Here we are, post-covid and burnt out and just needing the motivation to do _something_ with our dreams. There's the concept of "eating the frog" you may have heard of before, but there's also the option to take a walk in the park. Which is working for you right now? You can read more details in this blogpost...
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4 pandemic reads from author friends
During the pandemic, some people hunkered down to ride out the storm and just tried to get by. (To be clear, I am "some people" here.) Others found opportunity - or made opportunity - amidst it. *intercom voice* These are those people, and these are - literally - their stories. If you've been waiting around for my new book, or if you've been devouring every story in sight the past 2 years and need something fresh, have I got a post for you.....
How much I made & spent from the Amazon Ad Challenge
Intro to Amazon Ads for authors
This post isn’t about Amazon. I mean, it _is_ about Amazon, but it isn’t. It’s bigger than that, about having more ways to get your work out there in front of your people. I love supporting local businesses and small businesses (I am one!). Amazon doesn’t need me to post about them to drive traffic their way. This is just a useful post for those curious what it’s like as they consider the myriad of options out there. A few months ago, I tried Bryan Cohen’s Amazon Ad challenge, where he step by step walks through setting up multiple Amazon Ads and what the next steps are to keep growing it. Here are a few of the things I loved about it as I dug in....
A different kind of mystery
I think we can all agree that I like weird books, or at least, weird-adjacent ones. Staying neatly within all the genre conventions, not exactly my thing; blending genres, even better. When I began reading my friend Andy Zach's new book (or, newer book...he publishes faster than I can read!), I just knew I needed to do a post about different sorts of mysteries, mysteries told a little differently than all the books you first would see on the "Mystery" genre section of Amazon or your favorite bookshop. This is that post....
My favorite blogging tools: A guest post from The Picky Bookworm
(Ahem, Amy here. I'm so excited to introduce you all to Pamela from The Picky Bookworm with this guest post on favorite blogging tools. Take it away!....) --- All bloggers have their favorite tools. I can’t think of a single blogger you could find who didn’t have a list of at least 4 tools they use, and why. From automation to newsletters, bloggers have been finding ways to make blogging easier for years. I’ve listed my favorite blogging tools below, and I’ll tell ya, they make my job so much easier!
The Flower Letters: a different way to story
I always love finding and learning about different story structures. So when I heard about The Flower Letters, I had to snag it up. Receive a story in the mail over the course of a year, in the medium of letters the characters write (plus bonus fun things like stickers and newspaper articles and such that broaden the story world more!) Check out the most recent mailing I received in this post...
A circus story 10 years in the making
Traditional or indie publishing, that is the question
So how does a writer choose between traditional and indie publishing? And what if an author chooses....both? For I Know You Like a Murder, it was an easy decision for me. In this blogpost I talk about the factors in deciding and what I'm looking at for my new paranormal circus novel....
Lego typewriter building from a newbie Lego builder
What's it like building an expert 2000+ set after not touching Lego since like...5...? Here's my experience with Lego typewriter as a newbie, including process pics and tips.