When I anxiously await arrival of something so important, I can come to wonder what went wrong. Did the printer run out of my selected paper color? Did a larger order get pushed ahead of me? Yet, all such concerns quickly dissolve in the sweat generated by carrying the book boxes to my storage room and running to my local stores and libraries to make sure they have my latest title. Not to mention the sweat and muscle aches of stocking four cords of wood. DELIVERY When will my

Every time the truck is filled it is a test for its carrying capacity. Every time a new novel is submitted to my publisher Maine Authors Publishing, my doubts and worries about acceptance are also tested. Have I done enough to make it possible for the editor and designer to turn my rough work into a book which readers will enjoy? AND, how long will it take to finish creation of my masterpiece? LOADING THE TRUCK (Editing and design) The truck is finally back. Its capacity has

Back at it after a break, I have put all the pieces in order and read the text for the third or fourth time. If what I read pleases me, a DIY edit begins. There are obvious typos and lousy sentence structure to be rectified. Names may be misspelled. Incorrect times of day. These seem like small details, but making small changes will save me money when the real editor goes to work. This is also a good time to visit with my artist neighbor to come up with a cover design.

As with the chef who may have practiced making your bbq chicken pizza twenty times before it became your favorite, I may rewrite sections of my narrative several times until it comes out to my satisfaction. The beginning may be moved to the end. Or vice versa. My favorite scenes could be deleted from this next novel and perhaps saved for the after that. Every creator learns from trial and error. And so, the tale of my writing process continues.

More organized and orderly now, the crews break out chainsaws smaller than those used in the winter woods. Tree-length logs are craned onto a long sawbuck or propped up on a sturdy wooden frame, The cuts are uniform, set at lengths required by customers to fit into their stoves. Those cut for me would be 18-20”. Working in the sun and out of the winter woods gets easier as the weather warms. My own writing process also gets easier as I start the rewrite.

Many authors will dramatize their writing process, creating a myth that their effort is akin to a religious experience. I’m here to tell you that although what I go through to write a novel is often difficult and requires resilience and patience, the process is similar to much of the work every reader does in their own works. Is making a fabulous meal less creative? How about putting in the efforts required to build a house? Or, in the case of my series of posts in May, make

This post is the Preface from Conflicting Roots. It explains why and how the novel came to be. The second is a full transcript of a Peace Ceremony which took place at Boston University in April, 1974. It was my attendance at this event that inspired me to learn more about King Philip's War and to, eventually, write a novel with it at the center.

Dear readers, followers, friends and family members, you have helped to turn a tough personal trip around the sun into a successful professional year. You have purchased more titles from me than during any year since I entered this retirement career in 2016. Many of you have personally given me feedback: encouragement to continue.

She told me “every novel is different.” I had to agree to a point, but I have always tried to discipline myself as an author to complete each stage of creation before starting the next. Always finish the rough draft before moving on to the First Draft. And then to editing. And then rewriting.

A reader of my new novel Conflicting Roots asks for more explanation of the book’s history. “Why did it take so long to complete? It’s hard

In December, I made my first podcast appearance on "Coffee On The Couch." What a great

All three novels of my Lizzie Millett Series rely on their covers to introduce a theme or device which carries throughout each book.

The publishers of so many books today must hope potential readers pay no attention to the covers. They may want you to know the title and...

Matty Wheet’s grandmother Abigail knows secrets about the family’s ancestry, but no one else believes her. In 1978 when Matty learns she...

Has anyone ever published a novel without a title? I think not, but my novel #4 has refused to accept a proper name. The #’s 1 and 2 grew...