Category Archives: Fiction

Good News in Author-Land

Posted on May 16, 2013 by

It seems like after many years of hard work, staring down the blank page, a number of my writer-friends have been getting recognized for their talents. There has been so much good news in my community lately. For instance, my … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

ARCs!

Posted on April 29, 2013 by

They’re here, they’re here! We’ve printed the first round of ARCs, or advance reader copies, of Stevan Allred’s A Simplified Map of the Real World, a linked short story collection about a small, rural town. Forest Avenue Press, my small press, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Publishing, small press | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Success Stories: Polly Dugan’s Big Book News

Posted on March 29, 2013 by

You know the dream? The dream that starts with a call from an agent and continues with a two-book deal with a major New York publisher? I’m so excited to announce that Polly Dugan, an Oregon writer I know, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

A Bit of Sweetness (From Chapter Four)

Posted on March 18, 2013 by

I promised myself I’d get back into my novel this month. Forest Avenue Press will still be my primary focus, but I want to make room in my life for Henri, my protagonist now languishing in Chapter Four, draft two, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Revision, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The Amazing Amanda Coplin

Posted on March 14, 2013 by

Imagine an overflow crowd of readers, asking questions about your characters as if they were real people. I was one of the few people at Annie Bloom’s Books in Portland on Monday night who hadn’t yet experienced The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Reading, Writing | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Finding Readers: A Series on Effective Book Promotion

Posted on February 11, 2013 by

Welcome to my new series, Finding Readers. There are a lot of us authors and publishers out there, and we’re all competing for a relatively small pool of passionate readers. I often hear “I wish I had more time to read.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Finding Readers, Publishing, small press, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Interview: Author Chris Bournéa on Identity, Place and Dialogue

Posted on January 21, 2013 by

Chris Bournéa has written an epic feel-good novel. The Chloe Chronicles is a modern-day fairytale that spins story after story about the lovely Chloe Bareaux, daughter of a single, hard-working, style-conscious Parisian mom, and Chloe’s best friend, the boy-crazy Gigi … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Seven Questions | Tagged , , | 34 Comments

The Next Big Thing

Posted on January 17, 2013 by

Two dear blogging friends, Jo Eberhardt at The Happy Logophile and Anthony Lee Collins at U-town, tagged me for The Next Big Thing. I am excited to report that answering these questions shifted my brain back into novel-writing gear. (It has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Plot, Writing | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

What Makes a Good Rejection? (With Free Books for Prizes!)

Posted on January 10, 2013 by

One of the unexpected consequences of starting a micro press and opening for submissions is needing to create a form rejection letter. We’re getting really wonderful queries so far, but since we’re only planning to publish two or three books each year, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Community, Contest, Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

Author Interview: Anthony Lee Collins Discusses Serial Fiction, Creating a World and Writing for an Online Audience

Posted on December 31, 2012 by

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! I’m pleased to share a special Seven Questions interview with you today by the most frequent commenter here on this blog. He leaves insightful, thought-provoking remarks, which often trigger ideas for new blog posts, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Seven Questions, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments