I write under four pen names depending on the relevant genres. J.J. Cade is the name for Moving the Force and Jubilee Ki. I also have a brand, ‘Bland on the Run Books.’ My writing includes ghostwriting non-fiction and editing.
On November 28, 2016, I lost my wife and both of my daughters in the wildfire that consumed Gatlinburg, Tennessee. As I have stumbled and crawled down this unstable, broken road of grief, I have learned many lessons along the…
c.b.strul is the author of The Ancient Ones, CONNECTIVITY, and Papillon IV and founder of Odom’s Library. He also has in print three novellas: Spinners, Forget the Complex, and What Grows from the Stump of a Tree?, as well as…
I work on the rigs (my next book is a fiction book based on this), but as it was recently described, I seem to end up doing a lot of “side quests”. I was an extra in Gladiator 2, and…
I’m seventy-five years old and this is my first book. I spent over forty years as a carpenter, then a builder, then a developer, then back to being a carpenter. My only writing was contracts and specifications for my construction…
Maria A. Arana is a writer, poet, and editor from the Los Angeles area. She has published many poems and short stories in various publications. Formerly a teacher who encouraged a love of reading and writing, she now channels that…
Tabitha Winters is a practicing LMHC with a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a PhD in sarcasm. A sought-after lecturer on the psychology circuit, she currently works within her state’s mental health litigation division, and before she knew better?…
Ellen Graham’s writing focuses on the West and stories of open spaces, both on the land and in the heart. A prize-winner in Glimmer Train’s Short Story Award for New Writers, she has also been published in Narrative, High Desert…
Thomas Penn Johnson was born on August 22, 1943, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He holds a BA in Classical Studies (1966) from then-Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana; an MA in English from UNC-G (1968); an ABD in English…
Chace Boswell lives in the beautiful mountains of southwestern Virginia with his two teenage daughters. He is the author of the novel The Awakened, the poetry collection Forwards, Backwards and Everything In Between, and the short story collection Twisted Limbs.…
Trae Vincent spins cozy mysteries and fantastical adventures with a dash of magic and a wink of mischief. The pen name honors her grandfather, Vincent, who first sparked her love of storytelling; “Trae” is a lifelong nickname that keeps the…
Chantal Dalton is a “recovering” poet. She has returned to writing poetry after a long hiatus and is delighted to rediscover her poetic voice. Ms. Dalton is a graduate of Bates College (BA) and has a master’s degree in American…
Sierra DenBoer is a 16-year-old writer who is working on the series The Umbral Gates. She has finished four YA fantasy/sci-fi books and plans to start publishing soon. She grew up in Long Beach, California, but now lives in the…
If you’re exploring hybrid or self-publishing options, Atmosphere Press vs. BookBaby is a comparison worth exploring. While both publishers offer alternatives to traditional publishing, they differ in approach, cost, and the author experience they provide.
Unlike a copy editor who focuses on grammar or a proofreader who catches typos, a developmental editor works at the big-picture level. Their role is to strengthen your manuscript’s structure, pacing, character development, and thematic clarity so that the story…
If you’re weighing hybrid publishers, two names you’ll inevitably see are Atmosphere Press and Greenleaf Book Group. Both are reputable and both serve authors who want more than the do-it-yourself route — but the experience, cost structure, and community offerings…
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to write a compelling book synopsis that captures the attention of agents and publishers. We’ll cover length, structure, common pitfalls, and I’ll even share an example so you can see what a…
If you’re aiming for traditional publishing, securing a literary agent is one of the most important steps you can take. But with so many agents out there—and each one specializing in particular genres—the search can feel overwhelming. The good news…
When it comes to writing a mystery novel, the detective character is often the heart and soul of the story. How you write your detective character can make the difference between a forgettable mystery and one that hooks readers from…
Red herrings are one of the most powerful tools in a mystery writer’s arsenal—and one of the easiest to misuse. If you’ve ever tried to keep your reader guessing only to leave them confused, frustrated, or (worst of all) unimpressed,…