Beautiful Storm

Alicia has always been drawn to the beauty of lightening, more so after the mysterious death of her father.  During a storm one night Alicia witnesses a fight in between the flashes of lightening.  When she gets to the scene, she finds military tags with the name Liliana Valdez on it.  After some research, she discovered this woman has been missing for two months, and takes the tags to the police.  This is a piece to a the puzzle that allows the police to begin further investigations, but Alicia decides to try and see what she can find.  She meets Michael along the way, a man who is the prime suspect in the investigation simply because he spoke to the Liliana. They work together to piece together the puzzle of Liliana's disappearance, a quest that takes them half-way across the country and into something far dangerous and sinister.  Their search begins to spark more disappearances and murders, will Alicia and Michael find out the truth before it's too late?

This is another book I came across on BookBub (if you are an avid reader and don't use this, you should).  The story is very suspenseful and you don't know what is going to happen next.  You try to figure out who took Liliana, but when the truth is revealed you will be taken away.  I definitely was.  There was a little bit of romantic tension between the two, but it doesn't take over the story.  Freethy does a fantastic job including this into the foreground of the story, but maintains the true mystery of a missing woman.  I actually don't like when it feels like authors are pushing characters together just for the same of a romantic sub story, Freethy doesn't do this.  She develops a friendship with romantic tension mixed in. 

The characters had depth to them, both Alicia and Michael had their own demons to tame while performing their search.  I think this gave them the feel of being...well human.  I loved the idea of lightening having paranormal attributes, and almost wanted something more from this, something more to tie it into the story other than an explanation as to why Alicia and her father were obsessed with this act of nature.  It is not a "typical" mystery with blood, gore or anything like that.  It is relatively clean, it does have a few sex scenes.  Nothing too "steamy" but sex scenes nonetheless.

Overall this was a good enough book to read, I wouldn't say it was phenomenal or out of this world.  But it is one of those books that will draw you in and keep you interested until the very end.  I do recommend other mystery lovers to pick up a copy.  Also if you normally aren't a fan of mystery, I would say give this book a chance, you might be surprised.  I give this a 4 out of 5 star rating. 

The Watchmaker's Daughter

India's father had just passed away, on the same day her fiancé kicks her out of the house and keeps her father's watchmaker's shop for himself.  The other shop keeps will not hire her, not because she lacks the skills, but because she is a woman.  At a lost for what to do and one who doesn't take things lying down, India goes to the shop to give Eddie a piece of her mind.  While there she runs into Matthew Glass who gives her a proposition of helping find a specific watchmaker to fix his watch.  One that is rare and carries an air of mystery around it.  While helping him find his mystery watchmaker, India begins to believe he is a wanted outlaw from America and wonders what do and how to prove her suspicions while trying to find out why the guild members are being so cold to her.  Danger seems to be lurking around every corner and India begins to discover new things about the man she is working and living with, as well as herself.  Will they be able to find the watchmaker before Glass' watch stops for good?  Will India be able to find proof of her suspicions and why she lost favor among?

This was one of the books I stumbled upon on BookBub.  Its hard to describe how I felt about this book. It was a good read and I enjoyed the characters but it felt like it took too long to develop and that there were too many things happening in it.  Whenever something happened or revealed my reaction was "oh..that's how that's being shown."  It had its suspenseful moments but overall it seemed somewhat predictable especially the "romantic" tension between India and Glass.

I don't feel like readers are able to feel completely connected to the characters, but they were interesting enough to finish the book. My opinion on India is like a love-hate relationship.  I liked her enough, but don't see her as a strong female lead.  I know this is the first book in a series and I have to wonder what the other books will be like and where the story will go.

As for a rating...i give it a 3 out 5.  Much more could have been done with the story, but young fantasy readers will enjoy it as well as many other readers.  I just don't think this was a book that demands me to read it again.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

Jim Qwilleran has his string of bad luck since leaving his job with a big city paper, not he has taken a position with the Daily Fluxion, and small town paper, doing a column he has no knowledge on...the art column.  Many of the artists in the town are hopeful that this means the replacement of the ever too critical art critic, many try to convince Qwill of how horrible of a man the art critic is while he attends art functions and does human interest articles on local artists.  Qwill decides to met this critic and ends up living in the same house on a lower level.  While the critic is away, Qwill takes care of his Siamese cat whom Qwill nick-named Koko.  This cat has extra ordinary talents of being able to read backwards and know when something is amiss.  Soon artists and others in the art community become victims of murder.  Qwill's old investigative journalist talents kick in and he begins o try and solve this murder, with the help of Koko of course.  The question is will Qwill be able to find the correct murderer and save the reputation of many artists as well as the critic? Or will he soon become the murderer's next target?

