This morning I was struck by how birds readily adapt to change. In lieu of what at one time was their normal venue, they're now in the habit of perching on wires. Not only that, they've built nests in the fixtures on our patio, they sit on top of shovels and broom handles, and today I found some sitting on the branches I'd placed in a bin, due to a windstorm. The birds flew off before I could show them to you, but note what they left behind on the shovel. Birds adapt, and authors can and do. Countless have taken the plunge and are self-publishing, either all or some of their books, in e-book and/or print format. Some, myself included, have either hired illustrators for covers, or even created their own book covers, through such resources as Amazon Cover Creator.  Many readers have also adapted, and use e-readers, instead of, or as well as print books. I like both, but lean toward reading from my Kindle most of the time. Promotions also have changed. Before, booksignings...

Dreamstime Stock Photos © Judy Ben Joud Yesterday, while walking my dog, Rascal, the crows seemed to be in a frenzy, hopping around, squawking their heads off. Hearing their raucous chatter reminded me of how I'm just the opposite. Unless I know a person very well, it's hard for me to open up and talk. I've heard other authors are also like me, semi-recluses, more relaxed sitting at their computers than in the company of live people. When it comes to sharing any of my accomplishments, I'm more comfortable doing so online. Still, it doesn't come easy. I go through the motions, but am not exactly thrilled about expanding on what I've done. I much prefer bragging about someone else. Since I suspect I'm not the only one out there who hates to crow, I'll make it easy for you. I invite each person who reads this blog to crow about one thing you've accomplished. If you're not a writer, you can always mention something else, like getting a...

Did you ever start a book, expect one thing, but get another? Well, that author's tone may have been off. An author needs to make a conscious decision about the tone or mood of a story, and project that decision through word choices. That may not happen in the first draft when the aim is to get the story out of the mind and onto the manuscript, but it better happen before publication. Otherwise, there'll be some mighty confused readers out there. A confused reader is not a happy reader. It would take up too much space to delve into every genre and every mood. For the sake of brevity, I'm offering an example from the romantic comedy, A Perfect Angel , which is my current work in progress. Whatever dire happenings occur to a hero or heroine in a romantic comedy, the story's overall impression should be of humor. Here's my heroine, who was dumped by her guy. She decides to cope with her situation by going to a nightclub on what would have been her wedding night....