Cover Reveal and Behind the Scenes: Building Rapunzel

A few weeks ago, I shared a sneak peek at my Rapunzel retelling. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, you can click here: Sneak Peek. I’m super excited about this story. It’s presently with an editor in the final stages and available for pre-sale on Amazon! The pre-sale date is listed asContinue reading “Cover Reveal and Behind the Scenes: Building Rapunzel”

A Sneak Peek: Excerpt from Chapter 1

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time working on a new series. If you read my newsletter, then you’ve heard hints. I don’t want to give too much away just yet, but thought I’d share an excerpt from the first chapter. It’s a moment between the main character, Keira, and her grandma. Keira hasContinue reading “A Sneak Peek: Excerpt from Chapter 1”

Book Review: Blood Bound and Unbound -by Trinity Cunningham

Trinity Cunningham is a new author with two books to her name. Blood Bound is the first book in the series that came out in the fall of 2023. Unbound, the second book, came out in the fall of 2024. Both books are high fantasy and set in a fantasy world filled with humans andContinue reading “Book Review: Blood Bound and Unbound -by Trinity Cunningham”

Charming Superhero Romance: A Review of H.L. Burke’s Latest Book

Amazon H.L. Burke will be releasing another book in her Superhero themed books. This one will be coming out on December 23rd. The author provided an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) for an honest review. I enjoyed the book so much, I decided to include it in my blog. The story begins with the two mainContinue reading “Charming Superhero Romance: A Review of H.L. Burke’s Latest Book”

Review of The Water Spinner, by Jessie Chang

I recently just finished reading, The Water Spinner, by Jessie Chang. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read that had been sitting on my TBR list for far too long. The story begins with Elmira, a slave and a water spinner. She comes from one of the four elemental tribes and has the ability to spinContinue reading “Review of The Water Spinner, by Jessie Chang”

The Human Approach: Connecting the Reader with the Main Character

About two decades ago I attended a writing class where the teacher said the main character needs to be larger than life but also relatable. Since then, I’ve read numerous books on writing and they all say something similar. Main characters are the center of the narrative because essentially, the story wouldn’t happen without them.Continue reading “The Human Approach: Connecting the Reader with the Main Character”

Creating Believable Character Trouble and Redemption

It is said that the author’s job is to make trouble for their characters. And then the character must find their way out of the mess to become the hero. It is also said that the reader must care about the character. So now the author has a delicate balance. The author wants to makeContinue reading “Creating Believable Character Trouble and Redemption”

Fairy Tale Retellings: Preserving Tradition While Adding Uniqueness

Imitation is the highest form of flattery. -Oscar Wild Do you agree or disagree? This quote is often used to justify copying. Perhaps someone says it as a form of comfort. Or perhaps it is said it to explain motives. It’s a popular expression and to a certain extent very true. When studying drama inContinue reading “Fairy Tale Retellings: Preserving Tradition While Adding Uniqueness”

Mastering Narrative Payoff: Balancing Revelation and Surprise

Have you ever considered the work that goes into creating a tapestry, a hand woven rug, or blanket? I enjoy crochet, but that’s nothing to the intricate weaving of fine threads into beautiful patterns that grace our walls, floors, or even ourselves. The finely crafted pieces is made of uncountable threads twisted and folded together.Continue reading “Mastering Narrative Payoff: Balancing Revelation and Surprise”

Fairy Tale Re-Tellings

For the longest time, I avoided fairy tale re-tellings. Even when an author I like came out with a fairy tale re-telling, it would take a long time before I’d finally read it. And when I read the book, I read it mostly because of the author. Do I still feel this way? Truthfully? YesContinue reading “Fairy Tale Re-Tellings”