first non-fiction author, and I'm thrilled, though possibly for all the wrong reasons.  I think this book sounds fascinating, not because I have a deep need to EARN security clearance, but because I have characters who might want to go through the process and so this sounds like a FABULOUS author reference book.



So Welcome Diane!





Bio:    Diane Griffin, President and owner of Security First & Associates, says her motivation for writing Everything You Wanted to Know About the Security Clearance Process, But Are Afraid To Ask: Professional Guidance for Obtaining and Maintaining a Security Clearance came from the more than two decades of people she has assisted, both in her role as a private security contractor, and as the head of personnel or security within major governmental contractors, in finding their way through the complicated security clearance chain. 

Synopsis: If you have plenty of time to click around through myriad government websites and the patience to cut through red tape and make sense of confusing bureaucratic talk, you may be able to find some of the answers to your questions about the security clearance process,” Griffin says. “Chances are, however, that you will still be left with some of your questions unanswered, because there are some questions that the government just doesn’t address. So, unless you know someone who is well acquainted with the process from a first-hand perspective, good luck.

“What I sought to do was compile all of these answers into one easy-to-read compendium of advice and guidance, giving my readers signposts along the way to assist them in navigating through the clearance process. I believe I’ve come up with a volume that will greatly help its users, and being able to assist folks in working through this process is extremely gratifying to me.” GROUNDBREAKING SECURITY CLEARANCE EBOOK A ONE-STOP KNOWLEDGEBASE FOR THOSE CONFUSED BY THE SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS





Blog: 7 Secrets You Should Never Share on Facebook



In January, NSI Inc.,  stated that many users of social-networking websites inadvertently put themselves at risk by sharing too much information. Below are a few areas that could cause risk.



• Address and birth date. Disclosing your home address or your place or date of birth could make you a target of an identity thief. Your home address even could attract a burglar or stalker to your home. If you’re throwing a party and need to provide directions, do so through email.

• Year of graduation from high school or college. These can help scammers pretend to be former classmates, a common way to win victims’ trust. Also, potential employers could use your graduation date to estimate your age, then reject you if they consider you too old.

• Business contacts. Professional networking websites typically let people on your contact list see the names and IDs of everyone else on your list. An unscrupulous competitor, dissatisfied customer, or former employee could send a damaging message about you to everyone on the list.

• Mother’s maiden name. Businesses often use your mother’s maiden name to confirm your identity, so it’s prudent to keep that name as confidential as possible. (Keep in mind that pet names are another common security question.)

• Travel plans and schedules of groups you belong to. If you mention the dates of an upcoming vacation on a social-networking website, or that you’ve joined a Wednesday-night book group, you might unwittingly have told a burglar when your home will be vacant.

• Your valuables. Don’t discuss your expensive art, antiques, or jewelry. It could make you a target for a burglar.

• The name of your doctor or dentist. If a scammer learns where you receive medical treatment, he might attempt to obtain your insurance information. This could be sold to someone who lacks health insurance, who would then pose as you to obtain treatment.



This best advice I can give you, especially if you have a security clearance, is that “If you don’t want your parents to know about it”, then don’t share it on ANY social media sites.



If you want more gems to keep yourself and your family safer, visit the Security First Facebook Fan Page. If you want to buy her book or learn more about her services, visit her website. Click on the Security First logo to go to her website. Click on her Facebook badge to go to her fan page.

Please put this facebook fan page code into the source code for her blog. The security first logo is already hyperlinked. Also can you please add her vbt banner if you have it finished.

Security First Associates



Promote Your Page Too

Guest Author L.E. Harvey

If you've been paying more attention than I usually do, you may have noticed Lauren (aka: LE Harvey) and I had a near miss two weeks ago... I fell down on sending a reminder, and she was away when the reminder finally came, so the blog didn't happen, but we managed to get the horses back in the stall and get it together, so TODAY, you get to meet Lauren! HA!



