The core of most objects is tough and hard to crack. It’s the center, seed, or nucleus, usually storing what makes up the object. Think of a seed and how it has the properties to grow into an ear of corn or a tree. Translate that seed to the core of a living, breathing story. The intimacy is emotion, and the character must have a reason to reveal the heart of their being. When a writer discovers the why of actions (motivation), the uphill climb to resolve a problem or reach a goal takes on purpose. The challenge is forcing the character to reveal the emotions that are often bound in pain. The character doesn’t understand their emotional wound prevents them from their full potential and prohibits them from achieving success. Feelings wrapped in physical, mental, or spiritual suffering rise from fear, grief, guilt, shame, anguish, sadness, sorrow, torture, betrayal, bitterness, depression, loneliness, oppression, abandonment, persecution, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and more. Our characters don’t want to relive the events causing these sensations any more than we do. It’s easier to stuff emotional baggage. Our characters need a reason to share what happened, and the motivation must be bigger than…

1–What is the title of your latest release? CONCRETE EVIDENCE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? On the family’s Brazos River Ranch in Texas, Avery Elliott helps run her grandfather’s commercial construction business. Raised by Senator Elliott, Avery has never doubted her grandfather is a man of integrity and faith until the day she finds him standing with a gun over the body of a dead man. To make matters worse, Avery just discovered a billing discrepancy for materials supposedly purchased for the construction of the Lago de Cobre Dam. Desperate for answers, Avery contacts FBI Special Agent Marc Wilkins for help. As Marc works to identify the dead man, threats toward Avery create a fresh sense of urgency to pinpoint why someone wants to silence her. To make matters worse a hurricane is approaching threatening lives and property. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted a bigger-than-life setting in my beloved Texas. That meant a big ranch. My husband and I drove around the Brazos River area until we found not only the perfect ranch but also the perfect spot for a fictitious dam. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Avery is smart and witty. She…

People who read add power to their lives. I’ve read since I was old enough to put letters into words. Soon I discovered the library was my source of adventure and a means of exploring new people and worlds. The desire to write suspense developed with series featuring Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, Donna Parker, Cherry Ames, and many more. Nonfiction books that explored other countries, cultures, and biographies inspired me to dream about what I wanted to be when I grew up. Books added power to my life and they can for you too. With all the techy ways to entertain ourselves, why do leaders and successful people spend hours reading or listening to fiction, nonfiction, articles, and blog posts? Gain Knowledge The more we learn about people and the world, the wiser we become. When we study topics and become proficient in understanding concepts, we can speak with authority. “Knowledge is power.” Many historians believe Sir Francis Bacon coined this phrase in 1597. Thomas Jefferson was known to use the phrase in his writings. How Does Reading Add Power to Our Lives? Improves Communication Skills Adding words to our vocabulary and learning their meanings helps us…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present DiAnn Mills! WRITES: DiAnn Mills writes romantic suspense. Her latest title, Airborne, releases in print today, September 8, 2020. ABOUT: Romantic suspense writer seeking readers who want to ride the wings of a suspense-filled adventure with FBI Special Agent Heather Lawrence. She’s pregnant, her husband wants a divorce, and a deadly, mysterious illness appears onboard her transatlantic flight. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Expects every scene to vicariously export them into an adventure. Desires a suspenseful story seen through the eyes of a strong heroine or hero. Prefers a clean story that doesn’t hold back on the reality of crime and the world we live in. Craves an emotional experience through the heart and mind of point-of-view characters. Wonders how the FBI, CDC, and federal and local agencies work together to solve a horrendous crime. Questions how a virus could be unleashed to unsuspecting people. Wants a thrilling FBI story. Discovers how a heroine responds to betrayal and abandonment. Longs for a thread of romance…

Writers search for ways to add professionalism to their writing. They explore technique, study the how-to guides, and invest in quality software that helps them create dynamic fiction and nonfiction. The following 10 guidelines are proven methods to deepen the craft of writing. Develop three sentences describing the writing project. As difficult as this may sound, the clarity and conciseness not only help the writer focus on the writing project but also serve as a great pitch to share with others. Incorporate the five senses. Today’s readers yearn for an adventure. If the project is fiction, the reader must experience the story. If the project is nonfiction, the reader needs to be rooted in the material. Instill proper grammar. Nothing is more frustrating or throws a reader out of the experience more than poor grammar and punctuation. With textbooks and websites available to teach and correct our errors, there isn’t an excuse. My go-to editing tool is prowritingaid.com. I also value the word frequency counter at http://www.writewords.org.uk/word_count.asp. Paste a document into the site and it lists the number of times every word is used. Network with other writers. Most creative types see life with a bit of quirkiness. The truth…

