Perseverance
I used to think all I had to do was sell a book, and then I’d be set. If I could just get a publisher to offer me a publishing deal, everything else would work out on its own. I . . . (Read More)
Interview with Nicole Castroman!
I interviewed fellow YA pirate author, Nicole Castroman, regarding her debut novel, BLACKHEARTS. About BLACKHEARTS: Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who . . . (Read More)
February Pirate Book Releases
There’s a shortage of YA pirate books in the world. But I’m excited that there are four new pirate books (that I know of) coming out this month! February must be the perfect month for pirates because DAUGHTER OF THE . . . (Read More)
Writer’s Block
There are often days when I don’t want to write. The scene I put into my outline months ago is too complicated. It’s smarter than I am. I can’t possibly write it. And so the writing comes to a halt . . . (Read More)
Real Female Pirates, Part 2
Grace O’Malley was the daughter of the O’Malley Clan’s chieftain, whose holdings were located off the west coast of Ireland in the 16th century. Grace wanted to be on the sea from the time she was little. She . . . (Read More)
Real Female Pirates, Part 1
It bothers me when I hear people discredit movies and books because “women can’t really do that.” The phrase is usually in reference to women having impressive fighting skills, whether it be May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Celaena in . . . (Read More)
Bad Guy Motivations
A few years ago I compiled a list of bad guy motivations. I’m now posting it here. Hope this helps others looking to write three dimensional villains! Remember, writers, villains need to be just as well-rounded as protagonists. They need . . . (Read More)
Query Letter for DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING
I’ve received some requests to see my query letter lately, so I thought I’d post it here. After one round of querying and not getting any bites, the fabulous Elana Johnson took a look and gave me some wonderful advice. “What . . . (Read More)
Saving Malfoy
I love rereading Harry Potter, talking about Harry Potter, and thinking about Harry Potter. And I love when I have these realizations that blow my mind on just how awesome JK Rowling is. One such realization came to me earlier . . . (Read More)
Why Pirates Actually Wore Eye Patches
While it’s certainly true that eye patches were (and are) commonly used to conceal a missing or disfigured eye, that’s not the most common reason for why pirates wore them. I’m sure everyone has experienced a time when they had . . . (Read More)