Why I Bother (And Why I’ll Keep Bothering): The Curious Case of Mabel Shirley’s New Look No one’s really visiting the blog, let’s be honest. Most days, I’m probably talking to myself. But that’s all right. Because something odd has happened — and it’s worth saying out loud, even if the echo is all that answers back. I’ve been working hard — with quiet…

When Writers Pull the Rug Out from Under Us In fiction, we’re often taught to expect tension to rise, build, and climax. But some of the most unforgettable scenes do something very different—they kill the moment. Just when everything feels intense or emotionally charged, the story flips, swerves, or deflates the moment entirely. This technique, though surprising, is a powerful literary device used to…

Writing has always been my passion, but as life changes, so do priorities. Recently, I found myself asking an important question: Can writing replace a full-time income? It’s a challenge that many authors face, especially in an ever-evolving industry. Rather than speculating, I decided to ask someone with firsthand experience—Michael Jecks, a prolific historical fiction writer who turned to writing as a career after…

A question I often get asked is: What software do you use to write your books? For me, the answer is novelWriter—an open-source writing tool developed by Veronica Berglyd Olsen. I wrote The Corpse Door using this software, and it has been an absolute game-changer for my writing process. Unlike traditional word processors, novelWriter is designed specifically for novelists. It keeps things lightweight, structured,…