Jump Cut — Goodreads Giveaway and More…

Hi, everyone. Just wanted you to know that a Goodreads Giveaway for Jump Cut starts today and goes through the beginning of February. I’m giving away 3 print copies for free! Hope you’ll sign up by clicking below…     Goodreads Book Giveaway Jump Cut by Libby Fischer Hellmann Giveaway ends February 03, 2016. See … Read more

The Blues, Chicago, and Creativity

It’s January, about as far from summer as it gets. It’s dark, cold, windy and gray, and all over the northern hemisphere people are feeling blue. But there’s a bright side. Chicago is full of blues clubs, and you’ll find me hanging out in them as often as I can. In fact, January is the … Read more

Special Offer: Pre-Order JUMP CUT For 99¢ & Get EYE FREE!

For the first time in 10 years, Chicago video producer Ellie Foreman is back in Jump Cut, which will be published March 1. In this, the 5th mystery-thriller of the series, Ellie is producing a video for a giant Chicago aviation company. But she is soon entangled in a web of espionage, drones, hackers, and … Read more

Jump Cut: Formal Cover Reveal

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you’re looking forward to this year. I tend to do better in even years than odd… do you have a pattern like that? If so, which years are better for you? I’m especially excited about this year, because, JUMP CUT, the 1st Ellie Foreman mystery/thriller in 10 years is coming out March … Read more

The All-Important All-Mighty First Sentence

When you pick up a book for the first time, and the first line grabs you by the—er– throat, you know you’re in for a great ride. As a reader there’s nothing quite as exciting as a line that makes the hairs on your neck rise, or makes you laugh unexpectedly, or intrigues you so … Read more

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES: Amazon Reviews and Verified Purchases

When you buy books online, do you read reviews? Of course you do. I look at the general star ranking, read a couple of 5-stars, then 1-stars, then 3- stars, for an overall assessment. Unfortunately, people have tried to game the system over the years, and controversies have flared about authors paying for reviews, deliberately … Read more

Nanowrimo Writing Lite Video Tip #12: CASTS

Happy Thanksgiving, all. Hope it was a good one.   The last Writing Lite Video tip is a little longer than the others; then again, I’m explaining a terrific system you can use to structure your chapters. It was developed by Author Nancy Pickard, whose thriller THE VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS is one of my … Read more

Nanowrimo Writing Lite Video Tip #11: The Rhythm of Language

      We’re almost at the end of the Writing Lite tips for Nanowrimo. But I couldn’t ignore a topic that I not only enjoy but think is really important. And that’s the rhythm of language. Listen in.