The first draft of a novel is a glorious, chaotic mess. There’s no other way to describe it. You get the idea, you chase it, you lasso it onto the page while it’s still half-feral and snarling, and for a while, it feels like triumph. Like art. Like the great masterpiece has arrived in the form of a blinking cursor and 90,000 words that you just know are at least 87% brilliant. Then you reread…
Posts tagged as “creativity”
When I first dipped my toes into the audiobook world, I thought it would be a fairly straightforward process. After all, the book was done. The story was edited, polished, published, and live. What else was there to do? Answer: A lot. I expected to simply sit back and listen to my novel come to life in audio form. What I didn’t expect was that I’d be immediately confronted with every sentence that sounded better…
There’s a certain narrative that floats around the writing community like gospel: Be patient. Wait for the right deal. Don’t rush into publishing. Good things take time. And sure, good things do take time—but how much time is too much? How long are we supposed to sit in limbo, manuscripts in hand, waiting for the elusive green light that signals we’re “worthy” of being read? Because here’s the truth: Some writers wait forever. Some never…
There are few things in life as humbling as watching an AI narrator absolutely fumble your words with full confidence—like a cat knocking a glass off the table while making unwavering eye contact. And yet, after the Saga of Martin and Mary, after every mispronounced coiffed, every aggressively Greek agahpay, and the emotional rollercoaster that was Martin’s spectacular rise and fall, I stepped into my next audiobook project, Vitae, with cautious optimism. This time, I…
In the cold grip of a Portland winter, Chelsia Toussaint has tried to leave her past behind, settling into a quiet life with her lover. But when his sudden death pulls her into a web of secrecy, she realizes normalcy was never in the cards. With whispers of betrayal and danger closing in, Chelsia finds herself drawn into a world where every face hides a motive. A detective watches her too closely. A new “roomie”…
Yes, you read that right—that’s the official title of my third novel, and it’s finally official! I know that I’ve made mention of the title before, but it’s been a while and I wouldn’t blame any of you for forgetting! But… mark your calendars because “Hey, Roomie!” will be making its debut on 05/05/25! I can’t wait for you to dive into this one—it’s a story designed to keep you guessing, gasping, and maybe even…
Ah, the whimsical world of self-imposed deadlines. They’re like those New Year’s resolutions we make every January, filled with good intentions and a sprinkle of delusion. You know the drill: “I’ll write a chapter a day,” or “I’ll have my novel ready by next month.” But as life inevitably belly-flops into our plans, we find ourselves drowning in a sea of missed deadlines and broken promises. Such is the saga of my latest novel, “Hey…
Hey there, lovely readers (what’s left of you)! Yes, it’s me, your friendly neighborhood author, returning from the mysterious void of silence in the blogosphere. You probably thought I’d forgotten all about you while sipping cocktails on some exotic beach, but I assure you, I’ve been up to some quite interesting shenanigans. It’s high time I gave you the lowdown on where I’ve been and what’s been brewing in the world of Ametra. First things…
Let’s just get right to it. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you already know that—in addition to being a published author, working on my third novel—I also have a full-time job. On top of that, I am also a small-business owner, having opened an online store in the Fall of 2021. As I occupy multiple creative spaces while still trying to maintain a daytime gig, and as I continue to grow and…