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New Release: Sundays with Oliver
I’ve been talking about this book for so long that there shouldn’t be a lot left to say. But, hey, this is me. I can always find another word or two. Sundays with Oliver feels very much like the next logical step in my journey as a writer. Once again, I draw on my own life as a jump-off point as my daughter packed up her life and went away to college. I then went on to explore other aspects of mid-life: Becoming an empty nester Having adult children Taking a moment (or twenty) to look back at everything you’ve done and wonder: has it been enough? Learning to come to terms with…
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The Unforeseen Impact of Book Reviews
Authors and book reviews, book reviews and authors—the never-ending entanglement of conflicting emotions, eliciting everything from exuberance, passion, and pleasure to sadness, fury, and sometimes humiliation. No author, no matter how well received, is safe from the biting sting of the disparaging critique. “The unflattering reviews are painful for short periods of time; the badly written ones are deeply, deeply insulting. That reviewer took no time to really read the book.” Toni Morrison The wide range of emotions generated by having your work and creativity publicly judged can make some authors cringe while others jump for joy. “For me, one of the most challenging aspects of being a published author…
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The Land of Lost Chapters
Recently, while sorting my writing folders, I stumbled across some very old works-in-progress. Cue me spending a morning reading unfinished stories and forgetting to do any work. I found stories I loved and a couple that, frankly, should be burned, digital or not. But in the process, I conceived this blog post about all the half-finished stories nearly every writer has hidden away somewhere. Continue reading this post on Kelly’s blog ->
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Book Chat with Sahar Abdulaziz
Our own Sahar Abdulaziz was interviewed recently Mary Rowen of MaryRowen.com Book Chat is back! This week, I’m thrilled to be joined by the amazing Sahar Abdulaziz. Several years ago, Sahar and I worked with the same publisher, but I didn’t really become familiar with her work until I discovered–and fell in love with–her novel Unlikely Friends. As some of you may know, I’m a fan of stories that feature intergenerational friendships, and Unlikely Friends is a wonderful example of such a story. But that’s only the beginning. Sahar is also a brilliant writer of suspense, non-fiction, and more. So without further ado…. Keep reading
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Forever Friends- A New Release From Sahar Abdulaziz
Earlier this month, Shaggy Dog Books’ own Sahar Abdulaziz, released the forth and final book in The Abernathy & Crane Series. Forever Friends is a story about the unending pursuit of love, the power of friendship, and the amount of trust and selflessness needed when giving everything might mean having nothing left. Love is in the air! —along with anxiety, obstruction, and uncertainty. Irwin wants to feel happy for Harper and Christopher, but what will their marriage ultimately mean for him? Will the young, madly in-love couple move far away? Will Harper’s parents, Irwin’s dear friends, soon follow? Can Irwin prevent Harper and her mother from killing each other?…
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Interview with Kelly Jensen
The word “prolific” definitely applies to the Shaggy Dog author we’re talking with today! Kelly Jensen thus far has over twenty books released, and several more will soon be joining them if I’m not mistaken. Some are available as audiobooks as well as e-books and/or in print, and I see on her Amazon page a few have been translated into German! Impressive. Most are contemporary romance, and I’ve enjoyed reading several of them. SMJ: If I’m not mistaken, you didn’t begin your writing life as a novelist, but rather by writing non-fiction articles. What made you decide to venture into fiction? KJ: Fan-fiction, which I didn’t even know was a…
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Tiny Creature Tales
Stories by M.A. Moore Cover, Photographs and Sketches by Nancy Tully Five children’s short stories involving the adventures of backyard critters found in the Pocono Mountains. All told through the eyes of the beasties themselves! Follow the intrepid Monty Monarch and his friend, Henrietta Ruby-Throat, as they grow up facing danger and realize the importance of friendship. While Grandpa Wood Turtle teaches a lesson to young hatchlings and a sassy rabbit named Bunny. All stories grandmother and seven-year-old approved! Available at: amazon.com for $12, http://www.amzn.com/dp/B09fccldmr or Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center gift shop for $10 All proceeds go to the KC Environmental Education Fund.
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Interview with Sahar Abdulaziz
Today we have an opportunity to speak with Shaggy Dog author Sahar Abdulaziz, who writes in a wide variety of genres. I would say from dark psychological thrillers to warm-hearted satire covers quite a range! Sahar, I’ve read many of your excellent books and enjoyed them immensely. Most recently, the third volume in your Abernathy and Crane series. SMJ: One thing I appreciate about your books in any genre is how alive your characters become to your readers. Since I mentioned the series, where did Irwin Abernathy come from? He’s truly an unforgettable character! SA: Thank you. My stories are all character-driven, for sure. If I can make them…
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The Origins of The Case Of The Missing Monarch
Life became pretty lonely when the pandemic lockdown began in March 2020. But the birds began arriving a few weeks later, and escape to the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge became my sanctuary and link to the outside world. I teamed up with a fellow birder who remained as diligent as I about masking and social distancing. The Case of the Missing Monarch started out as a serial sent to a select two to lift all our spirits, and document some of our nature adventures at the Refuge. I added a murder mystery plot and a couple of interesting leading characters who go to a lot of trouble to find…
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Writing Blocks
Like most writers, I enjoy talking about my craft. Much of my process is patched together with tips from friends, writers’ blogs, workshops, and books. So, it’s my hope, when I post an article like this, that my tips will help someone else refine their process—or at least give them something new to try. This post is about what I call Writing Blocks. When I first added the topic to my list, I tried to think of a clever way to tie my title into what is often considered a writer’s greatest nemesis, the dreaded block. Perhaps you’ve landed here thinking just that! If so, this post might help, because—for me—the easiest…
