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Showing Tag: "writing" (Show all posts)

Turning Plight into Writing Inspiration by contributor Eve Simkins

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, In : Guest Posts 

Being plagued by an addiction is usually associated with misery and sadness. In the creative arts though an affliction is often the spark that fuels authors to create the marvelous pieces of work we are familiar with. The reasons for addiction differ from one person to the next, but for past authors though it seemed to be a way for them to quieten the world surrounding them and enabled them a focus. Many writers have turned their addictive plight into a way to engage an area of their brain ...


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Turning Demons into Literary Inspiration

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Wednesday, July 30, 2014, In : Guest Posts 
by contributor, Eve Pearce

There is something intrinsically captivating about the down and out character who is on the edge of falling into a pit of either a drug-induced terror, an abusive past or a variety of other demons. The demise of these characters is perhaps what is so intriguing. The juxtaposition of these worlds, which are more often than not being identifiable to our own by not being far removed from the everyday, whilst also having that edge, which is different to what co-exists ...


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Interview With Author, Rebecca Scarberry (@Scarberryfields)

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, August 13, 2013, In : Author Interviews 

Was there a significant event that prompted you to write fiction?

Rebecca: Thank you for interviewing me again. I had an idea for a novel when I was twenty-one-years old, but I never could find the time to write it. When I was thirty-seven-years old, my husband and I were reading a lot of books regarding paranormal activity in the United States. We wrote a screenplay. During final edit, a very similar movie hit the ‘big screen’. I then threw it away. My husband and I went through a t...


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Top Places In America To Have A Writing Holiday

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, August 9, 2013,

A guest post by Aimey Lewis

Writing is an activity that requires a quiet and secluded environment, free from disturbances and interruptions. Many artistic writers have their own places or rooms which they have specifically designed for writing purposes alone. A writer cannot get information to write about without travelling to different places across the world where they can get first-hand inspirational and historic stories to write about. Writing in the same place and a room all over throu...


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An Interview With Author Kerri Farrell Foley - @KerriFFWriter

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, August 9, 2013, In : Author Interviews 

Tell us about your novel, “In the Margins”

A modern love-hate story, “In the Margins” is written in alternating viewpoints, finding rhythm and complexity in the he-said-she-said decay of a relationship. As undergraduate students, Allie and Liam clashed in a careless and irreparable way. Years later, they come together again in an attempt to rehash their history. Their mutual truth then becomes clear: all stories need to be told, if only for the sake of emerging from between the lin...


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Wacky Interview with Author Eric J. Gates

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, June 28, 2013, In : Author Interviews 


Talented author, Eric J. Gates, has agreed to participate in one of our revealing, hard-hitting interviews. Asking the questions everyone else avoids, we now usher him toward the hot seat of interrogation and are pleased to note that he did not bring his attorney with him. Welcome, Eric!

1. Your book, the Cull, deals with the subject of vampires. Be honest with our readers, now, and tell us what steps you have personally taken to develop positive relationships with vampires.

That’s a difficu...

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5 Best Places To Travel For Writing Inspiration, a guest post

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, In : Guest Posts 
Whether you travel halfway around the world, or simply take a quick trip to the next town or city over, taking a trip to a new locale can jostle you out of a writer’s block. Getting out of your usual space and exploring new places serves as inspiration and generates new ideas.
There are destinations throughout the world that are renowned for jumpstarting the imagination and have served as the backdrop for many a writer looking to finish a piece or hone their craft.
Here are the best cities ...

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How The Indie Author Revolution Has Impacted Traditional Publishing? A guest post

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, May 28, 2013, In : Guest Posts 

The Indie author revolution has totally taken over the traditional publishing. It has made publishing more self sufficient, self starting, inspirational, entertaining, thought leading, educational, etc. But there are many nay Sayers who try not to let the indie authors come into limelight. Various book sellers as well as reviewers don’t even look at the self published work and say that it’s a part of their company policy.

But all this does not hamper the growth of indie authors even t...


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Most Effective Tips on Beating Writer’s Block, a guest post

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, May 10, 2013, In : Guest Posts 



Since childhood days, we have been hearing that books are our best friends and they are. Most of us like to read books of various types. Getting access to a book is very easy nowadays. One can access to any books, old or new through the net very easily.  Books broaden our views and they help us to perceive things differently.

