#authorlife
Behind the scenes of the writing life, including protips and personal best practices
The road between the storms
Storm vs lull = success The storm called RUSSIAN MOJITO has ended. The lull has arrived, allowing me to catch my breath and attend to all the housekeeping chores that built up while my brain was whirling with MOJITO. The modern do-it-yourself author has a...
Writing a mystery: 3 essential questions
RUSSIAN MOJITO, Detective Emilia Cruz Book 7, will be released on 6 June. It is undoubtedly the most complex mystery I've ever written. Emilia's whole future is on the line. Mystery writing: the big start Every Emilia Cruz novel has multiple plot lines. My...
Open Letter to 2019
Dear 2019, With the benefit of having lived through your younger brother known as 2018, you will find me a bit changed. Older, wiser, and a bit more cunning. Love, Carmen From 2018, with love Every year, instead of a list of easily-forgotten resolutions,...
10 Lessons from Killer Nashville
The Killer Nashville International Writer’s Conference was the first of its kind I’ve ever attended. I didn’t know quite what to expect but tried to put my best foot forward: Served on 3 panels (Writing Spies and Espionage, Settings, Witness Reliability),...
The creative process according to Tolkien (and me)
Last week I sat down with fantasy author Vee James to talk about the creative process. He’s the author of NECCABASHAR, the tale of a young demon climbing the corporate ladder in Hell with hilarious results. (Comedy Channel, take note. This is your next breakout...
10 Winning Rituals to Bust the Broken Resolution Cycle
We make resolutions, fight the good fight for a while, and then lose track and lose heart. Sigh. This year, break the resolution-defeat-discouragement cycle before it gets going. Start some rituals instead. These 10 help me keep writing, hit deadlines,...
Playing Big as an Author
I was on Facebook recently (who among us can’t start a sentence that way?) and someone in a writers group asked what was our biggest concern. My answer was “Playing small.” Does anybody else feel like this? Although I’ve been a published author for 5 years, I can’t...
“Authorize” Advice from Pulitizer Prize Author Richard Ford
Last year, I was lucky enough to attend the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival. Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Ford was guest speaker and winner of the 2015 F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Literature. Ford is the author of...
The Importance of a Fatal Flaw
Mysteries are all about complicated people solving complicated plots. We love characters with issues—even a Fatal Flaw--that make them vulnerable and real. It’s why Spenser has his Code, why John Rebus hangs out in the Oxford Bar, why a 1000-year-old spirit lives...
10 Ways to Get a Clue
How many moving parts does it take to build a mystery novel? Do you want the short answer? (lots) Or the long answer? (lots and lots) Building Blocks Now, I'm not whining over the terrible fate of being a mystery author. Actually, I like being a mystery author. I like...
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