This is a series of books that I read when I was younger and starting to really get into mysteries and longer chapter books aside from the typical baby sitters club (that's like a rite of passage for little girls).  I loved that a cat helped solve mysteries by leading Qwill to different clues and seem to pick up on subtle things the humans in the books don't pick up one.  The cat in this book, Koko reminds me of my friend's cat Artemis (pictured on the left) with his perchance of running around the room, wanting specific food and making his discontent known.  Braun gives the cat as much personality as she does her human characters, which is something you don't see in many books with animal.  Normally the animal is just that an animal whereas in these books, Koko is another personality rather than a prop so to speak. 

I love this series even 20 some years after beginning to read the series and returning to it time and time again.  This is the perfect novel to begin with since I believe it is the beginning of the series as it introduces Qwill and Koko and how they became a dynamic duo. The writing isn't too complex and easy to understand which is one reason why it was great for a youngster as I once was.  There also isn't blood, gore, or sex in it.  Sure Swill has attractions to ladies and flirts a little, but it's all innocent and clean, another reason why it is a great starter series for young readers (and a nice break from stuff included in some books today). This is a short, cozy mystery that is easy to read within a day.  Perfect for a rainy afternoon curled up with your favorite feline. 

I do recommend this book as well as the series to any young reader who wants to grow in their reading library.  I also would recommend this to anyone who loves a cozy mystery, easy to read book or who feels a little nostalgic.  I give the book a 4 out of 5 for a rating, it needed more Koko!

Woodcutter

A man known as The Woodcutter stumbles upon a maiden's dead body, with no trace of foul play, nor who could have caused her tragic fate.  The only thing left behind were her glass slippers.  The Woodcutter seeks to find her killer before other maidens suffer the same fate.  The Woodcutter is not your average man, he is the keeper of peace between the kingdoms of man and the realm of the faerie.  He searches the realms for clues to the mysterious events happening around the kingdoms and the forest, along with three axes blessed by the River God, he begins to find clues to lead to the truth.  Shortly into his search he discovers information that is troubling: one of Odin's hellhounds has escaped, a nefarious mansion appears and disappears and princes and princesses along with it, pixie dust being turned into a drug ring, and more young woman proceed to go missing without a trace.  The Woodcutter must find the truth to all of these before it is too late, as task proven more difficult with an evil queen lurking in the shadows intent on stopping his every effort.  Will he be able to stop the queen before she destroys the kingdoms and the fae or will it be too late?

I love fairy tales.  Everything about them brings me back to my childhood.  I love reading retellings and other author's takes on the different stories.  When I picked this book up I expected it to be along the lines of the woodcutter in Snow White or Red Riding Hood, but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be something completely different.  I love the idea of a mysterious protected of the realms that no one knows his name, his name never gets revealed and leaves the read in as much a mystery as the characters.  It almost makes you as frustrated as the queen in not knowing his name.  That adds an air of mystery around this character, and at the same time the reader knowing he cannot bear children but must wait until the fates bring a child to him and his wife makes your heart break especially after he comes across young children.  You can almost feel the fatherly desire in his heart.

Danley creates a world where the characters come to life, without specifically referring to the characters by name or tale, readers can get an idea of who is supposed to be who based off minor descriptions such as the glass slippers left behind when the maiden was killed.  Readers get the idea that someone harmed Cinderella without specifically being told.  It was also interesting that Danley incorporated some mythology in the tale with the use of Odin and the hellhounds.  That was a great touch though I wanted more from that storyline, it almost takes a backseat to the other events of the tale. This was a great story, one that I finished in a few short days.

I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy fairy tales, fantasy, young adult, and a good story.  As for a rating I will give this a 5 out of 5, pick it up today.  You won't regret adding this to your book shelf.