Most of the writes have to face writer’s block at some point of time. There are many reasons for that. One may have some personal problems or it could be some sort...


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How We Do Twitter

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Wednesday, May 1, 2013,

We were excited when we discovered Twitter and learned how to use it to promote our material. We’ve “met” a lot of terrific friends there and connected with fellow authors and readers alike. Since we started, we’ve developed our own method for using this wonderful social tool. Here it is in a nutshell:

When we get a new follower, we read the profile and then scroll down through the timeline. If we see they regularly retweet others, we follow them back and add them to our private ...


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How to Make a Writing Space in Your Home

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, April 18, 2013, In : Guest Posts 

~A guest post by Bridget Sandorford

Whether you write for pleasure or you write professionally, it's important to have a space in your home to call your own where you can write. Having your own writing space can help you to feel relaxed and inspired so you can produce your best work.

However, space may be at a premium in your home, and you may not be able to just claim a room and declare it your own. Here are a few tips for how you can make a writing space in your home regardless of ...


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Words that Are Most Often Misused, a Guest Post by Alexis Bonari

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Wednesday, April 3, 2013, In : Guest Posts 


Spell check can't save you from yourself. You can't rely on those little squiggly red and blue lines (the blue ones for grammar issues) to save you from misusing words or even from misspelling them (since you could just end up spelling a new word from your misspelling). You have to learn proper usage to make sure you don't make gaffes that could derail your writing or make you seem like an amateur.

Don't worry though: The mistakes that you are likely making are the same ones that a lot o...


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Interview With Author Brooklyn James - New Release! LET IT GO

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, March 25, 2013,

In the past, Brooklyn, you've written across genres (coming of age, women's fiction, supernatural thriller, nonfiction). How would you classify your upcoming release, Let It Go?

          Let It Go is a feel-good contemporary romance about two divorcées starting over. One divorcé and one divorcée, if you want to get gender-technical...lol. It's a laid-back, easy, breezy, fun spring/summer read. Perfect for the season. 

Two divorcées? That's probably something many readers can relate t...


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Vinnie Did This - a short fiction challenge

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Sunday, March 24, 2013,

This story was written for an alphabet challenge and previously published on another site. The challenge was to start each sentence with a letter of the alphabet, using each one in order, beginning with J. Written by Wodke Hawkinson.

 

Jail wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Killers and perverts ran amok. Learning to stay out of their way wasn’t easy. Meaty hands reached through the bars attempting to grab new prisoners as they were brought in.

Never again,” I swore under my br...


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Cold Lonely Day - a short fiction challenge

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Saturday, March 23, 2013,
This story was written for an alphabet challenge and previously published on another site. The challenge was to start each sentence with a letter of the alphabet, using each on in order, beginning with J.

Just looking around my house made me sad. Kitty was nowhere to be found, and the drab walls seemed to echo my loneliness. Long afternoon shadows stretched across the dusty floor. Messy piles of clutter squatted on every surface, and the air was chill. Neglect cast its sorrowful pall over my...


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Cover Reveal - One Shade of Red by Scott Bury

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, March 21, 2013,


Women want the perfect man, so they can change him. But when university student Damian Serr discovers a rich, beautiful woman who’s voracious about sex, he doesn’t try to improve on perfection. It’s all that he can do to hold on for the ride.

Damian has always followed the rules, always tried to please others. At 20, he still dates the girl next door because his parents like her parents. When Nick, his university roommate, asks Damian to take over his pool-cleaning business so he can...


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What Is In A Short Story?

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, March 21, 2013,

There is often more to a short story than meets the eye. For readers, a short story is a brief vacation from reality. For authors, it is so much more. A short story is a vehicle for introducing your writing to new readers, readers who might not commit to an entire novel but would certainly give a short story a chance. With so many books out there vying for attention, readers have more choice than ever before. Digital books, self-publishing, and expanded venues are all factors that combine t...


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You’ve written a novel; now what? Interview with author Rita Plush

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Saturday, March 9, 2013, In : Author Interviews 


Tell us something about your novel.

Lily Steps Out is a middle-age coming-of-age about a woman who is sick of making beds and cooking meals and decides to “step out” of the comfortable life she knows and goes out and gets a job. 

Is the novel autobiographical?

        There is that one nugget of truth in the novel, in that before I became an author I was a wife and mother. But unlike Lily, who waits till she’s fifty five to make that life-altering change, I stepped out of that rol...


