

For Writers: The People You'll Meet
Exhibiting at a book show or participating in a conference have one thing in common: They cost money. Whether the author lives in a...


Critique Groups: Worth the Pain?
I’m working on my tenth novel, the beginning of a new series. Yesterday I endured a critique of my chapters 4 – 7 from my critique group,...


Facing Rejection With a Smile
One of my favorite shows is the Great British Baking Show because of the support and good cheer the competitors give each other. It is...
Memoirs as Writers' Resource
My company has just published Eight Decades from Busti to Baltimore, the autobiography of Norman Hazzard. Subtitle: A simple farm boy’s...
Tips for Writers: Exhibiting at a Book Fest
Fall is approaching. Book Fests are popping up after the hot summer hiatus. Here’s what works if you are exhibiting at a book fest. *...


Evidence from the Earth
This summer I visited the Geology Museum in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, on the western shore of the Bay of Fundy. The area is known as the...


Victorian Dress Reform
Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919) yearned to become a physician and to work as one, but, of course, in a sad story we’ve heard too many...


A Cure for Writer's Block
I’ve had a hard time writing my ninth novel, the fifth in the 90s Club cozy mystery series. I’ve felt stale and bored and a bit...


Pitfalls in Writing Police Procedurals
In January, the Chessie Chapter of Sisters in Crime presented a panel of former law enforcement officers who write mysteries and...


On Banning Books
In 2019, the total number of books published in the U.S. exceeded 4 million—including both self-published and commercially published...