Authors + Readers + Pinterest = Connection and Creation

It’s time for another Panel Discussion! This month A Drift of Quills is discussing how to use Pinterest to build worlds and connect with readers. You know what this means?? You, Dear Reader, get a look behind the scenes… YOURS TRULY Author of As the Crow Flies and two short stories My website (You can use this link or you could use the menu at the top. Whatever floats your boat!) I love Pinterest. If you haven’t been to the site, it’s an awesome visual discovery tool. Sometimes I spend more time on the site than is practical, but it’s such […]

99-cent FSFNet eBook Blast!

I’m participating in a fantastic eBook Sale! It’s a one-day only gig, so saddle up your dragon or strap on your jet packs and get over to the Fantasy Sci-Fi Network to grab your choice(s) from over a dozen fantasy and sci-fi books. All of these titles are priced under $0.99 at the time of writing this post. Prices are subject to change, so check the price before clicking “buy.” The 99-cent sale is 24 hours only starting May 23, 2014 12:01 AM PST The FSF Net is a growing group of over fifty authors who have gathered together to create a […]

The Robin Has Landed!

No, the post title is not the title of a new book—though it might make a really fun spoof. I have had hardly any time for even thinking about writing. You see, Hubster just woke up one day and said, “I need something sportier.” He was talking about a house. Okay, technically, that’s not what he said, but Maxwell Pig’s line somehow seemed to fit the moment, because his sudden action on a desire he’d been vaguely harboring for a few years was, you know, sudden. Being the cautious one, I implored that we take things slowly. We were talking about […]

Is It Possible to Self-Edit Your Book?

Welcome back to the Friday Feature of our Fantasy writers group, A Drift of Quills! We Quills get together once a month to chat up aspects of reading and writing—and this time we discuss the exciting prospect of self-editing. Grab yourself some cookies and a notepad for jotting notes!   KRISTIE KIESSLING Author of the short story, Sanguis Dei and a poetry collection, Light and Dark Kristie’s Blog  Is it possible to self-edit your book? YES! In fact, even if you hire an editor, you MUST be able to self-edit your book or you will be wasting money. As Kristen […]

A Week of Self-Published Authors

This week I’m joining a stellar group of self-published authors over at Unicorn Bell to discuss why we chose self-publishing over traditional, marketing techniques, and to offer a little writing advice garnered from our own experiences. The article is entitled “A Week of Self-Published Authors: Robin Lythgoe.” Here’s an excerpt: I write fantasy because I love it, and I think staying with a particular genre builds trust with the readers. Those big-name authors found something that worked for them and stuck with it on purpose. It worked. Authors who have several books published and a large following can more easily […]

Book Review: Dark Currents

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Emperor’s Edge, and the fun continues in Dark Currents. Buroker has developed a good, solid framework of society that isn’t thrown off kilter with the inclusion of magic—a magic that is referred to in Amaranthe’s world as “science.” Her writing style is smooth and engaging, neatly balancing narrative and dialogue. The characters continue to capture the reader’s interest. What’s more, they develop even further—no cardboard cutouts here! They are each wonderfully detailed and clearly different from one another, and the fact that they are not all always comfortable and heroic makes […]

Books We Love

Welcome back to the Friday Feature of our Fantasy writers group, A Drift of Quills! We Quills get together once a month to chat up aspects of reading and writing—and this time we’re talking about books we love best. Grab your chocolate, sit back, and get comfy. KRISTIE KIESSLING Author of the short story, Sanguis Dei and a poetry collection, Light and Dark Kristie’s Blog  When faced with the topic for this first Friday, Books We Love, I immediately considered the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but a commentary or review of any of those would take far […]

Read an E-Book Week (March 2-8)

Do you know what next week is? It’s Read an E-Book Week!! All across the globe! Isn’t that awesome? For the week of March 2-8 only, thousands of authors and publishers will provide readers discounts on ebooks, with coupon code values for 25% to 75% off and FREE. This annual event was created by Rita Toews in 2004, and it has since grown to become an international event devoted to reading and digital literacy. “Read an Ebook Week brings together ebook retailers, publishers, authors, device-makers and untold thousands of readers who join in this international literary event of ebook discovery, and […]

Guest Interview: Charles David Carpenter & D.W. Jones

I am so pleased to welcome my guests today, Charles David Carpenter & D.W. Jones—and not only have they agreed to let me ask them some questions, but they’re also giving us a peek into their novel, Necromancers’ Pride: Quest for Elderstone, which was released just last month. I have been following along on their website since I met them on Twitter, and I can say that you, gentle readers, are in for a treat! About Charles: Besides being a writer, I am a martial artist who was born and reared in sunny Southern California. Yes, I am the rare native […]

Chocolate Fix: Chocolate Molten Cakes

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today ranks right after National Chocolate Day on the scale of chocolate yumminess—even if my husband is jonesing for some soft sugar cookies. Being the dear that he is, he even suggested topping them with our favorite glossy, soft, messy chocolate frosting. Aside from the concoction not being straight up chocolate, what’s not to like? And I have a simple, quick cure for that! Whether you’re a boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife—or even a good friend—you have plenty of time to whip up this decadent little somethin’ somethin’ for Valentine’s Day. Oozing chocolate with the first bite, […]