TV Gods Summer Programming

Take your favorite god from any pantheon, mash it with your favorite tv show, what would that look like?  How would the characters act differently or similar to the original characters?  For example how would Guilligan's Island be different if Posideon was involved? Or would Raj from Big Bang Theory act around the Fates differently than he would around normal women? Interesting ideas, interesting concepts, this is exactly what happens in T.V Gods Summer Programming, the sequel to Fortress Publishing's Tv Gods.  There are many different stories in this collection that are entertaining, humorous and makes one wonder how would their favorite show be different if a god was involved.

I picked this book up at Confluence a few weeks ago because I have the first book and well...Fortress Publishing are some of my favorite people.  There is something endearing about reading stories by people you know personally, it adds a certain touch to the tales.

The Rogue Mountain

A creature hidden in the mountains, lurking, watching, waiting.  Down below a town living to survive with hellish beings living in their backyard, learning to protect themselves from the creatures of the mountains.  Three teenagers long for a life away from wood devils and hell cats.  A woman doing everything she can do to survive while another lives in a perpetual nightmare.  A monster hunter comes on a mission to cleanse the area of the beasts, only to bring unwanted attention from the witch on the mountain.  Secrets rise to the surface and a town finds out the truth behind their fears.  Welcome to the Rogue Mountains where nothing is ever what it seems.


I will start the disclaimer that this book is not available yet, it is set to release in October, October 3rd I believe.  But I had the honor of sort of beta reading this book for an author dear to me.  This is the debut novel for Joshua Tarquinio.  The book is a mix of supernatural/post-apocalyptic thriller, horror, fantasy, self-realization, with a touch of questioning theology.  The story centers around a small town outside of Pittsburgh after an apocalyptic event that opens the doors to the supernatural.   Now this town learns to survive with various beings attacking them, and the knowledge that there is a witch hidden in the mountains that no one has ever been able to go near. Three teens are the only entertainment in town, but long for something more.  Everyone basically lives their lives one day at a time hoping to survive, hoping to one day be free of the beings that prowl their woods and mountains.  Then a monster hunter, Del Ballatine rolls into town with the intent of ridding them of these creatures.  He and naïve Nigel venture out to the woods and happen upon a hell hound, which they take down.  But this gains the attention of the witch in the mountain and all hell breaks lose, literally.  Secrets are revealed and the state of the village changes forever.


The novel does start out a little slow with a great deal of background on the characters, and takes a little bit of time to build up to the climax.  But those details are necessary in understanding the characters and why they act and react the way the do in situations that arise further into the book, also this gives you an understanding of the town functions together, how they arise to the mob mentality so to speak.  Through this part you form a connection with the characters and town in general.  It helps with the wow factor and the twists that's happen throughout the novel.  Tarquinio does a fantastic job dragging his readers into his world, and holds them under a spell, much like the cave worm in his story.  One of my favorite elements in the story was a being known as a nightmare, one that attaches itself to a person and causes them to live in a state of a living nightmare.  It preys on the happy memories and changes them into nightmares.  It is literally the stuff of nightmares and almost makes your skin crawl.  The creatures he creates in this book are not only characters, but become apart of the atmosphere as they lurk in the shadows.


There are times in the novel when some of the characters question the existence of God in that the book takes place 20 years after the Biblical apocalypse takes place and well the world didn't end.  So characters wonder where is God, did he ever exist, is there such as thing as intrinsically evil or can a supposed evil being redeem itself.  A couple points in the story I found myself audibly whispering "no" when something happen.

I am excited to see what else Tarquinio has in store for readers with sequels, prequels or other stories unrelated to this one.  He has a knack for bringing the thrill of the unknown to the surface and his readers.  I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy supernatural thrillers, horror, fantasy, adventure.  Because I am a little bias for the fact the Josh is a dear friend of mine and my opinion of the book reflects my friendship, I will not rate the book the way I normally do.  But will simply say definitely keep your eyes out in October for when the book is release.

Confluence

I have been MIA lately for various different reasons, but I am coming back with some awesome books, including several that i have gotten from Pittsburgh's science fiction and fantasy convention "Confluence".  What could be better for a bibliophile than a convention all about books!  So far I have met some really awesome authors and publsihers, helped celebrate the launch of several books from two dear friends, and found numerous books, even attempted a picture with JD Barker that didn't come out (sad panda). 