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The Despicably Despicable Despicableness of Adverbs

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Sunday, February 24, 2013,
anger,angry,anime,avatars,cropped images,cropped pictures,faces,females,girls,kids,manga,means,people,persons,PNG,teenagers,teens,transparent backgrounds,upset,women
All along, we thought the road to Hell was paved with good intentions. Fortunately, Stephen King cleared up that misconception. Apparently, it’s actually paved with adverbs. Actually is an adverb. I may be doomed; I like the word ‘actually’. But that’s off-point.

Adverbs are a no-no in writing. It’s an argument that has been pounded home. Repeatedly. Like spices, adverbs must be used sparingly. Now, there is a bit of irony, for ‘sparingly’ is itself an adverb.


But, do we use adver...

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Time Management Tips for Online Writing Instructors

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, February 21, 2013, In : Guest Posts 

businesses,businessmen,communication devices,Communications,computers,computing,laptop computers,males,men,office equipment,offices,paperwork,people,persons,technology,work,working,workplaces

-A guest post by Ken Myers

Teaching an online writing course has its benefits but the one thing that instructors often run into is their ability to make time to really sit down and work on the course. Other courses and life seem to get in the way, so here are some tips to help you make the time:

Prepare: Before you sit down to log onto your online course make sure that you are prepared mentally and that you have all the right tools to complete your tasks as the instructor. Chances are...


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YA Beta Readers, a Guest Post by Rebecca Scarberry @Scarberryfields

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, February 15, 2013, In : Guest Posts 

A while back, I saw an author of adult fiction tweeting about how hard it was for her to go from writing for adults to young adults. I thought back to when I had written Messages from Henry, a novella for young adults.  That story began as a 1500 word short story for a short story contest. I didn’t win, but I decided to expand the story anyway.  It’s a story about a homing pigeon, Henry. He has special abilities.

At that time, I didn’t have internet service in my home. I would take ...


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WISH UPON A STONE…THE BEGINNING, a Guest Post by C D SIMMONS @whoscindylou

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, February 15, 2013, In : Guest Posts 


What was it that turned me and made me decide to give writing a try? Let me see if I can get this story started.

In the beginning…no...wait, that has already been done, start over.

Once upon a time…no, no, that is just crazy, what are you trying to do?

There once was a …*sigh* this is not working. Just try again.

*tapping chin with fingertip* Oh, okay, I think I have it.

Hey, welcome, come meet the voices in my head.  Yep that about sums it up.

I have always been hooked on...


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New Release & Cover Reveal: SUE, a sequel to ZEKE by @WodkeHawkinson

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Wednesday, February 13, 2013,

We hadn’t originally planned to do a sequel to our novel, Zeke. However, the response we received from a number of readers indicated that a sequel was in order. And we, too, wondered how Sue would recover from the damage Zeke inflicted upon her, both physically and emotionally. So, we set to work writing the aftermath of her ordeal with Zeke. It was a good experience for us. When writing Zeke, we disliked his character so much, we often procrastinated working on the book. We did not have ...


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Interview With Author, Rebecca Scarberry (@Scarberryfields )

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, February 7, 2013, In : Author Interviews 

1: Why did you join the social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook?

Rebecca: I obtained my very first computer two and a half years ago because I had handwritten a novel. I knew I needed help with it, but didn’t know where to turn. I knew how to work a computer a little bit at the time, but it’s been a struggle. I pestered many authors on Twitter and Facebook for help. I feel bad about this, but I love to read and figured if I read enough of their books, wrote reviews, and tweeted a...


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Why I Write, a Guest Post by Tony Nesca

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, February 1, 2013, In : Guest Posts 

So…the other day I went for a walk, late afternoon, early grey settling in, everything looking grim and happy at the same time, wondering why I write, why would I, or anyone else, put words down on paper, for what bizarre, perverted, self-possessed reason would anyone give a damn what I have to say?

   Sun was low and dirty and I couldn’t help but notice the fall colors dancing around like it was all there in perfect symmetry, all reason and rhyme and beauty and magic, the orange ...


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Into the Zone: Fitness Challenges for Writers, a guest post by Evelyn Birchall

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, January 24, 2013, In : Guest Posts 

In late October last year, the youngest ever world champion in swimming and nine-time Olympic gold medalist, Ian Thorp, released his biography, This is Me. The Aussie sensation had shocked the sporting world when, in 2006 (at the age of 24), he turned his back on his much beloved sport at the pinnacle of his career, owing to an identity crisis: “What would I be if I didn't’ have swimming as the safety blanket it had become?” he asked himself. Thorp also struggled with depression, a dise...


