Martin Pulga is a psychopath who, at 28, is the prime age to start a career as a serial killer. The average age of serial killers was one of many data points I amassed while developing this key character for my latest novel, For Sissy. My aim was to create a villain who is believable […]
Procrastinating, er, Plotting
With For Sissy now available for readers, I’m now plotting my next book. I should say “books,” because my next work will be a series — a mystery series. I’m a planner, not a pantser, so I outline. My outlines are never proscriptive, but I do rely on them to get me to the last […]
Cover Struggles of an Indy
After leaning that my video advertisement for For Sissy was too violent for Facebook, I made some quick changes so that the ad showed only the book cover, and not my embellishments of a bloody knife, et al. In hindsight, I could see why FB wouldn’t want to show the implied violence of my original […]
So, You Want to Be a Beta Reader?
Beta readers are crucial to me as an independent writer. When I decide my book is DONE, they are the first people to read it – and I count on them to tell me why it’s NOT done. They are critical readers who know when a novel isn’t living up to its potential, and they […]
Happy Holidays!
Here’s wishing you all a peaceful holiday and happy new year! My second novel will soon be in the hands of my great beta readers, so it will be out in February. Thanks for following my blog and I’ll see you between the pages in the coming year! Merry Christmas!
Nice Ad. Could Use Some Toenail Polish.
I decided an ad in the Horror Writers Association newsletter might get some fresh eyeballs on The Crandall Haunting (not literally, unless you happen to have some eyeballs hanging around). So, I pulled out a couple copies of the paperback, piled them up this way and that and took a bunch of photos. From there, […]
Who’s in Your Book?
Friends sometimes ask if anyone they know is in The Crandall Haunting. The answer is no. No actual person I know is in the book, and since many of the characters are pretty creepy, that’s probably a good thing. Of course, innumerable real life observations and experiences have morphed their way between the pages, and […]
Talking to Myself in a Closet
While I tend to be a little shy, at heart, there is an extrovert inside me itching to emerge. In the past, acting in local theater let me unleash my inner showboat, and recently, speech-making through Toastmasters helps satisfy this urge to be big and noisy. However, one of the most fun ways I answered […]
My Inner Ham
When I write, I see the action I’m describing so clearly, it’s like watching a motion picture unfold. That’s why, when I sat down to think about promoting The Crandall Haunting, I knew I wanted to use video. Not only is video hot on social media, it’s also a fun and challenging way to […]
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