You can't imagine my delight, when I got her blog material and she's got a cross-dressed author photo in with her stuff. You may not know this, but in a former life, as Lady Tamadriel, I was a woman dressed as a man dressed as a woman... I LIKE my cross-dressers! So WELCOME Lauren!



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Author Bio 



L. E. Harvey is an author from Harleysville, PA.  Nationally published for the first time at age fourteen, L. E.'s background is in non-fiction, though she has now ventured into the exciting world of fiction writing.  For more information on L. E. Harvey, her writing and more, please check out her website at www.leharvey.com

Book Description



Unbreakable Hostage is the story of Lareina Oliveira.  Bright and beautiful, Lareina is a stunning Ph. D. student.  One of her classmates is taken with her beauty and he quickly becomes obssessed with her.  Unable to withstand her constant rejections, he loses all control and kidnaps her.  Lareina is held hostage and tortured for days on end while the LAPD, her family and roommate search endlessly for her.  Lareina uses her wit and knowledge of algebra to help lead everyone to her rescue, but will they get to her in time?

Guest Blog:  On Trendy books



     Twilight.  That is a word no longer associated with an actual time of day, but rather a series of books.  We can't think of it as an adjective or a noun.  Now its' all about vampires and warewolves.  I will openly admit that I have not read the books.  Not because I don't like them, simply for the fact that there is an infinite list of books I have yet to read.



     My partner is an avid Twilight fan.  I have seen the movies with her.  They are certainly enjoyable.  They're not good for me as a writer, though.



     I, among countless other writers, pray for the day where at least one of our books will be turned into a movie.  If we're lucky enough, it will be a big hit.  J. K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer are two of the very few and very fortunate scribes who have seen this dream become a reality.  I envy them.  When I watch the movies with my partner, I can't help but dream of seeing my books have big previews on the red carpet.  Not a good idea for someone with an imagination as vivid as mine!  LOL.



     These incredible success stories also add pressure on the writing and publication end of things as well.  We all hope that some big name publishing house will simply eat up our book and give us the press and exposure that Harry Potter or Twilight have had.  We all want to see our books in the large chain stores as well as smaller venues across the globe.  Every writer hopes to create a phenomena.



     So, since Stephen King, Stephanie Meyer, J. K. Rowling and the other select few writers who enjoy fame are so few and far between, what are the rest of us writers to do?  Write.  To become a major blockbuster movie is a rarity.  Even if I never get to see my book go on the silver screen, I'm still creating the best stories I can.  My books may not reach millions of writers, but they will still touch the people who do read them.  Trendy books are great, and they give us something to aim towards when we write.  Readers love them.  Trendy books have a great place, but so do the less trendy books.  So go out and read a fun trendy book, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  Perhaps after that book, you should try picking up a lesser known writer's book.  You might just be pleasantly surprised!

Guest Author Louise Wise

Hello my fine friends! I need to start off with the biggest squishiest group hug EVER! You guys ROCK! Our Burrowers, Books & Balderdash launch was a STUPENDOUS success, and you guys are a HUGE HUGE part of that, so THANK YOU! (Be sure to go welcome Chary today!)



New Business: There is a very special BOOK RELEASE today, but I am delaying and talking about it TOMORROW because I want to devote a post, some come back tomorrow to hear a little about Riley Adams and the Memphis Barbeque Series (and the FABULOUS real person behind Riley, who I've been a not-so-secret stalker of for about a year now)



