Recently I listened to a short story, Slingshot by Souvankham Thammavongsa , being read on the podcast Selected Shorts too hot for Radio . The story centers around a 70-year-old woman who meets a 32-year-old man, her neighbor, Richard, and they start a short, but intense, relationship. The woman has been a widow for 30 years and in her words, “I hadn't had sex for such a long time that I could consider myself a virgin. I couldn't remember how it all happens."  That story, originally published in Harper's magazine in 2018 , made me wonder how many other stories are now being written about older characters being in love and having sex. That's not something we tend to acknowledge very often. It's as if we don't think older people have those desires. But they do. Recent studies, such as this one in Prevention Magazine , indicate that people well into their 80s and 90s still want romance and physical intimacy. "Sex isn't like a carton of milk that goes ...

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...

Most independent authors recognize that promoting our novels is a crucial factor in our success. The Kindle Vella platform for serials is no exception. However, I’ve found that it presents a few challenges for novelists as we venture into this new format. How do we find new readers or encourage established fans to try serials? How do we promote episodes? The approaches are varied, so I’ll discuss what I’ve done and some of the efforts I’ve seen from other KV authors. Consistency with images and colors helps with branding, right? I repeat them across a variety of platforms. Twitter allows hashtags for retweeting groups, targeting followers, and reaching people who enjoy serials and romance. Facebook pages/groups allow interacting with readers/writers already familiar with Kindle Vella, updating friends and previous followers, and sharing excerpts. I put links on Twitter to an excerpt on my website and add Kindle Vella links in my newsletter. My first project’s promoting has focused on (...

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...

On February 15, 2022, the eighth book in my Silver Rush historical mystery series, THE SECRET IN THE WALL , officially descends upon the world. Here's a little teaser for you: Former saloon owner Inez Stannert is trying her best to keep her colorful Leadville, Colorado, life behind her and to provide a respectable home and upbringing for her teenage ward, Antonia. Now the owner of a small music shop in San Francisco, Inez can’t seem to steer clear of mayhem as murder victims literally come out of the woodwork. She’ll have to figure out how to lose the bones and keep the gold. Now, a confession: When I turned in my draft to the editor in late 2020, the pub date seemed soooo far away. Plenty of time to re-group and prepare, I thought. But 2021 disappeared in a haze. Maybe because the year didn't turn out at all like I thought it would (I'm sure I'm not alone in that). Maybe because other projects consumed me. Whatever the reason, 2022 arrived awfully fast and (yikes!) I r...

Author, editor, educator Shonell Bacon has been a member of the Blood-Red Pencil since 2009. She writes across the genres of Romance and Crime, along with non-fiction. Check out her book on how to Make Your Writing Bloom ! Or click the poster below to browse all her books on her Amazon page .

 From blog team member, Brynette L. Turner . Click over to her Amazon page here . As an added treat from the author, a little birthday present for her readers . One day only on February 6, 2022! Happy reading!

I know the Blood Red Pencil blog is about writing, but TV scripts are written, so give me a little latitude here. Nowadays, some of the best suspense/thriller/mystery writing is coming out of TV scripts. My husband and I never streamed series TV until late last year, but because of the coronavirus, contentious political TV, and movies we’ve seen a dozen times, we decided to settle in for some serious watching. Here are a few of the great shows that hooked us. After I found out Blacklist (Netflix) wasn’t about the 1950s House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), something that always fascinated me, I didn’t particularly want to watch it, but I like James Spader, so I thought it was worth a try. We loved it. Eight seasons, with 22 shows per season later, we can’t wait for season 9. If you like crime fiction and can overlook the stories’ impossibilities and suspend your disbelief, you’ll love this show. The skinny: Raymond (Red) Reddington, Spader, is #1 on the FBI’s wanted lis...

 “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou That quote from the talented poet, performer, and activist who passed from this life in 2014 really resonates with me, as I’ve long believed that we have to keep the creative juices flowing. It's definitely not good for any kind of productivity with our work if we stagnate. What we do to prime the pump, so to speak, can take many forms. If you’re a writer, write That seems like a non-starter for writers. That's what we do, right? But too often we get distracted by social media, things life throws at us, or an impulse to play a game instead of getting into the groove. What we need to be doing is writing first.  As the wonderful writer Anne Lamott says, “How to write: Butt in chair. Start each day anywhere. Let yourself do it badly. … Get butt back in chair.” Back when I was a lot more prolific as a writer, before Ramsay Hunt Syndrome decided to cozy up to me and bring along the gift of optic ner...

 Before we turn our backs on 2021, it only makes sense that we reflect back on those books that lingered with us as we hunkered down and rode the waves of "Pandemic Year #2" (ugh! whatta year!).  In no particular order (well, okay, in the order in which they were received), here are the BRP bloggers and their stated favorites from the-year-that-will-not-be-named-again (at least in this post): Diana Hurwitz Jack Castle's fantasy/sci-fi books   Deborah Crombie's mysteries The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell   Dani Greer Andrea Penrose's Wrexford & Sloane mystery series Mimi Matthews' Parish Orphans of Devon series Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick Katherine Center's standalones Ann Parker Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January historical mystery series  (Hambly also writes a LOT of fantasy) Silverview by John le Carré Elle Carter Neal Middle-grade book  The House at the Edge of Magic by Amy Sparkes ,...

Hello everyone! I’m excited to share my thoughts on Kindle Vella as an author who has primarily written novels and novellas. I’m admittedly new to both the serial format and the platform, but it wasn’t hard to jump right in, get positive feedback from other Vella authors, and start making money before my first episode was released. Let me share a few experiences, tips, and perspectives. Let’s talk first about the structure of the Kindle Vella platform. Stories can be easily uploaded as a Word document or the text copied and pasted into the content box. Each episode must be between 600 and 5000 words and even can be scheduled for release. The first three episodes are available to read for free but authors are still compensated for them using a bonus program that Amazon assures will be ongoing. When crafting the story, it’s important to make readers want to unlock episodes. I try to create unresolved conflicts, unexplored possibilities, personal or professional challenges, and hints at...

A New Year is like hitting the reset key. Full of hope and new possibilities. ~ Deb Komiter This is how every new year should begin, though I’ll be honest with you - the last two have been difficult with all the world’s pandemic challenges.  I almost gave up writing, even skipping out on NaNoWriMo 2021 , which has been a writing habit and creative springboard for the past 14 years. I’m not the only writer with this issue. Several authors I know gave up on NaNoWriMo, too. They also mentioned trying something called Kindle Vella, which caught my attention.  What is Kindle Vella you might wonder? I did a quick Google search, and found some information, though the platform is still in the early days. This was the best overview and is worth a read.  There is also limited information on Amazon’s site, and I like that they address the platform from both writer and reader perspectives. You can read more here .  Still, it all seems a bit vague to me. First, let me admit I do...