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Wacky Interview With Author, @TyrKieran

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Wednesday, January 9, 2013, In : Author Interviews 
It seems authors often get asked the same questions from one interview to the next. Not always, but a lot. It was time, I decided, for a new approach. So, this interview is designed to break out of the mold. It’s all in fun, of course. -Karen

Please welcome talented author, Tyr Kieran, to the hot seat of journalistic and interrogatory imprudence.


1. Of all the stories you’ve written, which one does Chuck Norris like the best?

None of them, because Chuck Norris doesn’t like stor...


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Helping Kids Keep Journals, a guest post by Paul Taylor

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, January 8, 2013, In : Guest Posts 

When it comes to giving kids a love for writing it all starts with making it fun. If you do not make it fun then kids will not want to do anything. The most important part is keeping a positive attitude and making sure the children have a chance to really express themselves. Here are some tips on how to help kids to keep a journal and really enjoy writing it:

1.     Have great topics – The first thing that I have found to encourage children with journal writing is to give them a good i...


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The Three C's of Collaboration* - Coauthors

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Wednesday, January 2, 2013,

By Wodke Hawkinson

A lot of elements go into a successful co-writing experience. But there are three basic considerations that will apply to almost any type of writing collaboration.

Compatibility

When working with a writing partner, compatibility is very important, not only between writing styles but also in regard to your personalities, your work ethic, your expectations and goals, and your approaches to conflict resolution.

We are fortunate to have been friends long before we became c...


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Written Acts of Kindness Award Goes to @Scarberryfields #writtenkindness

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Saturday, December 29, 2012,
Written Acts of Kindness Badge

We found this wonderful award on the website of Cate Russell-Cole. She says, "Success never comes solely from your own efforts. There are always others along the way who give you a hand up; encourage you; or give you that resource, or piece of advice you never could have done without. When someone inspires you, or if you see someone who is using their writing gift to help others, please take the time to thank them publicly by giving them this award..."

With these sentiments in mind, we’d...


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The confluence of inspiration: NaNoWriMo and Fifty Shades of Grey

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Saturday, December 29, 2012, In : Guest Posts 
A guest post by Scott Bury



I just finished writing my second novel, and thought I’d share the process with other writers.

As usual with me, the inspiration to write this book came from more than one place. The first is the phenomenal success of Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. I have read, somewhere, that it outsells the Bible worldwide.

Reaction to it is extreme: people either love it or hate it, with little in-between. I bought a copy for my lovely wife, Roxanne, last spring (really! ...


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Two Flash Fiction Pieces by Wodke Hawkinson - Thwarted & Unthwarted

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, December 3, 2012,


In a fiery pit, in the depths of the earth, creation had begun. The Demons, Corruption and Deceit, vomited their spirit onto a growing mass of evil. Two other hellish fiends, Hate and Destruction, voided their bowels, adding to the mixture. Demon after demon provided its own special talents until finally they had all contributed.

Their dark lord entered the cavern. With a thunderous laugh he passed his hand over the vile mess, uttered ancient words, and stood back as his creation came to l...


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VIGILARE Book Trailer - Watch the Video!

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, November 30, 2012, In : Guest Posts 
A guest post by Brooklyn James. Originally published at: http://brooklynjamesblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/vigilare-book-trailer-watch-video.html


BOOK TRAILERS are a relatively new concept, following the promotional success of the movie trailer. Without a movie trailer, advertised on national television, how else would we know of the latest blockbuster or quiet Indie film coming to a theater near us?

By virtue of movie trailers, we get an average of two and a half minutes to determine whether t...


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Chem Trails - A Flash Fiction Short Story

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, November 23, 2012,

by K. Wodke

Jack lugged their groceries to the parking lot, struggling against the familiar sick weakness. Knowing what he would find, he nonetheless gazed upward.

Lines of white stretched across the blue sky in a grid formation.

“My god, they’re at it again!” he mumbled, tossing sacks into the back seat of the car. “No one should have to put up with this, Pearl.”

“Oh, Jack,” she whispered softly, crestfallen. “Please don’t start that again.”