Each time i attend the convention i am reminded of why i love reading and why fantasy is one of my favorite genres.  There are so many novels and variations of the genre to get lost in.  Something that I absolutely love about Confluence is being able to find books and new authors that I may not have discovered otherwise.  I was like an unsupervised child in a candy store.  So, be prepared to take a journey with me and some TV Gods, Bad-Ass Faeries, Bounty Hunters, and Superhumans, as I conquer the world once again one book at a time. 

 

Cooking With Fire

I absolutely love cooking and am always on the look out for unique cookbooks to add to my collection and ones that give me things to experiment with.  While at a flea market in Ohio, I came across this gem.  Biker Billy Cooks With Fire.  So many different things about this cookbook appealed to me.  1. It's a biker, one that makes me think of someone I love dearly, 2. It's cooking with fire whether it is grilling, or hot and spicy things, either way it's good in my mind, 3. It is just so outrageous that I had to pick it up.  While doing a quick skim through I seen many different recipes that I wanted to try and wouldn't have thought of trying.

Each recipe has something to do with a pepper or hot sauce.  Perfect for me because I as my friend say, like to burn my face off, meaning I like my food spicy enough that it clears my sinuses.  It starts off giving tips and techniques of cooking with peppers and other ingredients, then it goes into the recipes.  Each one starts off with a small note describing the recipe and how it will come out and./or why Billy choose to add it into his cookbook.  There is everything in this cookbook from sauces and marinades to desserts and everything in between.  There are times when looking through a cookbook that I am not sure if I would try a recipe or not, but there are a lot of different recipes in this book that I would love to try and look forward to trying in the future.

Just from reading this book so far I get high hopes for the food inside.  I would recommend this for foodies who are looking for something different in their cooking repertoire. Bike Billy has some interesting ideas, and I will update this when I have cooked some of the recipes contained in this book.  So far the rating if 4 out 5 stars, this may change to a 5 once I have prepared some of the recipes.

Heartless

All Catherine wants for her life is to open a bakery with her best friend Mary Ann. But her parents have a different plan. For her to marry the King of Hearts. Cath believed her life to be boring and without excitement. That is until the new court jester, Jest, arrives on the scene. In the middle of a grand ball before the king makes a announcement the ball is attacked by a monstrous creature known as the Jabberwock. Since that night, Cath's life is forever changed as she tries to figure out how to open her bakery, avoid the king's advances, falls in love with Jest and evades the attacks of the Jabberwock.  All she wants to do is live the life she wants, but there are obstacles in her way at every turn.  Soon fate reveals itself and Cath learns sometimes you cannot outrun fate.

As many of you know I am an avid reader of Alice in Wonderland retellings, and absolutely love anything Alice in Wonderland related, so when I seen Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles) wrote an Alice in Wonderland adaptation, of course I had to read it.  I have to say this was not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed reading it immensely.  There wasn't an "Alice" character per-say, but Catherine is a representation of the Queen of Hearts.  This novel is almost a backstory of how she became who she is and the way she is. We see some of the same beloved characters like Hatter, March Hare, Cheshire, but we also see different characters that seem to always take a backseat to some of the other characters like the Mock Turtle or the Walrus. It was interesting to see these characters in a different light than what we see in the classic tale.

I am a huge fan of Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and I came into this novel with high hopes, and this book met every one of my expectations.  I wanted to see more of Jest and Raven, and hope to see them more in the future maybe if there happens to be more novels, maybe one about the kingdom of Chess or the white kingdom.  Meyer has a certain style to her writing that paints the picture vividly, it is easy to envision everything happening from the turtle turning into the Mock Turtle or the Jabberwock attacks, even smell the delicious tarts that Cath makes.  I enjoyed the use of the Fate sisters and treacle, as well as many element from Carol's tale.  It was still very much a Meyer story, but held some of the traditional elements we would find in Alice in Wonderland.

I would highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys Alice in Wonderland, fairy tales, Lunar Chronicles, and young adult novels.  Even if those may not be genres/topics that are your typical go to novel, break out from the norm and check out this book.  You will not regret it.  I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Patchwork

The night of prom, Renata and her friends pull the greatest of practical jokes, but the moment is lost on Renata as she reflects on rejecting her boyfriend's proposal.  After watching him throw the ring into the river, she jumps in after it.  Moments before the rive boat the student body is aboard explodes.  Renata wakes up in a patchwork world of memories taken back a few months prior, where REnata thinks she can stop this murder, only to have it happen again at a different time.  She quickly realizes someone is after her and her friends, but she cannot figure out why.  This patchwork world holds clues to help her figure out how to make the madness end,  but will she figure it out quick enough to save the people she loves?

