First Word

  Today’s topic is about using the point of view and the feelings of the character to apply it in how your descriptions unfold. In writing One Little Lie , I am writing in the first person. I chose the first-person narrative so I could convey the depth of the character’s feelings, but also to allow the prose to unfold from that person’s perspective. You have to remember that if you decide to use the first person narrative, you will be restricted to the knowledge of that person. You’re up in the narrator’s head, and the narrator only observes and hears from the other characters.   I’ve used several types of techniques. I decided to use first person in One Little Lie , because it’s a deeply personal and emotional tale. The story revolves around one character’s story of transformation, from open naivete and hopeful trust to the rude awakening of a narcissistic liar’s duplicity. You go through the experience of her transformation with her and see it unfold throu...

 The Kindle version is only $2.99 at Amazon ( click here )   5.0 out of 5 stars Sexy, provocative, murder mystery! By D. B. Stearns, Author Harmonic Wars on June 15, 2016 Format: Paperback If you’re looking for an erotic thriller, Michelle Gamble has written a winner with Body in the Trunk. This murder mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat. Gamble does an excellent job capturing and expressing the heart pounding attraction between lovers and the jealousy of a failed marriage. I loved the realism of the characters and how they struggled with temptation, but how deeply they connected to each other. Excellent book and a real page turner!    Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse 5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read! By Deirdre Krezek on January 13, 2016 F...

Did you know a book cover (not content) can sometimes be the determinant of whether or not a book sells? I know authors may feel disappointment that a visual aid could make or break their books, but it's one of those realities. Here is what I know about great book covers: Sex always sells . It is just the way it is and no use in fighting mother nature. So a compelling and sizzling sexual cover can do wonders to pique curiosity and sales. Beauty sells though too . One of our authors was stuck on whether to go sexy or beautiful. She went beautiful on instinct and her book cover for Passenger from Greece was acknowledged with a finalist award. Headline treatments can stand on their own . A compelling title combined with an interesting use of typography and white space can provide the tools for some fantastic book covers. Mystery and intrigue provide the basis for great covers . Think about 50 Shades of Grey , a now iconic book cover. It had a lure of dark mystery ab...

I have been coaching a new writer whose book is titled Grains of Truth . It's enjoyable to work with a first-time writer, which is one of the specialties of 3L Publishing . We like to work with people from the beginning of the process to the end. I always tell writers it's better to use our consulting and coaching at the beginning of a project vs. the end. The reason is time. A new writer who is inexperienced can easily get off-track. When they bring a fiction or nonfiction book to us and it got off-track then they often feel discourage because all the work has to be revised. If you start at the beginning we can guide, coach and provide our expertise to help you write a winning first draft.   The number one benefit of using a book coach is accountability . When you start a new project and get distracted, you might find it easy to quit working. With a coach you will be encouraged and held accountable for your goals. Just having someone who is invested in your su...

Chapter 6             I sat at the small, black desk with the white bucket chair in my hotel room. I kept looking at Evan’s card as I sat in front of my laptop computer now online. I kept wondering about him. How did he know I was in this hotel? Did he see me earlier? My phone rang: Paul’s name appeared again. It was a three-hour time difference. He never called me on the road. One time I went on a three-week vacation to see my cousins in Wisconsin, and he hadn’t called me the entire time. My cousins had never asked about it, but I could tell they had thought it was strange. Paul just didn’t seem to care anymore – out of sight as they say.             “Hi, what’s up?”             “Lulu is crying all day. She has a cold and doesn’t feel good. You need to come home!” he flatly demanded.  ...

Buy it on Kindle for $5.99 ( click here ) Chapter 3 I attended an annual multimedia trade show in New York City at the Convention Center every year. My company M Marketing and Graphics bought a 10 x 10 booth, and we always seemed to sit across from this Japanese electronics company where the diminutive Asian sales girls wore five-inch heels presumably to make up for their lack of height. I marveled at any woman, short or not, who would dare to wear platform shoes for more than an hour much less 10 hours on a cement trade-show floor. I, on the other hand, wore my comfortable, flat Mary Janes to match my slim black skirt and lavender silk blouse with silver buttons on the two breast pockets that gave it sparkle. I tucked it in with a wide belt with silver infinity clasps in the center to give it a modern, chic flair. I loved trade shows – the energy and meeting potential clients face-to-face. Most of my life was spent in my home office at my computer working...

 Buy it on Kindle for $5.99 ( click here ) Chapter 2             Tess McGree stood in the lobby of the City of Sacramento Police Station, touching various icons on her iPad. She hardly noticed the door opening and closing as police officers passed her. She was a pretty strawberry blonde with light freckles on her face and chest, and she had emerald green eyes that were lowered keenly toward the screen. She was a tenacious 32-year old who came to the station every single day to wait for Detective Phil Harris, the subject of her new book. She was determined to write a nonfiction tale based on a case being investigated by Detective Harris of whom she also had a huge crush. Phil was a sweet charmer with dark brown hair, and two eye colors (brown and blue) that Tess didn’t notice the first few times they talked. One day she was picking his brilliant mind, and she had noticed his eyes, which had muddied ...

  Chapter 18             Phil had left Tess a message that he had more “stories” to tell her. He asked her to meet him at Selland’s Kitchen in El Dorado Hills for an early dinner. He said his trip paid off. Tess had also mentioned that she had something to tell him, too. She got ready that morning in her basement apartment in the back of the Victorian that had its own door to the street so Grandma Murphy didn’t always know when she came or went. But Grandma would ever keep tabs except for bigger trips. She cared about her granddaughter’s safety not her daily activities. Today though just as Tess was slipping on a pair of pink suede flats with a black bow on the toes, Grandma appeared in the doorway.             “Hey Murph,” she greeted the older lady.             Grandma walked over and inspected her ...