What Is Pacing in Writing (and Why Is It Important)? Pacing refers to the flow of time in a story. It can be a challenge because there is no hard and fast rule as to how to set the pacing of a book. The pacing needs to fit the story. For instance, the book Gilead […]
Category: Book Review
Book Review of This Is Where It Ends by Cindy Sproles
This is Where It Ends took me by surprise. I thought I knew what was going to happen by the time I finished the first few chapters. But Cindy K Sproles writes masterfully, slowly revealing the personality, past, and hurts of the main character, Minerva Jane Jenkins, as the story progresses. I did not expect […]
A Book Review of “Remember Me” by Tracie Peterson
Grounded in the setting of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, fans of historical fiction will appreciate the careful research that has gone into the weaving of the latest by prolific author Tracie Peterson. “Remember Me” captures Addie Bryant at her lowest point and traces her journey into safety and hope. Yet her dark past shadows her […]
The Best Books I’ve Read on the Writing Life
There comes a time in every aspiring writer’s life that they decide they want to learn writing from the best writers out there. And that means reading books on writing by successful and well-loved authors. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from. It seems that nearly every successful and established writer has written […]
The 12 Best Books I Read in 2021
I didn’t reach my reading goals for 2021. I started the year with a Reading Challenge on Goodreads of completing 77 books. Didn’t think it would be too challenging. After all, in 2020, I read 126 books (although my initial goal was only 99). In fact, I’ve met or exceeded my reading challenges for the […]
Rest in Joy, Joan Didion
In Memoriam, A Review of The White Album Joan Didion, American novelist and essayist, passed away last week, at the age of 87. Her book, The White Album, was required reading for me to obtain my MFA in Creative Writing. One of my professors loved her work and spoke about it at length. I had […]
Book Review of “Book Proposals That Sell” by W. Terry Whalin
I just read “Book Proposals That Sell” by W. Terry Whalin. And here’s the one-sentence review: If you are a writer – especially if you are a writer aspiring to be a traditionally published author one day – this book is extremely helpful and informative. And here’s the longer book review of Book Proposals That […]
Bonita Jewel 