Some of my favorite (finished) fantasy series
There are a lot of amazing fantasy series out there, but many – or so it feels – are still works in progress. That means waiting for the next book to come out, sometimes for years (looking at you GRRM & Rothfuss!). So, here are some of my favorite *finished* series. Most come from the […]
Posting daily for 30 days on Instagram: Tactics & Lessons learned
In May, I came across an Instagram post that mentioned posting daily as one way to grow both on the platform and fuel mailing list growth. Many authors and influencers make a point of posting daily, so I decided to take the bull by the horns and try it. Here’s how I did it and […]
Five things I wish I knew before commissioning art as an author
Over the last two decades or so, I’ve approached haircuts in different ways: Going in and saying “I trust you, do your thing” and the opposite extreme of “here are some images of the style I’d like.” There was also the one time I used a verbal reference to a celebrity’s haircut, and the hairdresser […]
10 lessons from my first year of being a published author
On March 20th, with the arrival of Spring came my “bookversary”: My debut young adult novel “Flight of an Orphan Thief” turned one! Without dwelling on the fact that technically this post is late and I missed my first baby’s birthday – we authors and mothers carry enough guilt as is! – I wanted to […]
Deleted Scene from “Flight of an Orphan Thief”
While “Flight of an Orphan Thief” is told exclusively from Ayla’s perspective, here you discover a deleted scene from Ro’s point of view.
Author interview: Claude Forthomme on why not to self-publish, a love of writing, and multiculturalism
Claude Forthomme and I crossed virtual paths when I was the Head of Communications for the Women’s Brain Project and we collaborated on a piece on brain health for Impakter, where she is a Senior Editor. A few years later, after I finally read her book “Crimson Clouds” (yes, I have a monster TBR pile), […]
Author Interview: Ryan Artes on the Poetry of Identity
Have you ever met someone who was poetry? I met Ryan Artes serendipitously when I was in my last year at university, and we realized with a start that we shared two very close friends, even though we had somehow never crossed paths – until we did. Fifteen years later, when he told me he […]
Self-publishing on Amazon KDP: 6 Lessons
Back in March, I self-published my first novel. It has been an exciting journey, and I thought I would share some lessons learned about the whole process of self-publishing using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (or “Amazon KDP”). Going in, I decided I would keep things as stress-free as possible, understanding that as a first-time self-published […]
A letter to my Impostor Syndrome
Dear Impostor Syndrome, While I know you’re always lurking, I appreciate that most of the time my cheerleader voice is louder than yours. You might be frustrated that despite your insistence to stick around, I refuse to let you interfere in all the things I set out to do. Fair, I suppose. I’m frustrated that […]
Advance Reader Copy: The magic of ARCs
I remember when I first came across the term “ARC”, short for “Advance Reader Copy”. It sounded like a promise and a responsibility, but more importantly, a badge of honor – and proof that you weren’t a bystander, a mere spectator. You had a toe in the backstage waters. What’s the difference between being a […]