11 of My Favorite Types of Book Covers
The rule of thumb is to never judge a book by its cover, but why not? Cover art is a big deal. It’s part of the package of assembling a
Category: Writing and Reading
Posts about all things writing. How to write, how I write, how others write, writing themes, writing tips, ideas, famous writing, and more.
Also posts about reading: how to read, why we read, and what we should read.
10 of My Favorite Baby-sitters Club Books
As an avid reader growing up, I spent a lot of time at the local library which was literally across the street from my house. As soon as I’d walk
Three Whistling Kettle Winter Teas Paired with Wintery Stephen King Novels
Horror is rightfully most often associated with autumn. However, the long, cold nights, gray snowy days, and the isolated feeling that comes with winter, particularly in classic wintery climates, makes
Laura’s Books and Blogs Blogging Recap 2024
It’s no secret that today’s media is very image driven. The most popular content creators make videos and share their daily lives as well as their interests and skills. I
Hosting a Holiday Party for the Authors on my Bookshelf
This year, I decided to go all out and invite all of the authors from my bookshelf to a holiday party. The authors arrived in groups according to their genre,
Heroes and Villains: Crafting Compelling Characters by Dante
How to write about villains who are very successful from a financial standpoint without glorifying them or resorting to tired stereotypes and creating heroes with great earned achievements that are
What I Would Have Done Differently Before Self-Publishing My First Novel
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write children’s books. By that, I mean chapter books for children, otherwise known as middle grade. I wanted to write
Has Anyone Else Had Their Characters Dictate Their Story? by Elaine Franklin
The inciting event A few years ago, I was at a writing class at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) in the middle of writing a serious book when I
3 iPad Apps to Plan Your Next Novel by Tristan Stocker
There’s plenty of software out there to help you write a full manuscript, from purpose-built platforms like Scrivener and the Reedsy Editor, to simple word processors like Microsoft Word and
Ranking The Best Places to Read
Readers are known for taking books with them wherever they go. Whether it’s a physical copy or an audiobook, there are limitless places to read. But some places are obviously
A 73-Year-Old Expat Author’s Promotion Adventures by Robert W. Norris
The last time I was responsible for trying to get the word out for a book I’d written was back in the mid-1990s. Google didn’t exist. There was no Wikipedia
Writing a Mystery Series by Mike Martin
Just how do you write a mystery series? That’s a great question. The simple answer is to write one story, one book at a time. I have now written 14
Creative Inspirations – Suburbia
Coming up with story ideas is a struggle. It’s hard to find the right concept that is going to hold your attention along with the reader’s. However, once I have
Working With an Illustrator by Karen A. Wyle of Oblique Angles Press
I wrote the initial drafts of most of my picture books many years ago, starting when I was pregnant with my oldest child. I was sitting (my most frequent activity
Laura’s Books and Blogs Blogging Recap 2023
Laura’s Books and Blogs turns five years old this month, and this year, I’ve seen tremendous growth thanks to my supporters, fellow indie authors, and higher search rankings on Google.