A little update for 2017! I now have a shiny new Patreon page! Patreon is a website that allows you to make a small monthly donation to support an artist or writer like myself. If you enjoy my writing—either my fiction or book reviews—would you please consider supporting me on Patreon? I don’t expect to get rich off writing (though, let’s get real, I wouldn’t say no to it, haha!) but more than anything, I’d love to cover my costs and time.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron. Writing.
Good advice on writing more words, writing better words, and wasting less time doing it. Bullshit-free. My litmus test for a book on writing is: “Does this make me want to go buy the author’s novels”? And this passes with flying colors.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for 5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter by Chris Fox. Writing.
A short but useful little book about how to effectively use timed writing sprints to increase productivity.
… >> Read moreThen I read a book by Brian Tracy called Eat That Frog. The strange title is a quote from Mark Twain. I’m paraphrasing here, but the basic idea is as follows.
The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves, the Words Behind World-Building by David J. Peterson.
I know the author, so I can’t review this. That said, if you write fantasy or science fiction, please do all your readers a favor and get a copy before you name your main characters X’in’ia and John.
… >> Read moreWhen I get an email from someone who’s eager to create their own language and wants to know where to begin, I have a tough time explaining what it is they should do.
Supercharge Your Kindle Sales: Simple Strategies to Boost Organic Traffic on Amazon, Sell More Books, and Blow Up Your Author Mailing List by Nick Stephenson.
How to Sell Books by the Truckload on Amazon – Power Pack!: Sell Books by the Truckload & Get Reviews by the Truckload by Penny C. Sansevieri.
How To Get Honest Reviews: 7 Proven Ways to Connect With Readers and Reviewers by Heather Hart and Shelley Hitz.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for Write Like the Masters: Emulating the Best of Hemingway, Faulkner, Salinger, and Others by William Cane. Nonfiction/writing.
This book made me want to read Balzac. And that’s an impressive enough accomplishment that I could stop there. But, no, I won’t, because in truth I think this is one of the most useful books on style for fiction writers that I’ve ever read.… >> Read more
Oddly, I don’t know very many other writers, but I was honored to recently become friends with the fabulous YA author Ann Hunter (though I know her under her real name, which I shall never ever reveal, unless you give me a gluten-free cookie).
Anyway. Ann recently participated in a author blog chain hop and tagged me as one of the next in line.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for How I Sold 30,000 eBooks on Amazon’s Kindle: An Easy-To-Follow Self-Publishing Guidebook by Martin Crosbie. Nonfiction/Business.
Well, if you doubted it, here is a demonstration of the fact that I really will blog about every single book I read: even random marketing ebooks picked up on promo for 99 cents. Such things strike me as vaguely trashy, somehow.… >> Read more