Every novelist reaches a plateau in which the perfect story idea isn’t coming together. The plot germ is there, but the theme, setting, characters, and storyline seem to spin out of control. By using the acronym, BRAINSTORM, you can bring the whirling to a halt and anchor your writing onto a firm foundation. Believe in yourself. You’ve been given the gift of writing, and you’re pretty good at it. You understand the craft, and you’re continuously educating yourself to add more tools and techniques. Realistic writing is what sells. No matter the genre, your storyline must be credible with identifiable characters who react and respond according to the traits you’ve assigned them. Analyze your basic idea. How can you grow your characters by making their goals difficult, perhaps impossible to reach? Inspire your readers to attempt and achieve great things. Fiction is truth. Jesus spoke in parables and through His stories, people gleaned meaning and purpose for their lives. Don’t preach your message. Let the reader see who your characters are by the way they tackle life’s challenges. Name your book and your characters. Why is this important? Because the title of a book gives the writer passion for the…

I have a theory about historical romance. Think about my conclusions to see if you agree. When we were little girls, we loved pretending we were a princess. Disney animation instilled in us that we were princesses, and fairy tales kept us entertained for hours. We dreamed about our prince, and we dressed in long flowing gowns complete with crowns and magic wands. When we were able to read, we imagined ourselves as the princess in distress or even the princess who saved the day. So what does our girlhood pastimes have to do with historical romance? We grew into our teen years and attempted to put the princess syndrome to rest. Some of you succeeded. Others of us couldn’t put aside the fantasy world. The color pink and the cute guy with dreamy eyes held our attention. We devoured romance novels. After all, the heroine always fell in love with the perfect hero, and we knew their love would last forever. We grew older and married our prince, or I hope you did. Then we began to expand our reading horizons. And this is when historical romance moved into our reading pleasure. Stepping back into time lifts the reader…

Writing is a tough profession. The competition in today’s publishing world makes the strongest writers think twice about their commitment to excellence. But those of us who are lured by the magnificence of story are committed to creating a world where our readers slip into the shoes of our characters and are whisked away to an amazing thrill filled with uncertainty. A writer has a gauge by which she measures her stories, the one she is currently writing and the future projects that are being shopped at publishing houses. My personal barometer is for each reader to Expect an Adventure. This aspiration is a two-way street. If I don’t have the adventure of a lifetime while I’m writing the story, then how can I expect a reader to feel the same exhilaration? When I laugh, cry, hate, love, argue, discover, run for my life and leap high mountains, I expect my readers to take the same plunge. Oh, the span of emotions that expands the human heart. What is my criteria? Simply stated, each book has to have deeper characterization than the previous novel, a more intricate plot, and a setting that challenges the storyline. No pressure there! My quest…

I love October. The summer heat is mostly gone. I no longer have to be up by 6:00am to take the dogs for a walk. The new TV season has started. I’ve been back at work for about 6 weeks, so everything has settled into a routine. I work in academia so I get to take some time off in the summer, something for which I am very appreciative. I must say, though, the transition back can be a little rough. “Meetings? I have to go to meetings? Really?” fades to “So, when’s the next meeting?” by October. The resentment I feel over the fact that work seriously cuts into my reading time has also eased by now. In the summer I like to beat the heat by lying in bed and reading. By October, I’ve relearned how to prioritize my reading, since I’m lucky to get time to read over lunch or before going to sleep. I made a point to take a sneak peak at two of this month’s new releases. THE 2nd LIE is the second book in The Chapman Files by Tara Taylor Quinn. The lynch pin of the series is psychologist Kelly Chapman, whose cases…

Women who accept nontraditional roles and succeed with dynamic outcomes are the heroines in my novels. These are Glock-totin‘ gals with southern charm who understand grits aren’t just for breakfast. These women embrace their femininity with an added boost–they aren’t afraid to go after the bad guys or say they love Jesus. This style of heroine understands her peace can be more about the caliber of the piece in her purse than the state of her spiritual life. What makes a contemporary woman choose a career that has the potential of ending her life? Experts often point to personality differences or a “risk-gene” as an explanation why some are risk takers and others are content in less stressful lifestyles. I prefer courageous heroines who’ve been wired with a few more endorphins to balance the adrenaline, and they thrive on it. If my heroine races down a dirt road on a Harley in the dead of night, or scales a cliff while someone is shooting at her, or stuffs a weapon into the waistband of her jeans, it’s to get the edge on the bad guys. My heroines are not satisfied unless they are placing their lives on the line to…