Whether you’re a beginning writer or just starting a new project, one of the first things you must do is decide which point of view to use. Readers want to connect with the main character in a story, and one of the best ways is to reveal his/her thoughts and feelings. You want to create a character they’ll want to follow through an entire novel or … (continue)
These posts are from my Lady Killers column I write twice a month. To browse the posts from my blogging days, please visit The Wine Cellar in the archives.Music to my ears
Ah . . . Music to my ears: a new book contract, good book reviews, exciting news that I won a new car or the lottery. Of course, you can’t win if you don’t play. Or how about rain for California to end our four-year drought? I would be swinging from the rafters with joy if my daughter landed a permanent job and didn't move every year. Becoming a … (continue)
Murder with a dash of romance
I market my books as ‘suspense with a touch of romance’ so people who are interested in reading them won’t expect anything else. In my Shakespeare in the Vineyard mystery series, murder is paramount to the story; romance is secondary. Most people like to read about human connections and relationship drama. Suspense with a dash of romance can be … (continue)
Favorite overlooked authors
I’d already drafted this before I reread this week’s theme and realized I’d misinterpreted Favorite Overlooked Authors as Favorite Authors Overlooked Books. Sigh. So I went ahead and let it fly. At first, I was confused by what “overlooked” meant and then, because I like research, I hit the Internet and was blown away by what I found—hidden gems by … (continue)
Terms of endearment
What fun it was to find terms of endearment used in Shakespeare’s time, ones that I can also use in my writing. A few of these terms continue today. Lambkin is used lovingly to refer to a person who is exceptionally sweet, young and innocent. It’s the ultimate warm and fuzzy pet name. The Oxford English Dictionary attributes the first two … (continue)
