I once rode in a bicycle event that took us past some pretty incredible sights. The space shuttle was clearly visible from launch pad 39A. Alligators lined the trenches on the side of the highway and we pedaled within a few feet of the largest known eagle’s nest. When the ride ended and we were packing up our gear, one rider exclaimed, “Wasn’t the space shuttle awesome?” One of the faster, more competitive rider responded, “what space shuttle?” He went on to explain he was so concentrated on finishing the “race”, he saw absolutely nothing except the backside of the rider in front of him. How sad! He missed out on some of the greatest natural and manmade wonders in Florida. I couldn’t help but ask whether he enjoyed himself. […]
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Friday Fiction: The Corruptible
Ex-homicide detective Ray Quinn never had glamorous thoughts of the life of a private investigator—but being cornered in a bathroom stall by the enraged philandering husband of a client? That’s something he could live without. Retired from homicide and living with a painful disability, Ray’s options are limited. Stick to the job, keep impetuous sidekick Crevis alive, and spend quiet evenings with trusted pal Jim Beam, that’s about the best he can hope for. As a new client emerges, Ray finds himself in an impossibly large boardroom holding a check with enough zeros to finally lift him from his financial pit. The job seems easy enough: find Logan Ramsey, an ex-cop turned security officer who’s taken off with sensitive corporate information. But few things are easy in Ray’s world, regardless […]
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Self Intimidation: Enemy of the Writer
I’m writing my sixteenth novel. During National November Writers Month – NaNoWriMo – I’ve been fast drafting this next work of literary wonder. It’s a story I love. A story I believe in. A story I want to capture the hearts and imagination of readers. But will it? No author starts out to write one book better than another. We give a hundred percent to each book. Even if we’re on a tight or short deadline, we give the story all we have for the time allotted. My goal is to write a better book each time. I study the craft. I work on deepening my characters and adding story layers. I take to heart the advice and input of my editor and agent, and readers. I strive so hard […]
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Writers’ Math: Word Count Basics
I’m a writer. I don’t do math. That’s my mantra — and I stuck to it. Until … I ran into two little words: word count. Stay in the writing world long enough, say longer than 24 hours, and you’re gonna run into those two little words too. Word count, like jeans, comes in all shapes and sizes. You’ve got non-fiction word counts for blogs. Magazine articles. E-zines. Devotionals. And then you have word counts for books, both fiction and nonfiction – everything from novellas to self-help to sagas the size of Gone with the Wind (960 pages in paperback). Just what are the basics when it comes to word counts? It depends. Really. It depends on the publisher. But there are some ballpark figures — and that’s what I’m […]
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