But TODAY, I have a special guest who knows how to get AROUND my disbelief that romance arouses that there is 'no man really that perfect'--you see, she didn't think so either, so she did something very clever... I think you should hear it from her though, so WELCOME Louise Wise!





~~~~~

My publishing journey began when I was about ten years old. I used to write stories and turn them into mini books made from old birthday cards and lots of sellotape! I tried to sell them to neighbours and school friends for a penny, and had my first taste of rejection. Undaunted, I wrapped them in pretty paper and gave them away as presents, so determined was I that people read about The Pony with the Purple Tail and Red Ears, or, The Adventures of the Bright Blue Ponies. Yes, I loved ponies and based my writing on My Little Pony. Original - not!



In my teen years my writing moved on to Boys! The Day I Got my First Love Bite; French Kissing with Boys. These didn't get sent out as presents - didn't think gran would appreciate this teen erotica.



My writing eventually "grew up", but it took thirty years to get my first novel published. "First" novel, in writer's terms, means having ten or so novels under the bed that are so cringe-worthy they only appear good if you've consumed a pint of vodka.

I concentrated on romance, but I enjoyed reading factual books on astronomy. Science fiction novels never appealed though as I don't like reading about intergalactic wars or reading unpronounceable names, but still space and stars appealed. Fly, the alien character in my book, came first. He was my Ideal Man. Big, strong, misunderstood, sexy, good in bed... but the mixture of romance and sci-fi put off publishers. My agent tried to place Eden so many times but failed. I eventually POD published with youwriteon.com and haven't looked back since!



My second book, A Proper Charlie, is with an agent, but if she is unsuccessful I shall publish with YWO again. I'm quite enjoying the marketing side of it. A Proper Charlie is a romantic comedy without a hint of sc-fi, but one of the main characters does have a telescope!







JOURNEY TO THE PAST…

A tale of romance and survival as three people travel from 2236 to the beginning of time.  

Jennifer Daykin joins the three-man crew to explore the newly discovered planet, Eden.  

All was going well until Jenny found herself deserted…

She listened for an answering shout – there was nothing. In the distance, Jenny was transfixed with horror as the space shuttle rose into the blue sky of Eden.



‘No... Don’t leave me here!’



Only the pounding of her heart answered her.

…but not alone

The instant she hit the floor she curled into the foetal position. Finally, the bare feet walked away. A Native American warrior, had been her first thought, but it was his eyes that had alerted her he wasn’t an Indian or even human. They were completely black; black, dry orbs in a battered face.

Ordinary people with ordinary emotions, fears and insecurities.

Only this isn’t Earth, and he isn’t human.

A modern day Adam and Eve.

And then an excerpt...



Jenny plodded along, stupefied. The fingers circling her nape were biting and painful, but she barely noticed. The echo of the wolves’ howling was still too strongly embedded in her mind. Part of her knew Fly was leading her to her rape, and that part of her was going to allow it to happen because the other side was lying dormant through fear and exhaustion.



The corridor was laden with dirt and grime. Animal excrement, electronic debris lay in her path, but she continued to walk where she was urged. His cabin door was open, and he nudged her towards the bed.

While she sat nervously on the edge, he heated a metal canteen over a crudely assembled grill, wired haphazardly to a small accumulator. She watched as he stirred in the same beverage that she had yesterday morning. When it was steaming, he filled a cup and gave it to her.



He sat on a chair opposite, and observed her with his usual disconcerting stare.



She stared back, confused, until her fingers began to burn from holding the cracked cup. She pressed it against her lips, and it was only then that she realised her teeth were chattering.



‘You are not going to survive,’ he said finally using one of the small computers he had taken from the shelf.

She gulped a mouthful of the liquid, and tried to disguise the unwelcome tears that pooled in her eyes. Already he thought her a weak, pathetic female and, for some strange reason, she didn’t want to give him further evidence to think any worse of her.



‘How do you stand it,’ she asked quietly, ‘the endless howling, night after night?’



‘There is a worse sound, and that is no sound at all.’



She fell silent, acknowledging this and feeling her own loneliness magnify. A lone wolf from outside, or even inside the ship, howled. She closed her eyes knowing she would never be able to forget how close she was to being eaten alive.



‘Th-the wolves,’ she said, shuddering, ‘what are they?’



‘Wolves?’ He looked at her in confusion when the translator offered no other information other than describing the canine creature that lived on Earth.



‘It’s what I call the howling creatures,’ she explained. ‘Their noise is similar to the animals back home.’

‘The wolves dominate over every animal here, and I regard them as the natives. To you they may seem savage, but they have shown me intelligence not normally found in animals.’



Note:  blogger commenting seems to be down--please nobody take it personally!  Hopefully they will all magically appear later!  I suppose they are coming through in the separate window, just not recording here fore some reason... hmph...

Guest Author Denise Verrico

Hello friends!!! And here we have it! The long awaited blog! I apologize to Denise and all of you for my tardiness on getting it posted—I will leave it up partway into tomorrow to make up for it… how’s that?! I love the take that Denise has on these paranormal creatures… fresh and innovative! But I should let Denise tell you about it!



And without further ado… Welcome Denise!



