Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
A Personal Message from Libby: Hi. I’m Libby Hellman and I write crime fiction. I’m very excited to tell you that my 11th book has just come out. It’s called Nobody’s Child – this is it – it’s the 4th installment in my Georgia Davis series. It’s a very personal book for Georgia. She discovers … Read more
Hi, folks. I just discovered that The Ellie Foreman #Mysteries (#Boxed Set of 4) are just $1.99 for ALL 4 in Amazon’s #BigDeal! For 2 weeks. Yay! Go for ’em. Hope you enjoy. An Image of Death (the 3rd in the Boxed Set) is actually the prequel to Nobody’s Child, which comes out NEXT WEEK!
Some authors swear by their agent. Other authors think they get in the way. But, just like authors, agents are adapting to the new world of publishing too. Before you dismiss them, think of what an agent MIGHT be able to do for you. You could be surprised.
Query letters are not your resume. They are a one page letter that tells an agent or publisher what your book is about and why it matters. Query letters, as my friend Marcus Sakey says, should seduce the reader. Make them WANT and NEED to ask for the entire manuscript. Everything else is irrelevant. Mostly.
Just wanted to let you know that Kobo is having a 30% off sale today through Monday July 28, in the US and Canada, and two of my crime books are included. (Don’t worry: UK sale will be next week!) My two books are: “Hellmann crafts a tragically beautiful story around a message that is both … Read more
This is probably the most valuable tip I can think of. It IS a business, whether you want to be traditionally published or you self-publish. Learn the business. Read the daily emails from Digital Book World, PW, and The Passive Voice to start. Then expand your horizons. Learn how this business works—or doesn’t work—in today’s … Read more
I lost another weekend… this time to an incredible binge-watchable series called Orphan Black. Many of you already know it, but I tend to be late to the party. Thankfully, though, I made it. If you haven’t yet seen it, you really NEED to. Why? Because the story, the filmmaking, and most of all, the … Read more
Before I went to Berlin several people, including my brother, told me how much I was going to love the city. And I admit that Berlin is big, bustling, easy to get around, and everyone there speaks English. But Berlin isn’t Germany the way New York isn’t America and London isn’t Britain. I didn’t see … Read more
Never forget that a villain is a hero in his own eyes. He believes he is totally justified in what he’s doing. As the author, you need to find that justification. The dysfunctional childhood is an overworked trope, but I’m sure you can come up with a LOT more reasons why good people do bad … Read more
CJ Lyons has created a wonderful gift for all ebook readers, and you should know about it. It’s called Digital Book Day, and it will be TOMORROW: Monday, July 14th. On that day, you’ll be able to get a boatload of ebooks — absolutely free! I’m making TOXICITY (the 3rd Georgia Davis book) free, but there … Read more