** I received a copy of this book from Netgally in exchange for an honest review**




I was excited about this book when I read the summary, it sounded very interesting because not many authors play with the idea of a phoenix.  But I have to say I struggled to get into this novel and I am not 100% sure of why.  The writing was good, the idea was good.  I think it was more so the character of Renata.  In the beginning she comes off as not a horrible person but one that was hard to like and hard to feel compassion for even though her friends kept dying over and over again.  I would have liked to have her learn something more in the patchwork world in the beginning rather than that she was reliving memories and going back to stop someone from killing her friends and possibly her.


It takes a long time to build up and formulate into a story until it gets further into the plot, then it does pick up, so readers need to be able to get through. 


It was a decent enough read to be able to read it on a wonderful Saturday afternoon in the park or alongside the pool, but I am not sure if it would be one that has me coming back to reading it again and again.  Although other readers might.  This would be a good book for young adult readers and some adult readers as well.  There is a lot that happens in the novel with murder, betrayal, heartbreak, love and romance to magical forces.  I did like the idea of going back in time and being able to change things, or try to change things, but for Renata she remembers everything from the point at prom and no one else does which does make it interesting to see her interact with people differently and see people differently second or third times around.


Overall as stated it's an alright book, it was entertaining and interesting, it just didn't tickle my fancy in the end.  I would recommend it to other readers and hope others do find it enjoying.  As for a rating I would give it a 3 out of 5.

Interview with Little Sparrow herself: RA Winter

Every now and again a reviewer is able to form a strong bond with the authors they have been working with. I am happy to say that RA Winter has become a dear friend of mine, and I do hope we can meet for coffee one day. I began reading her books a few years ago when I did a review of her novel Little Sparrow, and just fell in love with her writing and stories.  It was only natural to want to do an interview with her so here you are!




                                              

Falcor, Harley and Orion wanted me to get the most important question out of the way first…Do you have any “Literary Cats” or Literary Pup?

I have a calico cat, Carmen.  She reminds me of my older sister who passed away.  Always watching and maybe she disapproves but she doesn’t interfere.  She just has that look on her face like she’s tolerating me and letting me find my own way.  Carmen is the best cat ever.  Neat, quiet, and cuddly.

Dingle, who is a cat character in my books, was actually my cat.  He died a few years ago.  That’s when I started writing.  He lives on now, with his wink and his naughty attitude.  A comic, that cat knew how to get a laugh out of everyone.

What inspired you to write the Kiowa in Love series?  This is a long answer... I didn’t start out to write romance.  I wanted to write about how life’s experiences change us.  Why do people act the way they do?  Why do they think that way? For years I’ve wanted to write Grandfather’s story.  Benjamin NoName is a hodge-podge of my family members and their experiences all wrapped into one person.  Raised in an orphange, he didn’t know who his family was.  He spent his whole life wondering if they were searching for him.  Perhaps, they were dead and he just couldn’t remember?  His story would take a depth that I didn’t know how to show.  Then, he told me, why write the beginning?  Write me near the end.  I want grandbabies. 

What was the hardest thing about writing it? Keeping the plot lines as untangled as possible but writing about three women who grew up together.  Have you ever seen a detective show where the policeman asks three people setting near each other what happened and they all have different answers?  That’s how I envisioned my stories.  Wrapped around a central core, each girl experiences something different.

What was the easiest? Insomnia brings out the really bad jokes in me. RedDress Two Wives was written during a very sleep deprived time.  For that one, I was in Gatlinburg, and decided to visit a... naughty shop.  I couldn’t help thinking, if I bought one, what if I died?  Who would find that?  What worse case scenario would happen? So... the rest is history.

What has been your reaction to the reviews you have gotten so far for the series? I’m always happy to receive a review.  I learn from them.  I had a problem with my first manuscript... insomnia and the wrong file converged to make a nightmare for me.  But, without the reviews, I would have never known there was a problem.  The reviews since then have been positive and that always makes me happy.  The more feedback, the more confidence I get in my writing.  You never know if someone enjoys your writing unless they say so.

