Vocal Expressions

WOW, just WOW. EJD didn’t disappoint in the fourth installment of the Gideon series (Sleeping with Strangers, Waking with Enemies, Dying for Revenge). This time, when international assassin, Gideon is approached by his former lover and grifter Arizona for a job offer in Miami things go awry and he becomes indebted to Scamz, her lover who saved his life. The job takes Gideon to Argentina to locate and get the “package” that contains material that another group would kill to obtain and protect. This group, aka the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (the Beast, Medianoche, Senor Rodriguez, and Senorita Raven) is a deadly force to be reckoned with. What happens throughout the 442 pages is a roller coaster ride that introduces the readers to some characters that scratch, claw, lie, cheat and kill to get what they want. I really liked the introduction of Shotgun and it was great to see Hawks (assassin and Gideon’s lover) and their leader, Konstantin in action. In midst of it all, Gideon lea...

Author’s Bio: Bobby is a novelist who hails from Yeadon, Pa. who lives and works with his wife. He is an alumni of the Art Institute of Philadelphia with majors in Art History, Photography, Graphic Design, Oil Painting, Drawing, and Illustration. After many years working as a freelance artist at various Philadelphia ad agencies, he eventually became an advertising executive for multiple newspapers. Oil painting has always been his passion, and his proudest moment was when he was awarded a prestigious " red ribbon " for one of his paintings that was judged by " The Godfather of The Academy of Fine Art " the eminent Dean/Professor, Sidney Goodman.  "To receive an award from Mr. Goodman was a thrill beyond my wildest dreams," Bobby admits modestly. More recently, Bobby has turned his creative energy toward writing urban novels. His first book is called The Neighborhood and is now being followed by his new novel, Center City . DL: What’s the inspiration f...

So, you want to WRITE! Here are 5 more tips to consider on your writing journey to publication: 1.      Join a community for support and feedback (writing critique group, writers’ association, etc.). 2.      Know your publishing platform (self-publishing versus traditional publishing and the benefits of each to determine which is right for you). 3.      Attend and/or exhibit at book events, festivals, etc. This gives you visibility to readers. 4.      Market yourself and your book by leveraging social media and other platforms (e.g. print, television, radio, etc.). 5.      Treat your writing as a business (track your expenses and maintain good financial records).

So, you want to WRITE! Here are 5 tips to consider on your writing journey to publication: 1.      Determine what you want to write: fiction versus non-fiction. 2.      Learn the art of writing by taking a creative writing class, attending writing workshops, conferences, etc. 3.      Read. Read. Read. (Books within and outside of your genre). 4.      Write. Write. Write. (Develop a daily schedule you can stick to). 5.      Research. Research. Research. (Subject matter, people, places, marketing strategies, etc.).

Author’s Bio: A s a Christian author, Becky's writings reveal trials and tribulations as well as edification to the soul. Her books express the Christian journey from the ordinary everyday perspective with titles and cover art that are uncommon. ​ In 2008 she published her first children's short story,  Destiny's Closet , which developed into a book by 2009.  Destiny's Closet   teaches children the importance of developing a personal relationship with God.  The success and well-reception of  "Destiny's Closet"   inspired Becky to write two more books, " Destiny's Closet - Circle of Friends"  and "Destiny's Closet - The Wonder School , "  for a series. In 2017, Becky released her first novel , Stolen Property , which is an adventure into the supernatural from the Christian perspective, with awe inspiring and breathtaking experiences. It is available on Amazon.com. Becky has contributed articles for several websites...

Last Sunday, I braved the rain and cold weather to see the play "Skeleton Crew" by Dominique Morisseau which was directed by Nicole A. Watson. This play was part of the Women's Voices Theater Festival. This play is a depiction of folks working the line in a stamping plant in Detroit, Michigan, circa 2008. Meet Shanita, pregnant and without a man; Dez who's trying to save enough money to open his own business; Faye, who is simply trying to get in her 30 years before retiring; and Reggie their boss who is caught between executing management's plan to let them go or trying to save their jobs. This was definitely a tumultuous time in the auto industry where everyone's job at any given day could be yanked away. All of these actors gave the audience an excellent performance. You could feel their joys when they talked about choosing a name for their baby (Shanita), or when they smoked a cigarette against company policies (Faye), or anxiety when a weapon was found...

Welcome to Part 3 of my review of Dawn Field’s “How to Fail as a Writer” blog and why you should do the opposite to WIN as a writer. 1. Do not ever read for other writers. Critiquing will just cloud your mind and take your focus off your own work. This is so not true. I have been running a writers’ critique group for almost 10 years and we enjoy reading each other’s work. I find that constructive criticism only makes my writing better through their feedback. And nothing beats having your work polished to the best that it can be. 2. If an editor critiques your writing, stick to your guns that it’s his fault he didn’t understand “what you really meant.” Sometimes a third party (an editor) pointing out what’s wrong with your storyline can be a very hard pill to swallow. But the good thing is that they are objective and will make your work so much better once you get over the fact that as writer’s we don’t always know it all. 3. If a reader gives you feedback that something in ...