Who, as a writer, hasn't stumbled on something interesting and thought these words? I can use this... That was certainly the case when I wrote my current Kindle Vella novel back in 2017, on the heels of the U.S. presidential election. The country was so divided, and I wondered if anything could ever bring us together again. Friendships were broken, marriages cracked, and communities were torn apart. I was quite distressed about it all. What about romance? What could possibly bring two people who were polar opposites politically and in other ways... together in that kind of toxic environment? And, thus, this book description for The Lonely Rancher   was born: Four conservative ranchers. Four feminist businesswomen. The most contentious, divisive presidential election in modern history. When a lonely rancher and a successful businesswoman literally run into each other... sparks fly...   From there, the story evolved into an exploration of what elements could overcome huge philos...

There are so many ways to begin a New Year. We can look back on the previous year and make a list of all the things we are grateful for. We can look forward and make a list of resolutions of all the positive ways we are planning to change ourselves and our lives. What are we doing at the Blood-Red Pencil? The editors are giving you a month of (insert drumroll), their PET PEEVES! Let me dive right in with the one that has been plaguing me for most of 2022. But first some background. If you're reading this blog, you'll know I jumped into the Amazon Kindle Vella publishing platform early in the year. I love it more than ever, so that's not my peeve.  But my pet peeve is related to it. You see, I had to get a new laptop and new MSWord software. And I HATE the newest version of MSWord. In Word 365, the grammar and punctuation errors are relentless. I started making copies of some of the errors in Editor and here are just a handful: I see a capital, don't you? I returned it,...

Let me crow about my successes with Kindle Vella so far this year! First, Amazon just gave me a bonus that was FOUR TIMES more than the previous month. Wow. To say I was delighted is an understatement.  Second, I now have one completed middle grade reader published. Princess Willy Be is still #26 in Top Children's Stories. Read Here I will complete a 28-chapter romance novella this week. It's the prequel to the Morristown Murder Mystery series that will publish next, and I plan to repackage it as a regular eBook to give as a free promotion when the mystery title releases. Read Here I have also started revising and publishing, episode (chapter) by episode, my 2017 NaNoWriMo novel, which is mostly just being tweaked by chapter to make shorter, more readable episodes.  Read Here I am once again a published author. Yay, me! And, apparently, I write in very short paragraphs now. 😁 At this point in my life, it all seems like a miracle. So... money + publication = a Kindle Vella ...

In mid January, our newest member of the Blood Red Pencil, Brynette L. Turner , published an informative post on Amazon's Kindle Vella . The serial format reminded me of the 1940s, when my brother and I walked to the little theater in the small town where we lived on Saturday afternoons to watch episodes of whatever serialized movie was playing. We waited all week for Saturday to arrive so we could see what happened next. Those fond memories caused me to rethink my initial belief that Kindle Vella, while an interesting idea, wasn't for me. That about-face woke me up one night, thinking about this different approach to a book series. First, a storyline for a book series I've been planning for a couple years ran through my mind. Then a second story idea budded and bloomed without the slightest bit of encouragement from me. Both will lend themselves well to serialization. Now I'm excited with the idea and can't wait to get started. But first things first. I need to lea...

I’ve been a writer and editor for decades. In fact, I’ve done so many jobs in the publishing industry, one wonders why I haven’t published more of my own work by now. Seems like that would be a logical step for any writer. So, what always stopped me? Well, the rewards were just never strong enough, I guess. The actual process of writing, too often unenjoyable. Sometimes I loathed sitting down and struggling with the words. I had the ideas and loved brainstorming and researching but pounding away on a keyboard was just too tiresome and time-consuming. I didn't have the passion for the work. I enjoyed editing books for other authors, though, a lot more than editing my own writing. I even enjoyed marketing books for them. Certainly, I loved brainstorming when I worked for publishers who were looking for creative ideas. And, mercy, I love reading more than anything. I could sit and read all day long! Even after 15 years of participating in National Novel Writing Month and Book-in...