“Quit treating me like ...


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OFFICIAL music video for 'Can't Get It Right' by Brooklyn James

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Wednesday, October 24, 2012,

Brooklyn James, author/singer/songwriter, releases OFFICIAL music video for 'Can't Get It Right,' track #4 from the original music soundtrack to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter Finalist, The Boots My Mother Gave Me.

"Brooklyn James' soundtrack to her novel The Boots My Mother Gave Me does more than give a clever feminist twist to the title. Her songs serve as chapters themselves, underlining James' deft ability as a storyteller and songwriter." -Margaret Moser, The Austin Chr...


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ALONE INTO DANGER - How to Make your Scary Stories even Scarier

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, October 22, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

A Guest Post by Rayne Hall

Have you written a horror story, or are you working on a frightening scene? Here's a professional technique to increase the reader's fear.

Solitary adventures are more dangerous than group adventures. In nature, an animal which becomes separated from the herd is vulnerable to predators. To make your scene scary, let your heroine face the danger alone. 

The more you isolate your protagonist, the more frightening the scene becomes. Think of as many ways...


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How To Turn A Room Into A Small Writing Space

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, October 15, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

A guest post by Jason Miner

Turning your home into your personal writing workspace isn’t as daunting of a task as it sounds. You don’t need a whole office to write or a giant room to pen your thoughts. All you need is a comfortable and quiet location in your home that you can escape to. Here are some suggestions on how to make that happen:

The first step is to find your spot and stake your claim. This is probably the most difficult part of the task so search high and low for a space i...


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On Being a Confident Writer, a guest post by Bernard Hope

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, September 28, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

 

For some writers, confidence is easy. They seem naturally inclined toward this steady and comforting attribute. For others, it’s a journey or even a hard-won battle. Here is a truth that may be difficult to accept or surprising to learn: Confidence can also be a choice.

Confidence as a writer/author involves a number of factors. In this article, I will cover some important aspects in the process of realizing your confidence.

·        Identify success. First of all and probably most ...


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Wacky Interview With Author, Vonda Norwood

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, In : Author Interviews 

It seems authors often get asked the same questions from one interview to the next. Not always, but a lot. It was time, I decided, for a new approach. So, this interview is designed to break out of the mold. On each of these questions, there is simply no right answer. Let’s see just how creative these creative minds are! It’s all in fun, of course. -Karen

Today we welcome author, Vonda Norwood, to the inquisitor’s chamber.

1. Ten ninjas, a calculator, and a potted plant?
Aaah!  C...


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Why Self-Publish? (Or, Why I’m Too Impatient), A Guest Post by Miranda Stork

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, September 3, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

Okay, so I’m not that bad…no really! I didn’t actually think it would be easier to self-publish. Because in fact I know it’s very, very hard. A few years ago I worked for Stag Editors in New York as a proof-reader and editor, and believe it or not, some of our clients were indie authors. So I not only got to see the plethora of talent available in indie books, but also saw a lot of the mistakes.

When I first wrote Conner, I was only eighteen. It was a great achievement for me, an...


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Fill in the Blanks

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, September 3, 2012,

Showcase your creative talent! How? By playing our fill-in-the-blanks game. Below are five sentences taken from our newest novel, Zeke. But...some of the words have been left out. This is so YOU can fill in the blanks, creating a new sentence.

How to play:
Choose one of the sentences. Put on your thinking cap and fill in the blanks with your own words. Be as creative or silly or serious as you want. It’s like Mad-Libs without the hints about nouns, verbs or adjectives, etc. Put your com...


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Wacky Interview With Author, PJ Hawkinson

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Sunday, August 26, 2012, In : Author Interviews 

It seems authors often get asked the same questions from one interview to the next. Not always, but a lot. It was time, I decided, for a new approach. So, this interview is designed to break out of the mold. On each of these questions, there is simply no right answer. Let’s see just how creative these creative minds are! It’s all in fun, of course. ~Karen

In this interview, I have subjected my co-author, PJ Hawkinson, to ludicrous but penetrating int...


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Wacky Interview With Author, Tiffany Fulton

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Sunday, August 26, 2012, In : Author Interviews 

It seems authors often get asked the same questions from one interview to the next. Not always, but a lot. It was time, I decided, for a new approach. So, this interview is designed to break out of the mold. On each of these questions, there is simply no right answer. Let’s see just how creative these creative minds are! It’s all in fun, of course. Our first victim...I mean, volunteer, is Tiffany Fulton. She tackles these ludicrous questions with style and spirit! -Karen



Tiffany Fulton, ...


