Hear the Character’s Voice: Interview & Giveaway

“The first part of a book for me is hearing the character’s voice in my head. I don’t even take out a pen until I hear it strongly and consistently.”

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War as Setting: Books by Steve Watkins + GIVEAWAY!

Steve Watkins’s novel SINK OR SWIM takes readers to North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island one summer during World War II.

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Be Open to Rewriting (& Book Giveaway!)

This month I visited Alaska’s Denali National Park—not in person, but in prose—when I read Hannah Moderow‘s debut novel Lily’s…

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When a protagonist goes missing…

This month I read a YA novel that defies literary convention. It’s a mystery, but not a mystery. There’s a…

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Believe your Story (Goodreads Giveaway: WIREWALKER)

Mary Lou Hall‘s debut novel Wirewalker came out in September 2016, introducing YA readers to 14 year-old Clarence Feather, a…

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Anne Blankman on emotional truth in historical fiction, & YA ARC giveaway

Today I want to sing the praises of Richmond, Virginia’s writing community! I’m fortunate to be surrounded by poets, novelists,…

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Writing about cancer: talking craft with Dean Gloster

This month, after devouring Dean Gloster‘s debut YA novel Dessert First, I just had to track down the author and…

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Sailing Oceans with Padma Venkatraman

How’s this for serendipity? When I met conference keynoter Padma Venkatraman at the James River Writers conference in October 2016,…

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