Writing is my passion!

Hello again, Over the past few months, I’ve been going over some of the notes and reviews from beta readers for my two most recently completed manuscripts.  Not that I’m making excuses for past mistakes when I say that, since I’ve no longer been chained to a 9-5 job thanks to the COVID 19 pandemic, I’ve had a lot more time to put into my writing. Time to dig deeper into the mechanics of how to create a book that people will want to read. Let’s face it, even though talent and imagination are at the forefront, there are still processes that must be followed.   Much like when a builder constructs a home, there are steps and blueprints that must be adhered to or the whole thing will crumble. Therefore, I have been delving deeper into what agents, editors and publishers look for and why they reject so many projects.   Let’s start with CHAPTER ONE, which will be what is requested as a sample of our writing. Agents and editors want to get hooked from the first paragraph, connect wit

Hello Friends, As most of you know I have recently launched KATE’S PASSION NEWSLETTER, a weekly e-mail newsletter for readers, writers and anyone who loves to keep up to date on what's going on in the world of fiction. Also, as an added bonus, twice a month you will find GUEST INTERVIEWS with other writers, editors, reviewers and others of every genre and medium. These artists have graciously volunteered to give us a few minutes of their time to discuss not only their work and upcoming events, but a little bit about their creative processes. I find this most intriguing because, though writing and publishing are such subjective industries, no two artists follow the same method when it comes to perfecting their chosen craft. So far, we have interviewed authors such as Janice Spina, author of the award winning children’s series, DAVEY AND DEREK, JUNIOR DETECTIVES for MG/PT/YA as well as other wonderful books. Her interview will be in the Oct. 2, 2020 issue. We will also interview

H ello my friends, I know it's been a while since my last blog, Memorial Day in fact. June has been a very busy month for me. Not only have I completed another manuscript, but I am now in the process of polishing it up to its brightest shine so that I can start sending out queries to agents. That makes two books that are ready to send, once I finish the final run-through, that is. There may be a few who are unsure of how to write a query that an agent will appreciate. Being in that group does not mean you’re a failure. Let’s be honest, writing queries is more difficult than writing a book. In a book you have three hundred and fifty pages to tell your story. With a query, you have a single paragraph to hook the agent into wanting to read more. I’ve been writing query letters to agents for, well, several years now and have only recently learned the secret, thanks to a course that I’d purchased called Get a Book Deal 101 . Now, technically I can’t divulge what is

Hello, my friends, Normally, as those of you who read my blog regularly know, I usually post about my journey through my writing career. However, I feel that this is a time to salute those who have made it possible for me to do what I love to do. So, let me just start with this: THANK YOU! I don’t think I say it enough, or truly appreciate your sacrifices. Thank you to those who have fought and died and are still fighting and dying to protect our nation and our freedom. Thank you, police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, EMT’s, and all of you who come to our rescue in our times of need, even at the risk of your own safety. Everyone—unless you have been living in a cave for the past six months and have no contact with the outside world—knows that the COVID 19 pandemic has turned all of our lives upside down. But there are those who have continued to serve and do their jobs with little to no recognition; Grocery store clerks, bank employees, auto mechanics, teach

Hello, again, Since the COVID-19 pandemic has forced so many people into home quarantine and the social distancing issues, it’s hard to find enough to keep our minds from turning to oatmeal. Let’s not forget how quickly it can send us over the edge and into the pit of despair. You can’t turn on the television, check your Facebook and Twitter page—or any other social media outlet—and not see something negative concerning the coronavirus and the rising numbers of people infected or who have died “from complications” due to the illness. It hurts my heart, and my head, to be bombarded by this and it’s a constant battle to maintain a positive attitude through it all.   My remedy for this has been not only to delve into my writing and promoting my newest release, THE WEAPONS THEY USE , which is due to come out on June 29 th of this year, but I’ve also started my own little herb garden. As I work on the outline/synopsis, (as I described in my previous blog), for my next manuscr

Hello, again, In my previous blogs, I admitted to some very painful, and illuminating, mistakes that I’d made in my journey to achieve my dreams of becoming a published writer. But it wasn’t all bad, I assure you. As with any adventure, there will be stumbling blocks, detours and landslides that will befall you. The ones I’ve previously shared, were just a few of the more notable incidents that I’ve encountered. With each challenge that I faced, I had to make a choice: Do I stop here? Or do I find a way to resolve the issue and rectify the problem? I’ve come to understand that there are steps that must be taken in every situation. Unless, of course, you are magically inclined and, like Samantha Stevens from the Bewitched television show, you can twitch your nose and make it happen. As the saying goes, “each journey begins with the first step.” I’d like to share with you some of the steps that I’ve learned over the years. Most of the points I’ll be sharing with you, I lea

Hello friends, In my last blog, I discussed some of my past humiliations and why I was now grateful for some of them. I’m sure many of you can relate to a few of my more embarrassing moments from childhood. The best part of making mistakes is that most of us learn from them and, hopefully, don’t repeat them. And this thought leads me to the topic of today’s blog. Is a professional editor really necessary? In a word: ABSOLUTELY! Let me tell you a little story about how I came to learn this lesson the hard way. Once upon a time, in the not so distant past, there was this woman, (me of course), who had a dream of becoming a writer. I worked diligently on my storyline, researching my subject matter and building my characters into who I thought they should become. Then, finally, after months of writing, rewriting and revising the plot and story arc, my novel was finished and I typed the final two words: THE END. I celebrated with a glass of wine and called my BFF to tell