Quiet Keystrokes and Midnight Ramblings

Suzanne Hagelin is a Pacific Northwest indie author who I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with at several book festivals and conventions over the years. In typical "let's add to the TBR pile" style, I picked up the first book of her trilogy, Body Suit , and then sat on it for months. Possibly a year. Perhaps longer. Then, in a reading slump, I finally opened it up. Do you ever have those times where you smack yourself in the forehead and say, "Self, why did you put this off for so long?" That's exactly how I felt while reading Body Suit . Suzanne and I have discussed our love of the Portal video games in the past, and the A.I. cataloging human behavior and offering assistance (when it finds it convenient) is reminiscent of GLaDOS and Wheatley in the Portal games. Snarky, contemplative, and sometimes dependable enough to love. Sil, the main character in Body Suit  finds herself shipped off to the first settlement on Mars, forced to...

"Home is where the heart is. Or maybe the pizza." One of my very good friends, author S.E. Anderson , has just released the cover image for book five in her Starstruck series !  Book five, Starbound, is set to launch later this year. I'm so excited to get back to these characters again. If you haven't read this series yet, you're missing out on some hilarious Sci-Fi adventures. Sally and her friends jump around the universe, foiling would-be crimes, (accidentally) reigning supreme over alien races, and guest-starring on intergalactic television. Make sure you get caught up on this series before Starbound hits the bookshelf! You can check out the blurb from the book below, and remember to get the rest of the books in the series over on Amazon. Home is where the heart is. Or maybe the pizza. There’s no better feeling than being back home after a long week exploring the galaxy, though being abandoned by one’s friends and left to fend off...

At the end of the summer each year, my son picks a great big giant project to work on for an entire school year. Last year, he built a wearable costume shaped like a BNSF Railway diesel train engine. This year, he announced that he wanted to write a book. Although I have done public speaking about writing , gaining confidence to share your story and even how to overcome the many obstacles life throws at you while you're trying to reach your dreams, I've never taught someone the very early basics. My kid is only in the 2nd grade, so I knew this would be a challenge for both of us. He is just learning how to spell and use punctuation, and although I've written eleven books (and counting), I've never had to explain to anyone every single step I undertake as a self-published author. I just... do it. I knew I needed help. I found a copy of 6+1 Traits of Writing; The Complete Guide Grades 3 and Up by Ruth Culham, and what a lifesaver it's been. There are gre...

My kiddo and I have spent the last year or thereabouts reading A Series of Unfortunate Events . We've finally crested Book The Twelfth in the series, titled The Penultimate Peril . There are several things we love about these books. One is the fast paced language. Second, the explanation of difficult words and terms by the author in the middle of the storytelling. And third, the suspense of never knowing what dastardly deeds are coming next. With one book left in the series, we've been left unclear on if the Boudelaire orphans are becoming orphans, or if Count Olaf is becoming noble. One thing we have decided on is that most of the noble people in these books have suffered from a villainous case of indecisiveness where danger is concerned. Above all else, we are curious about what will happen in The End , book 13 in the series because we're no closer to solving the orphan's many mysteries than we were in book one. As a parent, I've enjoyed sharing these d...

I have a confession to make. I didn't used to read indie authors. Back when I began my publishing journey, when it felt like everyone was rolling their eyes at me and my first indie book (and second, and third), I bought into the idea that self-published books weren't good reading. This is a horrendous lie, of course. Self-publishing was the foundation of literature long before "traditional" publishing was a thing. And with so few publishers in relation to writers, amazing works are passed over by brick and mortar houses every day. While it's true, I've read some indie authors that I don't enjoy, I've read plenty of contracted books that I hated, too. In the end, it doesn't matter how a story came to be, only that it's been told. I have been blessed in the years since to have met some incredibly talented writers who self publish or work with independent presses. They've changed my views on what makes a good story, for the b...

I am so excited to tell you guys about a series I've been reading! The Starstruck series follows a rather disorganized mess of a girl as she traipses across the multiverse with aliens. Sally gets into SO many interesting situations, and these novels are packed with snark and wit that keep you turning pages and wanting more. Celestial, Book Four in the series will be released October 9th, and I'm SO blessed to be a part of S.E. Anderson's launch team! In Celestial, Sally is still trying to get back to earth with her friends Zander, Blayde and Nim but something goes horribly wrong and they end up lost on a strange world where Sally is mistaken for the local's goddess! I can't wait to read and review this latest installment in the Starstruck series. S.E. Anderson is a young writer brimming with charm, and I know if you pick up her books you'll fall in love. Get more information on these amazing books by visiting the author's website at:  http:...