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Saturday, January 2, 2016

Recommended Book Series by Liliana Hart and One Main Writing Thought to Hold Dear

Welcome to the New Year 2016! Hope you started it off with a bang, working toward your ultimate goal. Dream big. Don't talk yourself out of it (or let ANYBODY deter you). Take a calculated risk. And then another. Best wishes!

Now for a book series I love and reread often: the J. J. Graves mystery series by Liliana Hart. While I have enjoyed all this author's books that I've read so far, my next favorite is her Addison Holmes mystery series. Obviously I do like my mysteries, but these have that something extra. The first, with a relatable strong female lead in J. J. Graves, is like the TV series Bones only in a small-town setting, including a love story. Can't say enough good things about this series by Hart. I keep reading it to discover the author's secrets to writing such an engaging story, but I get sucked up in the tale every time. That's a good thing. Something all us authors should strive for.

If you enjoy Janet Evanovich's bounty hunter series starring Stephanie Plum's antics (another wonderful rereadable series), then you should also like Liliana Hart's Addison Holmes mystery series.

Did you watch the short video with Liliana Hart in one of the recent Amazon newsletters?  Hart spoke about hearing from readers, how they enjoyed reading her books while going through harsh events in their lives. Storytellers everywhere need to remember this. While, yes, I would love to write the next Great American Novel, can't I also write it while penning something fun for readers to read? Something for purely entertainment purposes? Give yourself permission to write both kinds of novels.

As a reader myself, I know I want to escape to my ultimate dream reality and/or to experience something vicariously (whether traveling the globe or outsmarting a bad guy on my tail) and/or to learn on paper how to deal with whatever real life throws us (bullies, bad bosses, abusive relationships or just to stand up for myself and for what's right, etc.) and/or to laugh a bit.

I know we authors can be supercritical of ourselves. Maybe we should redirect that to our stories. I know. These tales we weave are our babies. Criticize them and we end up criticizing us. Maybe with the passage of time we can accept some "contrary" suggestions. Meanwhile, as we write our imaginings, I suggest we focus on playing, on having fun, on finding what would give us the most joy to write, in a world where we would choose to live, inhabited by our favorite characters, having that ultimate dream life I mentioned above. Be present while creating.

Somewhere in my voracious assimilation of info gathered from myriad avenues, I read how someone (Tim Ferriss?) went a day without complaining (about anybody, including himself/herself). Why don't we try that with our own writing? One day at a time ... Save the critiques for plotting (before story time begins) and final edits (after The End is written, whether actually or just theoretically).

Let me know how it goes for you.

"If your vocation isn’t a vacation, then quit, leap, change careers."

Denise Barker, Author, Blogger, Copy Editor
Books that Build Character(s)


What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. Ralph Waldo Emerson
When you give someone a book, you don’t give him just paper, ink, and glue.  You give him the possibility of a whole new life. Christopher Morley
The best inheritance you can leave your kids is an example of how to live a full and meaningful life. Dan Zadra

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