Blog

SOUL IN DARKNESS Sale & Giveaway!

5/31/2019

This is my birthday week, and I want to celebrate with sweet readers!

Out Now! SOUL IN DARKNESS!

5/31/2019

It’s finally here! Cupid, the god of love and desire, has been patiently waiting to meet you…but he’s a god and he has all the time in the world. I, on the other hand, have been completely impatient! I’m thrilled for you to fall into the mythology of Psyche and Cupid, the quintessential romance. And just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Critique Service vs. Editing Service

5/31/2019

Yes, there is a difference. Both are equally important to the drafting and polishing process of writing and publishing a book.

In general, a critique service focuses on content, while an editing service focuses on the technical side of writing (grammar, punctuation, and spelling.)

Wendy’s Top 10 Ways to Strengthen Your Writing

5/31/2019

Hi writer friends! Here are some elements I focus on while I’m writing and when doing a critique. Hope you find them useful!

Polishing Language in Your Manuscript

5/31/2019

A few lessons from college writing courses, and advice from my HarperCollins editor, have stayed with me over time and greatly improved my writing. The first is strengthening verb usage, and the second is getting rid of unnecessary words/phrases.

What is a Manuscript Critique?

5/31/2019

Among authors, we call a manuscript critique a “beta read.” A critique might be different for each person, so I can only say the kind of feedback I offer. I focus only on content, not technicalities. In other words, I focus on the story and its structure, not spelling, punctuation, or grammar.

Should You Query Before Your Manuscript is Critiqued?

5/31/2019

No. The biggest mistake authors make is trying to rush the process. How do I know? Because I did it myself. We can’t seem to help ourselves. It’s just so exciting! The possibility that an agent or editor at a publishing house will take one look at our story and have stars in their eyes…sigh. It’s like the scene from A ChristmasStory where Ralphie envisions his teacher falling in love with his essay about the Red Ryder BB gun, when in reality, his essay was just okay.

Characterization Through Authentic Dialogue

5/31/2019

Two of the things I focus heavily on in my Critique Services are dialogue and characterizations. My writing tends to be character-driven, meaning the building of my characters and their relationships take precedence in the story. It’s all about the journey of the main and side characters, both physically and mentally/emotionally. In a good story, the characters undergo some sort of change and growth as a result of circumstances in the plot.

Writing a Query Letter

5/31/2019

If you’re like me, you’d rather write a 90,000-word manuscript than to write a 300-word query letter or a five-page synopsis. Trying to condense your incredibly detailed story into a handful of words is difficult and can be stressful. In my critique services, I offer a query letter critique in which I focus on the following things to help your letter be as effective as possible.

Read the First Chapter of SOUL IN DARKNESS!

5/31/2019

AUTHOR NOTE

I read many, many versions of the Cupid/Eros mythology, namely The Golden Ass: Being the Metamorphoses of Lucius Apuleius. Some of them were vastly different, with contradicting details. And many of the versions left me wanting, questioning, confused about a character’s motives. I did what all authors have to do when they choose to write a retelling; I went with the details that felt right for my particular version of the tale, borrowing a little from here, a lot from there, and making up some things of my own. I hope you will forgive any wavering from your preferred account of the story.