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5 Reasons Why I Read Indie Authors

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, August 6, 2012,

I still have my favorite traditionally published authors, the ones with famous names and recognized publishers. But lately, I have been devoting my reading time mainly to indie authors, those of the self-published or small press variety. And here’s why:

1. Accessibility. Indie authors are usually very friendly and happy to exchange messages online with readers and fans. If you are an author as well as a fan, they are some of the most generous and supportive people you will ever meet, oft...


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Has the Cosmic Consciousness Ever Sabotaged Your Writing?

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, July 16, 2012,


Image from MS Free Images

They say there are no new ideas. But perhaps you’ve come up with a different twist on an old idea, or decided to give your characters certain traits, developed a unique plot, or even snagged a common saying to incorporate into your book. You work long and hard on your project, get ready to release it, and BOOM. There is your idea, or saying, or trait already out there in a book, movie, TV show, etc. Somebody beat you to it. Now, if you publish your work as it stands...


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Three Dark Threads Running Through My Crime Fiction

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, July 10, 2012, In : Guest Posts 
A guest post by author, Michael J. McCann




Do you prefer your crime fiction dark or light?

If you favor cozy mysteries, then your choice will be a lighter strain of crime fiction featuring puzzle-solving amateur sleuths with an interesting hobby or pastime, set in a quiet, charming community in which murders take place off-stage, away from the public eye. Murder She Wrote, the 1980s television series starring Angela Lansbury, always comes to mind as the quintessential cozy mystery.

However,...


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Using the “F” Word in Fiction Guest Post by Author sbr martin

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Sunday, July 1, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

Oh, behave! I’m not being nearly as scandalous as the title of this guest post would suggest. The “F” word to which I’m referring is “Fact,” and its use in fiction can be just as challenging, just as brow-raising, as the dirty word you likely thought I meant.

My fiction has been described as “psychological and thoughtful” by Midwest Book Review, my characters as “flawed and believable, yet familiar” by Publishers Weekly. One book review blogger recently wrote: “Martin...


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Cover Reveal on Hot New Release

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, June 19, 2012,


As any author knows, rounding that last corner on final revisions is a major milestone in the life of a book. Even though we plan an additional read-through or two, the largest part of the job is done, and it feels great!

Up to this point, we have been quiet about the title of our upcoming book, but we are now ready to introduce our next release, available soon, entitled ZEKE.

Zeke is a dark novel of sexual obsession and escalating suspense. It begins with the first meeting between a nai...


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15 Minutes and an Episode of Jeopardy, A Guest Post by Cora Lee

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, In : Guest Posts 


Cora Lee, Author

 Historical Romance author Grace Burrowes did a blog post a couple of months ago called The Twelve Minute Solution, in which she talked about how counterproductive large goals can be for some people.  It was a post that really resonated with me, and I had to restrain myself when I commented, because every other book, article, and post about writing tells you to set goals—aim high!—and stick to them.

But I’ve never been very good a...


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Has Writing Ruined You For Reading?

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Saturday, June 16, 2012,

Photo from MS Free Images


If typos, misspellings, inconsistencies, and repetitive phrases or words catch the attention of readers, imagine how much more noticeable they are to writers. Any author who has been through the editing, revision, and proofing processes of writing a book must, from necessity, sharpen his or her eye for problems. We all would like to identify our own mistakes, and fix them, rather than have them caught by a reader or reviewer. And preferably, long before our books re...
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Genres, boundaries, rules and my hero

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

A Guest Post by Scott Bury

Genres have definite rules. Some make sense: Gothic horror tales need a haunted house, and that house has to be big and dark with lots of scary-looking places for horrors to hide in and spring out at you. Romances have to have beautiful protagonists, because let’s face it, no one wants to fall madly in love with an ugly person. Science fiction has to be based on real science or the fans get mad, fast. Sure, there has to be some...


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Getting A Little Too Ingy

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, June 7, 2012,

Image from Microsoft Free Images


Each writer probably has his or her own personal pet peeves or elements that stand out in a manuscript like literary speed bumps. For many authors (Stephen King comes to mind), adverbs are problematic and amateurish. Others are snagged by exaggerated verbs that project from a good story like the needles on a cactus. For instance: “I hate taxes,” he groused as opposed to “I hate taxes,” he said. (I actually prefer the more colorful verbs, but that’s ...


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My Divorce From (and Gradual Reconciliation With) Music

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Sunday, May 13, 2012,


Some time ago, I divorced music. It might be hard for my friends and family to understand this, especially in light of the fact that I used to play, write, and sing music. Music is such an integral part of life; it's woven into our days and our memories. And there was the problem. Music, like the sense of smell, has the power to transport us back in time to a particular moment and enable us to re-experience not just the memory of the time, but also the associated feelings. Music is very pow...


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The Downside of Writing a Character You Despise

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, May 7, 2012,

http://wodke-hawkinson.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/unknown-title.jpg
The upcoming novel by Wodke Hawkinson


Dear Readers,

For those of you who have been (im)patiently waiting for our next novel, the waiting time is nearing an end. We actually started the novel (???) before we wrote Betrayed, Betrayed Alternate-Ending, and Blue, but we were taking it in a different direction than where it is going today. Let me explain why this novel is taking us so very long to finish.

You see, there’s something about our main character that tends to make us want to ignore...


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Women and Thrillers, a Guest Post by Brooklyn James

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Saturday, May 5, 2012, In : Guest Posts 


After completing my first book, Vigilare, in the Vigilare trilogy, I thought I had written a detective mystery with a paranormal spin. Lo and behold, my surprise, when I kept reading reviews referring to my novel as a THRILLER. I had no idea I was that exciting!

Gabino Iglesias of the Austin Post said, “Vigilare walks the line between a thriller and a supernatural adventure while safely anchored in a scientific discourse around blood that James put together so well that it's reminisce...


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Confessions of a Haunted Mind, A Guest Post By Hunter Shea

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, April 30, 2012, In : Guest Posts 


I’m going to tell you something I don’t often repeat. 

I love nightmares. 

Oh, a dream about swimming in a lagoon by a tropical island has its place, but rarely do those dreams stay with me. Like an orgasm, the moment is wonderful, yet fleeting. 

All my life, I’ve had nightmares. I’m sure you’ve had your share, too. The difference with me is, at a very young age, I made peace with those nighttime visions of terror. As soon as I learned to embrace them, to dissect the patterns of...


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A New Literary Genre? -A Guest Post by Rolando Garcia

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, April 12, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

I may have unknowingly created a new literary genre. But don’t take my word for it. Read on and let me know if you think that is the case.

It all started when I saw a picture of a “sun zebra.” Unfortunately I can’t tell you what a “sun zebra” is without spoiling the title story of my book. Then, after I saw this animal, a little girl named Nell wandered out of my mind and went to tell her dad she had found a “zebra.” Since the story takes place in a farm in the middle of Pen...


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Creativity Is Therapy, a guest post

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Sunday, April 8, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

by Brooklyn James (Author of The Boots My Mother Gave Me, An Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter Finalist)

I enjoyed reading Robert French’s guest blog about depression and its correlation to writing. His blog got me thinking about my own relationship with writing.

The completion of my first novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me, was a New Year’s resolution. I had no intentions of completing a book. The coming of age Dysfiction is about a young girl overcoming an abusive childhood. Growin...


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Valuable Information for Authors

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Saturday, April 7, 2012,

All authors know that marketing and promotion are major parts of the overall success of our work. Building an Author Platform That Can Launch Anything: a Social Media Minibook by Toby Neal is an invaluable addition to any author's toolkit for book promotion.

Effective steps to building an author platform that can take advantage of free programs and launch any book into visibility and better sales.

Self published or not, today’s authors have to develop their own “platform” for reaching bo...


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Out of the Rabbit Hole, A Guest Post by Robert French

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, April 5, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

Robert French

When Karen invited me to do this guest post, I was really pleased because I had a great subject in mind but as I was writing away, I got an overwhelming desire to embark upon an entirely different subject, one that is a little more personal and a lot more painful.

If one reads the biographies of writers through the ages, a common theme is that many writers, especially those who may deal with darker subjects, are victims of depression. According to health.com writers are #5 in ...


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Beta Readers, a guest post by Rebecca Scarberry

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, March 22, 2012, In : Guest Posts 
I know many people have written about Beta readers, but I would like to tell you about my experience with them.  I don’t want anybody to be discouraged after reading this from Beta reading. I have never had any family members as a Beta reader. They have all been friends or acquaintances.

