Author: Lisa Alber

JENNY MILCHMAN’s Tips, Trips, and Tribulations: Surviving Public Events + GIVEAWAY

Saturday, May 17, 2014
31 comments

We’re so happy to have Jenny Milchman with us today. Not only is she the reigning queen of the massive book tour, but her debut novel, COVER OF SNOW, just won the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award! Her second novel, RUIN FALLS, was just released to great reviews. In it, Liz Daniels has just set off on a long-awaited vacation, but when the family stops for the night, she wakes…

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Public Speaking: If I Survived, So Can You

Friday, May 16, 2014
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As I write this blog post on Thursday afternoon, half of my mind is on the reading I will be doing tonight. The truth is, I don’t want to do it. I’m here to tell you that in the annals of authordom, I’m more J.D. Salinger than J.K. Rowling. If I could get away with being a recluse, I gladly would. To repeat, I don’t want to do the reading…

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Writing Craft 101: Why Description Isn’t Just About Setting–It’s About Character

Friday, May 9, 2014
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(This discussion assumes you’re writing in first or close-in third points of views. That is, you’re filtering the story though one or more characters’ worldviews.) I’ve been thinking about how description gets a bum rap in many corners of the fiction world, especially in my world of crime, thriller and suspense writing. Even my mom wants nothing to do with description. My mom! (By the way, she’ll never read Kilmoon….

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KATHRYN O’SULLIVAN on Awards, Grisly Moments, and Mustangs + 2 Book GIVEAWAY!

Saturday, May 3, 2014
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We’re excited to introduce you to award-winning author Kathryn O’Sullivan, who writes the Colleen McCabe series set in the Outer Banks village of Corolla, North Carolina. RT Books Reviews calls MURDER ON THE HOOF, the second in the series, “intriguing” and her cast of characters “hilarious.” Murder on the Hoof picks up a few weeks after the events of Kathryn’s debut novel, Foal Play.  It’s mid-August and Fire Chief Colleen…

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Crying Over Books: Beauty, Envy, and the Blues (Plus Animals)

Friday, May 2, 2014
7 comments

This week we’ve been talking about books that make us cry. I racked my brain, trying to remember if I’ve ever cried because of a book … Lori’s Monday post reminded me of several books that feature animals. Don’t get me started — I can’t go there. Besides, Lori already covered that topic. And then there was Natalia’s ugly crying on Tuesday. OK, I’ve never done that over a book….

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Guest Author MOLLIE COX BRYAN on Truck Stops and Donuts + GIVEAWAY

Saturday, April 26, 2014
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We’re delighted to have Agatha Award-nominated Mollie Cox Bryan with us today! Mollie is the author of the Cumberland Creek Mystery series, the third of which, DEATH OF AN IRISH DIVA, is available now. As we meet up with the ladies of the Cumberland Creek Scrapbook Crop, spring is in the air but they hardly have time to stop and smell the roses. Not when famed Irish dancer Emily McGlashen…

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The Underachieving Life: Seems I Haven’t Changed Much Since My First Crappy Job

Friday, April 25, 2014
25 comments

This week I’ve been thinking long and hard about my working life, excluding fiction. And I’ll be honest, I’m kind of an underachiever. I’ve never excelled in any job I’ve worked. I mean, I do fine when I give half a rat’s ass (which is the most rat’s ass I’ll ever give), but I’m not a model citizen of the corporate world, or any world in which I have a…

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The First Writing Rule I Broke: Write What You Know

Friday, April 18, 2014
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Raise your hands if one of the first writing rules you learned was “write what you know.” I know many of us write about what is near and dear to our hearts, but what kind of novels would we have if we only wrote what we knew? For me, writing what I know would be the stroke of death for my storytelling. I’ve always been a wanderer at heart–I need…

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A Fun Interview with Literary Agent Elizabeth Kracht: Keanu, Cocktails, and Puerto Rico

Friday, April 11, 2014
15 comments

I’m excited to introduce you to agent extraordinaire Elizabeth Kracht of Kimberley Cameron & Associates. I met Liz at the Book Passage Mystery Conference three years ago. She’s the kind of agent you want for a 1-on-1 pitch session because she’s approachable and easy going and fun. She’s also the kind of agent you want for an agent because of her enthusiasm and business sense. She’s just cool. I like…

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5 Lessons Learned from KILMOON’s Book Launch

Friday, April 4, 2014
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KILMOON launched March 18th, so this week’s topic comes at the perfect time to think about my lessons learned. What can I improve upon for the next release? 1. Start earlier. I did a pretty good job of my launch despite the fact that I truly began planning for it about 2-1/2 months beforehand. Given the sheer number of details and my tendency toward chaos, I need to start way ahead of…

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