by mike | Mar 9, 2015 | Mystery Novels, Myths & Legends, Native Americans, Uncategorized |
The Coyote myth is well known in many Native American cultures, especially out here in the western U.S. In the Creation stories of some tribes he represents the Creator himself, but for the most part Coyote is known as a messenger, a trickster, or a clown. In the...
by mike | Feb 2, 2015 | Books, Editing, Mystery Novels, Uncategorized, Writing |
Victorian-era writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created two of the most memorable characters in all of fiction: amateur sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his chronicler, Dr. John Watson. Their adventures spanned four novels and over fifty short stories. Obviously, there had to...
by mike | Dec 31, 2013 | Books, Editing, Mystery Novels, Publishing, Writing |
I’ve had the great pleasure of working with author Michele Scott for about a decade. Besides our work together we are great friends—she calls me her second dad, and having met her father prior to his passing, I consider that an honor. Michele was an unpublished,...
by mike | Oct 1, 2013 | Books, Editing, Mystery Novels, Publishing, Uncategorized, Writing |
Many folks are focused on rankings, so given that there has to be the best of everything, it stands to reason that there also has to be the worst. The worst plumber, the worst bus driver, the worst brain surgeon (oh please!), the worst airline pilot (oh double...
by mike | Jun 5, 2013 | Adventure fantasy, Books, Editing, Mystery Novels, Publishing, Writing |
What? No, not me. Before I ever write word one of a new novel I must have a title. More on that in a moment. During my quarter-century or so as a writing coach and editor I’ve had many fiction—and even non-fiction—manuscripts come to me without titles…books that the...
by mike | Nov 14, 2012 | Books, Editing, Mystery Novels, Publishing, Sword & Sorcery, Writing |
I’ve worked with countless writers over the decades as a coach and editor, and interacting with the majority of them has been a joy for me. But with some, not so much. The difference? The “not-so-muchers” don’t take critiquing well, are defensive, and some actually...