I’m new to writing fiction and when I used my first Beta reader, it was for my first novel (shelved for the time being.) That Beta reader was knowledgeable and very kind. She corrected some punctuat...

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Character Interview With John Reeves from The Fall of Billy Hitchings

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Sunday, March 18, 2012, In : Guest Posts 

by Kirkus MacGowan

Kirkus:  Kirkus MacGowan here. I’m at an undisclosed location with John Reeves. He agreed to answer a few questions for the fans of The Fall of Billy Hitchings. Keep in mind, he’s a secretive individual. My goal is to give the reader some insight into just who John Reeves is. There may be questions he can’t answer, especially those relating to his involvement in Secret Ops.

Kirkus:  I’l...


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Q & A With Toby Neal, Author of Blood Orchids

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Tuesday, February 21, 2012,

Toby Neal

Congrats on your upcoming debut novel - tell us about it!
Toby
: I’m from Hawaii and I’ve always wanted to read a really good suspense/romance set here, that showcases the unique setting, culture, multiethnic people and dialects, and yet keeps your attention via riveting story alone. I’ve never found one that really did that—Hawaii novels are often written by outsiders, or are too “niche” to appeal to a mainstream audience. I finally decided to write the kind of book(...

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Writing in the Nude, An Interview With Michael K. Rose, Author

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Wednesday, January 25, 2012,

 
Michael K. Rose, Author

Do you see alien landscapes in your dreams?

Dreams, no. Daydreams, you bet! I've done a fair bit of reading on what alien worlds would look like. Did you know that for different types of stars (blue stars, red stars, etc.) plant life, if it draws energy from the sun, would most likely be colors other than green? It has to do with the wavelengths of light those plants would absorb. Now, for the purposes of my science fictional universe, which I call the Myriad Sph...


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How Much is too Much? Graphic Content in Fiction

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Monday, January 23, 2012, In : Guest Posts 


Advisory: This post contains graphic adult content.

A guest post by Author Sevastian Winters

The coolest review I've received to date for any of my books, delivered a mere two out of five stars… from an author, no less! Bar-none, it's my very favorite review of all time. In fact, I use it to sell books!  I'd take 1,000 such reviews over 1 Million reviews from 5 star fans telling me how fucking awesome I am. Ripped directly from Amazon, here's what it says:

“This review is from: Wolf's Ri...
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The Editing Process by Scott Bury

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Friday, December 9, 2011, In : Guest Posts 


Guest Post by Author, Scott Bury

Thanks to PJ and Karen for inviting me to write about my editing process. This is what works for me, and it has also worked for hundreds of students I taught it to when I was a college English professor.

My editing process

What’s the most erroneous myth about writers? The scene in TV shows and movies, where the writer types an opening sentence and immediately rips the page out of the typewriter, crumples it in rage and throwing it into an overflowing waste-bask...


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Revenge of the Neglected Muse

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Saturday, October 29, 2011,


A woman comes home after shopping, puts her toddler down for a nap, and then stretches out on the bed for a short rest. She wakes up to find a strange man in her bedroom, staring at her….

Then my muse gets up and walks out. “Hey!” I call. “Where are you going? Get back here, right now!”

“Nope.” He lifts his chin and looks away. “I’m done here.”

“But we’re at a critical part of the book....


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Writing Rape

Posted by Wodke Hawkinson on Thursday, September 1, 2011,

By K. Wodke

 Every survivor of rape experiences the trauma in her (or his) own unique way. Some common after-effects include fear, anger, guilt, shame, loss of trust, anxiety, insomnia, and even denial. Because of the element of shame associated with rape, many victims are reluctant to report the crime and /or seek the help they need.

Like child molestation, rape is an abhorrent and aberrant behavior, one that people are expected to realize is wrong without being told. They are exp...


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Dark Longings
A mystery/suspense
by Wodke Hawkinson




Sue, a sequel to Zeke
by Wodke Hawkinson




Zeke, a thriller by
Wodke Hawkinson



Betrayed, a suspense novel by
Wodke Hawkinson


Tangerine by
Wodke Hawkinson



Catch Her in the Rye,
Selected Short Stories, Vol. One
by Wodke Hawkinson



Blue, Selected Short Stories, Vol. Two
by Wodke Hawkinson


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