by toby | Dec 22, 2012 | The Writing Life
Photographing ferns for a book cover is tricky. My professional photographer husband Mike Neal and I have been trying to get a good shot for my newest mystery, Broken Ferns, for over a month. The problem? Ferns. With several hundred types to choose from, they still...
by toby | Nov 17, 2012 | The Writing Life
Marketing for authors: ten reasons to build your fan base with Mailchimp. Marketing for authors is a constant process, and many efforts, like ads, have debatable impact–but not capturing the ongoing commitment of your true fans. In my minibook on author...
by toby | Oct 30, 2012 | The Writing Life
Tips for NaNoWriMo writing. I’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the last four years. Yes, I’ve signed up with milling hordes of other unkempt and caffeinated writers and aggravated my carpal tunnel syndrome on an annual basis. I highly...
by toby | Oct 5, 2012 | The Writing Life
Black Jasmine is here! My most dangerous and risky novel yet, Black Jasmine is set on my home island of Maui. Here's the blurb: The island of Maui is turquoise ocean, stunning vistas, and whalesong—but organized crime has a hidden hold, and Detective Lei Texeira...
by toby | Oct 1, 2012 | The Writing Life
Straw into gold—turning life experiences into story My current job description is self-employed clinical social worker and author (my dream careers I’ve been working toward my whole life), but prior to this I’ve had a number of colorful jobs and life experiences: Food...
by toby | Sep 10, 2012 | The Writing Life
Ten signs you’re a successful author: You have to hire a bookkeeper to comb through the accounts and figure out how you got money and where from. (Once it gets to be several thousand dollars, it gets worrisome.) Because of the above situation, you leave a secure job...