Every year for five years now, Mike Dellosso has delivered a treat for us readers of suspense. I’ve been following Mike from the beginning and have always been astounded by his pace, his exemplary work ethic, and his consistent quality. He works a full-time job and juggles family life too. I know what goes into writing these types of novels, and the task is no small feat, especially in a market that is tough to break into and draw enough sales to keep a publisher happy. God has gifted Mike in an amazing way and opened doors for him to keep producing and reaching readers. Congratulations, Mike! Frantic is another quality addition to his ever-growing collection. With this offering, I felt that Mike ventured into some new territory by delivering a more literary flavor. He spent more time developing his characters (Marny’s sense that he’s “cursed”) and their backstories. The…
Read more10 Common Misconceptions of the Wannabe Novelist, #3
See Part 1 and Part 2. #3: My novel must be pretty awesome—my significant other and friends certainly think so. This is faulty thinking; with few exceptions (consider the amazing story behind The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans) significant others and friends could never replace industry professionals. Ask any established novelists, and they’ll tell you. Because spouses, family members, and friends have the relationship at stake and don’t want to hurt our feelings, we can’t expect them to provide an impartial evaluation that will deliver the goods we need as authors. That doesn’t mean, however, that we should cut them off from our projects if they want to be involved. For example, my wife, Kim, a voracious reader, is always the first reader of my books. She always gives me great feedback beyond “This is wonderful because my husband wrote it,” but her review has its limits. Even someone…
Read moreDo you have Kindle ADD?
I fear it’s true. I think I’ve caught it, and I might need counseling. What is it? ADD for adults. And I don’t think I ever had it until I bought my Kindle Touch last fall. Don’t get me wrong. I love my Kindle Touch. Um, but that may be the problem—I fear I love it too much. Just ask my wife. When my kids are watching family movies I normally watch with them, I prefer to surf around on my Kindle Touch (is surf the right word? Maybe blaze would be better to stick to the motif). And there’s a lot to check out. But here’s what’s scary—I’ve paid like maybe $3 tops, yet I have more than 900 books downloaded. But how is that possible? It’s no mystery that free Kindle books are available every day. You just need to check the right blogs to find out what they…
Read more