How to Write a Novel: Characters Part 2 – Goals, Motivations, Conflict
People don’t do things for no reason – there’s something that drives Olympic athletes, successful entrepreneurs, and merciless killers. The same is true for your characters. You can’t have a woman swear that she’ll never get married without giving her a believe reason for why she made that decision. Unfortunately, [...]
Getting Deep into Your Character’s Head by Pegg Thomas
As the managing editor of Smitten Historical Romance, I get to read a lot of manuscripts. One of the things I’m always looking for is deep point of view, or POV. This is the industry standard for romance today. Lack of deep POV is one of the easiest ways to [...]
Book Review: You’re Gonna Love Me by Robin Lee Hatcher
Who knew fate could twist a tragedy into a second chance at love? Samantha Winters lives her life the way a good accountant should—measured, deliberate, and safe. After watching her father die in a tragic skiing accident, she decided never to allow risk into her life again. But she didn’t [...]
How to Write a Novel: Knowing Your Characters (Part 1)
Regardless of what type of novel you’re writing (romance, mystery, young adult), it will require two key elements: characters and a plot. You’ll eventually need to learn the best craft-writing techniques to make your story the best it can be, but before you can make it shine, you need to [...]
Book Review: Perennials by Julie Cantrell
When two estranged sisters reunite for their parents’ 50th anniversary, a family tragedy brings unexpected lessons of hope and healing amid the flowers of their mother’s perennial garden. Eva—known to all as Lovey—grew up in Oxford, MS, surrounded by literary history and her mother's stunning perennial gardens. But a garden [...]