Do you currently have anything in the works? Lots! I have ‘The Spirit Key’, it is a rewrite of Painted Girl but with RedHorse as the main character.  We go into the war and cover his injury. I think it will be one of my best and it will be published soon.  It’s in the final beta read stages.  Grandfather’s time in the orphanage is almost finished. Somehow, it turned into a scary story of skinwalkers.  I also have “A stiff one for Nona”, and the stiff one is Nona’s dead husband. Grandfather can see the ghost but doesn’t tell her.  The spirit causes trouble in their romance. I thought Grandfather deserved love after so many years alone. He’s not so sure. Then there is the newest Bowman’s Inn piece for the Fall Anthology.  We’ll go back to Han and Ann as they fall in love in this time.

Did you publish anything prior to Little Sparrow?  Yep!  Genealogy reference books under my married name. I took technical and research writing in college.  I wish now that I had started with creative writing. I’m a history lover at heart.

Do the characters write the story?  Ha!  Yes.  Generally it is Grandfather.  I hear his voice all the time!  He wakes me up often, too.  Dingle sometimes sticks his nose in there.

Where do you see the story progressing in the future? It’s going more paranormal with the Spirit Key. Outside forces that prod us along and scary ghosts that want something from Grandfather.

What do you think makes your series different from the other series in the romance genre?  There isn’t much written about contemporary Native Americans.  Most is historical.  I want to tell the story of fitting in but accepting that you are different and  what makes a person unique.  Especially in RedDress, I wanted to tell the story of just how far a girl will go when in the depths of self-doubt.

When did your love of books/writing develop? I’ve been a reader since I can remember.  I’ll read anything.  I was lucky enough that my best friend owned a bookstore.  I think I tore through most of it! I didn’t start writing until a few years ago though.  My husband was like, why don’t you just write your own?  I never want a good story to end once I love the characters so that’s why I keep writing about the same family.  Until readers say... no! I’ll keep writing.

What are some of the ways that you manage writer’s block? Imagine the scene as the character.  If it isn’t working, then you’re forcing the character to do something she doesn’t want to.  In my latest story, everyone kept asking for a character to do something.  He refused.  I couldn’t write the scene, so he suggested something better and my critters were happy.

How have you been able to handle rejection as a writer?  The rejection I’ve gotten so far has been constructive.  As long as you can tell me what isn’t hitting the mark, I can work on that.

What are some of your ambitions and goals as a writer? Ambitions?  I’d like to be a USA Today Best Selling Author.  Goals. To write a lot more books! It’s not as easy as it sounds.

What is your go to feel good book?  Your guilty pleasure book? Honestly, I don’t have one.  I really love Scribophile.com, it is a community of aspiring writers.  When I need a pick me up, I read other stories.  There are so many wonderful writers out there.

What is a book you always recommend to other people? It depends on the person, actually.  There are books I wouldn’t recommend to my dad, or my sister-in-law, but would to my best friend.  Good mysteries are always safe and the classics never disappoint readers. I just reread ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’. 

If you could meet any author, who would it be?  If I point to Edgar Allen Poe, would that mean I’d have to die first?  Scratch that and Plato, too! Can you imagine sitting down with the authors of ‘The Republic’, ‘Dante’s Inferno’, ‘Frankenstein’ or my favorite ‘The Iliad’?  The insight into history from some of the best classics ever written? 

Who has been some of your biggest inspirations?  My dad.  He wrote three books but never published them.  He has published a book of poems though.  I have his manuscripts and at some point I’ll publish those for him.  He’s a wonderful father.

I also have to say Dingle.  His death put me in a bad place.  I wrote to relieve the pain.  Now, he’s being the antagonist I know he’d love.

What advice would you give young writers looking to begin somewhere?  I would join a writing group, either Scribophile.com or something else.  I didn’t know these existed when I published Little Sparrow.  The feedback is great and you meet some wonderful writers.  Crits help you focus and you can gauge engagement, flow, style, and plot.  These can be hard when you do it alone.

I would begin with an idea and write.  The hardest part of writing to me is finishing.  Know your ending. The best part is the journey getting there.  If you have the ending and the beginning, you’ll get there.

How can your readers discover more about you and your work? I have a blog, https://wordpress.com/post/rawinterwriter.wordpress.com  I’ve posted deleted chapters of a few of my books.  They were ones that I just couldn’t get rid of, but critters thought the book was too long.  My characters weren’t happy about it!  So, I posted them for anyone who’d like more