~~~~~

Hey, what’s with this vampire obsession? Well, for me in started back in the early seventies when I was a little kid and a fan of Dark Shadows, a Gothic soap opera. No, I wasn’t around when Vlad the Impaler lived, but I’ve been around awhile. Vampires were scary, but they were the ultimate in cool to me, kind of like a dark super hero. This was long before they were teen idols. Vampires were smarter and better looking than zombies, didn’t have the hairy factor and time of the month issues like werewolves. Who wouldn’t want to live forever and have super powers? I didn’t want a vampire boyfriend; I wanted to be a vampire. Of course, I also wanted to be Mary Poppins and a veterinarian.



I was a weird little kid. Masterpiece Theatre was one of my favorite things to watch on TV. Like other girls, I played with Barbies, only mine were cast as characters out of Tudor court dramas. Going the mall with Ken was nothing compared a good beheading. I’ve always been into the whole politics and intrigue thing. A lot of my favorite books are historical fiction. I love Mary Renault’s books about Alexander the Great and Robert Grave’s Claudius books. When I started my vampire series, Immortyl Revolution, I drew on my love of history to create characters from many different cultures and periods. Writing about vampires gives me a chance to throw them together and see what sparks fly. When I hit writer’s block, I always go back to the research, because I find inspiration. At one point, I was reading a lot about India. This led me to create a tantric vampire cult in the Chief elder’s court which figures very prominently in my third book in the series, Fearful Symmetry.

Being into biological science, I really wanted to make my vampires into biological beings rather than the undead. I did keep a lot of the traditional qualities, but I really wanted to approach them as people with a unique mutation. Taking this tack, I gave myself what if questions. What if a rather ordinary young woman had to deal with not only this weird physical condition, but also a society with ancient customs?



I deal a lot with the physiology and psychology of the vampire. To me they are a predatory animal with an intellect and a range of emotions. Some of them revel in the bloodlust, others view it as an inconvenience, and still others see it as a divine gift. Rather than saying I have good vampires and bad ones, I would say there are better and worse individuals among them. I really try not to just write off a villain as “evil”, but give him or her an agenda that makes them act as they do. Likewise, my more sympathetic characters have their warts and sometimes do nasty things.



I enjoy humor and my heroine, Mia, has a rather acerbic but funny outlook on things. One of my characters, Philip was an Elizabethan actor and is very loud and witty. A rule of thumb for me is, when I hear too many violins playing, it’s time to crack wise. I always liked Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I found the series to have a perfect mixture of humor, horror, drama and even pathos.



I spent a lot of years kicking Cara Mia, around, before I really sat down and got serious about writing it. A lot of that time, I was learning about writing and doing research. The world building took time to evolve, becoming a culture based on an amalgam of ancient cultures. I started with four characters in search of a story. Then I started reading about Biotechnology. I thought, “Hey what if someone tried to figure out what gave vampires immortality and super strength?” That led me to think some vampires would want to profit from this. And wouldn’t there be the traditionalists who would abhor such an idea? Now I had my story.





Seven hundred pages later, I discovered I had a series. I sent out a few queries to agents, but didn’t get too far. A cross-genre book can be a hard sell. Cara Mia has a strong sci fi component for urban fantasy and is bloodier than paranormal romance, although it has romantic elements. I edited the book down to around three hundred pages and targeted small presses who published sci fi and fantasy. I sent out two queries initially, mentioning that I’d already written a second book and started a third. Both publishers asked for more and then passed with suggestions. Two more queries went out. Lisa Smith from L&L Dreamspell requested more pages and eventually the entire manuscript. They offered me a contract and Cara Mia came out in January of 2010.

