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Useful Guide to Free Photos, Media and More
As a writer, you're not always concerned with visual or audio artwork. It's often secondary to the Muse dictating the story to you. As a Self-Sufficient Author, however, you need media for marketing your author brand, so how do you find it and use it legally? The Ultimate Guide to Free Photos, Media & More
Easy on the Hooptedoodle
If you've never read Elmore Leonard's Rules for Writing, you're in for a treat. Leonard was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted
National Archives Releases Civil War Documents, Photograph
National Archives Releases Civil War Documents, Photograph Interested in the ephemera of the Civil War? The National Archives has released thousands of documents and photographs from the American Civil War, and Wikimedia Commons is organizing them. Here's just one of many photos of U.S. History in the category: Virginia, Army
Weapon of Love
I discovered an interesting newspaper article from 1918 on the subject of women spies, and thought it might be fun to share with readers of my blog. While transcribing the article from the scanned (public domain) newspaper, I couldn't help but think the topic would make for a great short story. Someday, I may
Cold Hands, Warm Heart
Cold Hands, Warm Heart "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" is a myth that scientists have busted. According to the U.K. Telegraph, "The old adage that cold hands often conceal a warm heart has been dispelled by scientists, after they found how physically warm you are has a direct correlation to how nice you are
Use Google Apps for Increasing Productivity
If you're not using Google, then you need to consider all that this amazing company has to offer. Most amazing of all is that it is free, open-source and easy to use. There are literally hundreds of How-To videos available online for everything Google has to offer, so there's no excuse why you can't learn
It’s OK to Be Nosey
Few people realize that their sense of smell is an important tool when selecting a lover. Scientists have discovered that smell can attract and can repel a female, and when she is close to ovulating, that sense of smell is especially heightened. What's even more astonishing is that humans can identify 10,000 different odors, and
Hottest Love
I doubt Socrates really said, "The hottest love has the coldest end." During the past 2,500 years, something surely was lost in translation by Plato. Regardless, I'm sure many of us can agree with the logic. I recall my first "hottest love." I was 16 when I first noticed the athletic guy jogging along
Travel Writing: A Good Writer is a Good Observer
If you're into travel writing, then you had better be paying attention. Not to this article—although it contains helpful advice for gathering intel during your next trip. You need to pay attention to everything and everyone and everywhere while you're abroad because you never know what, who, or where will become fodder for a feature.
Trigger Words
Sometimes my husband says the wrong thing. He'll make statements that contain trigger words such as, "obsess," "scream," "always" and "never." We've all heard these words before, and the reason they drive us crazy is that they contain a trace of truth. Today, he advised me not to "... obsess too much about it.
DIY Writer’s Retreat
Scheduling time to write creatively is a difficult task for most authors. It’s a selfish endeavor, hiding from the world, shirking responsibilities, ignoring the family. But it’s also a necessary endeavor. Without writing time, we don’t produce books. If we don’t produce books, we don’t make money. I don’t know about you, but writing books
Behind the Scenes: Peachys
Peachys is the heart of Eaton despite its location on the outskirts of the town. (Of course, it's a fictitious place, just like Eaton, but figures in nearly all the novels in my Eaton romance series.) Peachys Grocery Once a mom-and-pop operation, Peachys opened its doors in the early 1840s, first as a feed store.
Interview: Supporting Authors One Read at a Time
Supporting Authors One Read at a Time Robin Van Auken (writing as Madeline Sloane) is the author of Distracted, East of Eaton, and West Wind. She discusses her book, her journey as a writer, and self-publishing on the popular Supporting Authors One Read at a Time blog by author Eri Nelson. Q: Where are you
