Watch this incredible impressionist perform Shakespeare in celebrity voices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8PGBnNmPgk
Archives for September 2016
Memory Lane and Wishes
Recently my mother was hospitalized for a few days. She is better now, but it made me wish things were different. I wish I could be a married grown-up with children as I am, but that my parents could freeze time and stay the same age forever – forever young, or at least forever middle-aged. Looking at old family photos takes me back to the 1970s today. Do you write in that time period? As of …
Work First, Book Second
For successful authors of non-fiction, no one career or life-path is common. Family situations, upbringing, education and experiences are unique to each person. Listening to an author explain how they became successful is always a combination of things someone else could never duplicate perfectly. It’s like someone giving a business seminar titled, “This is how I did it.” It is rarely an exact …
The Bestseller Code: Decoded
Last week, to great fanfare, a new book analyzing bestselling books hit the market. In my opinion, The Bestseller Code: The Anatomy of the Blockbuster Novel by Jodie Archer and Matthew L. Jockers is intriguing and provocative, but ultimately an exercise in futility. Every author wants a short cut to achieve bestseller success. What if there is an algorithm that, if followed, will produce a …
Fun Fridays – September 23, 2016
For those of you who may not have heard, Karen Ball’s father passed away this past week. She has been providing in-home care for a long time. He was a former pastor and loved the old hymns of the faith. My father passed away four years ago this month. He too loved the old hymns and particularly liked to hear me sing “How Great Thou Art.” The lives of these two fathers are what …
Two Types of Nonfiction Books: Which Are You Writing?
Broad Appeal I receive a number of emails each day advertising new books and older books being released as ebooks. Recently one notice contained summaries of several titles in a series. I thought the book on three views regarding remarriage after divorce sounded interesting. As faithful blog readers, you may gasp, “Is Tamela getting divorced?” The answer is a resounding, “No!” I credit my long …
Autumn Haiku
I love autumn. Love the crisp air, the faint scent of burning leaves, the cold mornings that still give way to sunny, blue-sky days. Love watching the leaves change into their new wardrobe of rich red, gold, and orange. There’s so much about this season that testifies to God’s artistry and creativity. So, as autumn officially launches, let’s share some of our creativity with each other by crafting …
A Call for Entries in the 2017 Edition of The Christian Writers Market Guide
As announced earlier this year, I have taken over the responsibility of publishing The Christian Writers Market Guide. This is a huge undertaking, and I have secured the expertise of Lin Johnson to help compile the information in the next edition. Since it has been almost two years since the last edition, many things have changed. We are reaching out to those who were listed in the last edition to …
What Do You Think of Used Books?
Some authors might complain that books shouldn’t be sold on the secondary market since authors don’t earn royalties on used books. I understand that sense of loss, but as is the case with libraries, used book stores are a great place to discover authors and their work. Our town has two used book stores, though I tend to favor one with convenient parking. Here, a customer can’t go in and say, “Do …