Writer's moments
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Sunday Snippet: The Warehouse Club Edition, + Fun News!
Hiya, happy Sunday. It’s snowing here in the city (probably up at the lake cottage, too, from the look of the radar), and I am snug in our little brick house enjoying this view. I love snow. It makes me want hot chocolate and a fire in the fireplace, a soft snuggly sweater, and a good book. And speaking of good books… See what I did there? It’s called a transition or a segue. It’s an author trick to lead readers to the next part of the story. That one wasn’t very subtle, but it’s fun to practice the art. Anyway, speaking of good books, I want to crow a…
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Author Spotlight: Roseann Brooks Has a New Novel & a Fun Giveaway!
Roseann’s winner is Doris Lankford! Congrats, Doris, Roseann will be in touch. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! We do love talking to our readers! Roseann McGrath Brooks loves writing romance but always wants her heroines and heroes to get together more quickly. She’s lived with her relatively romantic husband of more than 40 years in and around Philadelphia and currently resides across the street from a cookie bakery (whoo hoo!). Roseann writes a monthly blog focused (mostly) on grammar. Book 4 in her Vacation Friends Romance series launched in December. Website | Linked In | Instagram | Threads Happy Day-Before Valentine’s Day, and thanks to Nan and Nan’s readers…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Got Nothin’ Edition
So the scene is this: mid-morning at my desk. I’m looking out the office window where a crimson cardinal is perched on the lamp post in my garden. The skies are gray and dreary and cold, so I’m resisting the urge to go outside and get my steps in anyway. Besides, that means I’d actually have to rise from my chair and I’m disinclined. It’s been a long, very hard winter so far and not particularly because of the weather. That part’s been pretty typical of a Midwestern winter–some snow, some bitter cold days, some surprisingly warm ones. No, it’s not the weather, although I have to confess I’d much…
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Author Spotlight: The Taking a Peek Edition
Hello, mes amis, and welcome to a midweek peek at my current work-in-progress. A few months ago, I signed my fifth contract with Tule Publishing. I was so excited when they accepted my proposal for the Dykemans of River’s Edge series and even more jacked up that they were all in for one of the Dykeman siblings to take a little trip to Marietta, Montana. She will still be in River’s Edge for part of the story, so don’t worry–you’ll see Mac and Megan and Sam and all your old favorite characters, but this story belongs to Beth. With Book 1 in the Dykemans series, I’m joining three other Tule…
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Sunday Snippet: The Taking a Break Edition
I’m taking a break from posting this week. I’ve been all over the Web with book promotion since Made to Love You released on January 23 (still at it as you can clearly see–sigh). Then there’s been the first two weeks of the new regime (I refuse to call it an administration). I’ve had a giant knot in my stomach since the inauguration and I’m a little scared that if I start writing about where my head and heart are right now, I’ll rant and won’t be able to stop. If you follow me on any social media, you already know where I’m at, so no need to fill this…
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Author Spotlight: J.C. Kenney Is Back with More Elmo Simpson!
Congratulations to Roseann McGrath Brooks! You are J.C.’s winner of a free eb00k! Enjoy! J.C. will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to celebrate the new Elmo Simpson book with us! We love talking with our readers! I’m sure y’all have figured out by now that J.C. Kenney is one of my very favorite cozy mystery writers. (Confession: I’m think I’m a tiny bit in love with Elmo Simpson–his hero in the Elmo Simpson Mysteries series.) J.C. also happens to be one of my very favorite people in the world. I’m blessed to have him as a friend as well as someone who writes the…
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Sunday Snippet: The My Language Is Deteriorating Edition
My language is deteriorating. No s#*t—it really is! I’ve always taken pride in the fact that I have a good vocabulary. My mom insisted we have extensive vocabularies and use them appropriately. We played word games voraciously when I was kid—Scrabble, Boggle, Probe—and to this day, family gatherings include word games. I’m a whiz at spelling, and usually if someone asks me what a word means, I can come up with the correct definition without running to a dictionary. My grasp of language and its appropriate use is part of why I’m a damn good copy editor (I have clients who’ll testify, honest!). I adore discovering new words and finding…
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Sunday Snippet: The Writing in the Information Age Edition
It’s been a week, mes amis. I’m working hard on my current WIP–the first book in the Dykemans of River’s Edge series. Liz and I went on a very fruitful, if extremely chilly, writer retreat, where both of us wrote words and did a lot processing. Even more of “what’s the word for this” along with a gesture or a motion. We do that a lot when we’re writing together. Liz is an invaluable resource and I can’t imagine writing a book without her input. We ate some good food, drank a little less wine than usual, and found a fab little place for breakfast right near our hotel. Otherwise,…
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Sunday Snippet: The Words Sometimes Come Hard Edition
I’m in a weird place with this new work-in-progress. I like the story, I like the characters, but somehow I’m having a problem getting them to move along. I have more notes about this first story in my new series than I did starting out any other River’s Edge series, mostly because a lot of this story happens away from River’s Edge. But I also have more word notes, more conversation notes, more scene notes than any book I’ve ever written. It’s almost as if I’m writing the book in my notes, but when I get to the computer, the words are coming hard. Funny thing is, I know this…
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Author Spotlight: It’s Me with Some Fun Stuff for You
Congratulations, Debra and Linda, you two are my winners of a $5 Amazon gift card and a free e-book ARC of Made to Love You. I’ll get those right out to you! Yup, today I’m in my own Spotlight, which happens now and again. I hope you forgive my shameless self-promotion, but I confess this blog sometimes does that. It is snowy here in the Midwest, which is okay by me. The world is white and quiet and the snow sparkles in the sunlight. The brisk cold sorta takes your breath away, but it’s wondrous to watch from inside my warm cozy house. Here’s a little something to warm your…