Amazon:
High Peaks Publishing:
For a signed
copy, send your name and a mailing address to ShieldsBooks2018@gmail.com.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
It's a good day to buy Time Capsule
It's a good time to buy a copy of Time Capsule. Trust me, it's no turkey. Happy Thanksgiving.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
32 days until Christmas
Amazon:
High Peaks Publishing:
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Feast of the Seven Fishes a holiday tradition
What could be better than a winter street festival
celebrating the Italian tradition of feasting on Christmas Eve? Come to downtown
Fairmont on December 14 to enjoy great food and wine, delight in the music of
the season and shop local artisans for your holiday wish list.
And be sure to stop by Adams Office Supply to meet me and
pick up an autographed copy of my first novel, Time Capsule.
Vieni a festeggiare.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Q&A with the author – Part 10 of 10
Q. When did you know you wanted to be a
writer?
A. I started at a very early
age. When I was a kid of 10 or 12, I wrote a neighborhood newspaper. It was
laid out in pencil on notebook paper and probably reported on the day’s wiffle
ball game or somebody’s birthday party. (I forget.) I’d say the number of
editions was probably in the neighborhood of…one.
In high school I started
writing poetry and song lyrics for a garage band I was in, and during college I
wrote for the school newspaper. I became a journalist after college and worked
for four newspapers over 13 years.
Even after I left the newspaper
business I continued to write news releases, newsletters, pamphlets, brochures,
advertising, position papers, magazine articles and other materials for a
public utility and, later, for a variety of clients as a freelance
communications consultant.
So I guess I've always been a writer and I never wanted to be anything
else, which is good, because it’s about the only thing I really know how to do.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
It's a perfect time to buy Time Capsule
Black Friday is only 17 days away. Why not beat the rush and buy a few copies of Time Capsule? It makes a great gift.
Amazon:
High Peaks Publishing:
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Q&A with the author - Part 9 of 10
Q. A lot of authors outline their books
before they start to write. Why don’t you?
A. Maybe I’m not that
organized, or maybe my brain doesn’t work that way, but really, I don’t think
it’s necessary. I tend to develop ideas after I first put pen to paper rather
than plot out an entire book in advance. I don’t think one way is necessarily better
than another. It all depends on the author.
In my case, sometimes I wake up
with ideas and run to my office to type them out. Sometimes they come to me
when I’m walking my dog or sitting outside on my deck. As long as I can write
“and then…” and come up with a narrative to move my story along, I don’t need
to have it outlined all the way to the end.
I will admit to this: Sometimes
I get to the point where I have written the beginning and the end and I need to
fill out the middle that connects those two dots. At that point, I’ll make a
list of the things that need to happen or the questions that need to be
answered before the end of the book makes sense.
When I do that, I will
retroactively list all of the chapters I have written with a summary of what’s
in them, and add a chapter for every plot point that I need to insert. This is
usually when I complete my calendar and double-check my chronology to make sure
the story has the proper timing and flow.
If that’s what you consider an
outline, then yes, I’ll do that sometimes. I’d call it more of an “outline
after the fact.”
Next: When did you know you wanted to be
a writer?
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Q&A with the author – Part 8 of 10
Q. What’s the easiest part of writing a
novel?
A. I’m not sure I’d say it’s always
easy, but the most enjoyable part for me is writing dialogue. It comes fairly
easily to me most of the time. I just think what I would say at a given time
and then have my character say it, or I try to put myself in the character’s
mind and imagine what he or she would say. It’s almost like talking to
yourself through a keyboard.
I also find it pretty easy to
create characters. Because they’re not real, you can give them any traits or
habits you choose and make them look any way you want them to look. I have
written handsome men, ugly men, beautiful women, homely women, old people,
young people, adorable children and children who need a bath. I’ve written
happy people, sad people, drunks, ministers, cops, killers and everything in
between.
After I finish a book, I often
go back and read the parts where I introduced a character and try to figure out
where the inspiration came from. Sometimes I also see parts of myself in the
people I write, and that amuses me.
Next: A lot of authors outline their books
before they start to write. Why don’t you?
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