To All the Shoes I’ve Loved Before

For once, this post is not about writing. It is not metaphorical, philosophical, or prescriptive. No, this post is just a story. A story about true love. The kind that lasts forever. It starts with a glance, ignites with a cautious touch. A furtive experimentation, followed by a gasp of excitement. “It fits!” Then, “Oh […]

“Write Smart. Write S-mart.”

In good prose, there’s a rhythm. A cadence, if you will. Even a percussion. PACE YOURSELF. PACING SETS THE TONE, THEN CARRIES IT. Like the rat-a-tat-tat of a machine gun, action should happen fast and in short bursts. Exposition should be sparse and epic, like the report of a cannon, with quieter moments in between […]

On Writing: Taking Back the Action

  ***PSA: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***   Attention, writers of the world:   Please, for the love of all that is both holy and unholy. STOP. OUTSOURCING. YOUR ACTION. When you use supporting characters (or worse, extras) to advance too much of your plot, you water down the motives and dampen the effect. Like hiring a […]

The ECHOES OF BALANCE Blog Tour: In which V Interviews Cally Ryanne and Reveals Bonus Character Prelude (Mikhail)

Thank you for joining me today for a hybrid Interview / Reveal Extravaganza for YA Paranormal author Cally Ryanne’s big debut, ECHOES OF BALANCE (which is, in case you were wondering, available now!) Today we’re going to be talking about Cally’s journey, and then finding out a little bit more about Mikhail. ECHOES OF BALANCE by […]