“Creating that all important sense of danger, wonder, and high adventure that genre fans crave she delivers a thoughtful narrative that engages and enthralls from the very start, achieving an equitable balance between her reimagined human world and fantasy that tugs at the heart strings.” How cool is this?? Drake and the Fliers received an…
Over two years ago, I participated in a genre mashup flash fiction challenge – the “genres” I was randomly assigned were dystopian and shapeshifting. I took some literary license and went more post-apocalyptic than dystopian, and I created a short story about a teenage boy who survives a global pandemic only to be gifted the ability…
When I published my first book twenty-one months ago (two years ago come February, so you don’t have to math), I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I’d sell some copies, probably my friends would read it, and it would get a handful reviews (hopefully good ones). If you’ve followed the blog for a…
I had so much fun making the trailer for Drake and the Fliers that I had to take a stab at Project Renovatio. Like Drake’s, I made this one without paying for anything (click on the Drake post to see how). I’d love to know what you think!
If you want to get your book into the hands of more readers, running sales is an effective strategy. Most authors do one of two things: run a $0.99 promotion or offer the ebook for free. Which is the better tactic depends on whom you ask. I’m currently running a free ebook promotion for Drake…
Welcome to the latest Bonus Material post for Drake and the Fliers. This one’s gonna get a little musical. Some writers use music for inspiration. I know of a couple who got whole story ideas from a song (I had one for a short story). This isn’t quite like that. As I write, I hear songs…
I saw this pic on Twitter, shared by @TheUnNovelist. This could be the best part about writing – you get to walk around in someone else’s skin for a while (and I don’t mean that in a creepy Silence of the Lambs kind of way). Want to see life through the eyes of a child? Or…
This post is full of secrets and spoilers. It also includes snippets of drafts from the very beginning of my writing practice. So, you know . . . I was learning. *clears throat* Project Renovatio has a longer history than my other books. In fact, it was the first novel I completed. It was not…
There’s something going around on Facebook. Don’t worry, it’s not a virus. At least I don’t think it is. Though there’s a high likelihood you’ll come down with a severe case of forehead smacking, given this election cycle. What I’m referring to is summed up pretty well in this picture. These kinds of memes always…
One of the Great Truths in the Writer’s Bible is this: the cover can make or break the success of your book. Doesn’t matter how good the stuff inside is. If the cover isn’t intriguing (or worse, if it’s deterring), if it doesn’t compel the potential reader to buy/borrow, it hasn’t done its job. Period. Since…
Allison Maruska 