Working with a small press has been a positive experience for me. I like the personal attention and input I have on things like the cover design. Book two, Twilight of the Gods will be out this fall.



Cara Mia is available in trade paperback and multi-format e-book online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders and Fictionwise. Author-signed copies can be purchased through my sites:

http://www.deniseverricowriter.webs.com/

http://www.immortylrevolution.blogspot.com/



You can follow me on Twitter and at my Facebook fan page, Immortyl Revolution.





DeniseVerrico is a New Jersey native who grew up in Pennsylvania. She attended Point Park College, in Pittsburgh, where she majored in theatre arts. For seven seasons she was a member of The Oberon Theatre Ensemble in NYC with whom she acted, directed and wrote plays. Cara Mia, is her first novel. Denise has enjoyed vampire stories from the time she was a little girl and a fan of the Dark Shadows television series and Chiller Theater. She enjoys reading non-fiction and fiction of all kinds, particularly historical fiction, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy, manga and graphic novels. A roller coaster fanatic, she can often be found climbing to heights of three hundred plus feet and plummeting downward at speeds exceeding ninety MPH. She currently lives in Ohio with her husband, teenaged son and flock of seven spoiled parrots.

Guest Author Tasha Wright

 As regular readers know, today is MY BIRTHDAY!  And to keep me from having to do an exorbitant amount of work, I've got a GUEST author today to tell us about herself and her book.  I love reading these author's bios and seeing how it plays into their work, and I feel quite a lot of affinity for Tasha's approach... maybe you can spot it.  Anyway, WELCOME TASHA!



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My name is Tasha Wright and I am an author currently signed with Passionate Writer Publishing Inc. I am the author of When a Tattered Past Catches You and soon to come, Carelessness of the Heart. My passion for writing comes from the idea of creating lives and causing chaos! In my personal life I do my level best to avoid any type of drama and unnecessary ordeals. However, that’s where my writing comes into play. I have the ability to live out things that go on in everyone’s mind. But, because of life and consequences we never get the chance to live those thoughts out. Lol

I create a range of characters. They are all different. They are mild mannered, wild, intelligent, care free! No one character is the same. When I write my characters somehow evolve into their own being. Some way they jump out and they’re born into my work and in each book you will fall in love with, hate or become strangely fascinated with them. I currently began writing for an online literary soap with Writer’s Inn. You check out all my work on m website, I always love to hear from my readers:



http://authortashawright.webs.com

or become a Face Book fan: search under Author Tasha Wright





Inspirations to writing



My inspirations to writing are actually my Grandfather, Johnnie Henderson. He always strived to obtain everything out of life and that is something that I have always tried to mimic from him. I lost my grandfather when I was sixteen years old but I have never lost sight of the things he instilled in myself and my bothers. He has always told us to never live by what other people may think of us good or bad. Always do what makes you happy! Those words have allowed me to conquer my GREATEST dream in life and that is having the opportunity to publish my books. He is and always will be my Inspiration to writing!

Guest Blogging

Guess what!?



[The picture to the right is a RED HERRING.  That means it has NOTHING to do with what this blog is about!  It is only a decoy meant to mislead you, the readers.  Ha!  See, I'm learning.]



Someone was brave enough to invite me over!!!!!



I am guest blogging today at Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, Mystery Writing is Murder, and you should all check it out! She said to bring all my friends, and that means YOU! (it may be your best chance to go somewhere really classy, so pop on over.)



You should actually be following Elizabeth anyway, as about 80% of any legitimate wisdom I have in this social networking thing, I learned from her, and yesterday's blog is ABOUT BLOGGING!

And I got an award today! Proliffic Blogger... B. Miller said really nice things about me!  I've gotten a couple awards of late, and KNOW I owe y'all an awards ceremony to dish some back out. I have such organizational issues, but it is such a great way to familiarize people with the blogs you love... so I'll get on that, I promise!



For now, it's Friday! Let's have a party!