Anything and Everything.

Back when I first typed out SERVING UP INNOCENCE, and long before it had a title or was even thought to become part of a series, I finished the ending in a less than ideal way. Shayne didn't get the guy she really wanted. She ended up not growing and made decisions that ended up being better for everyone else. It wasn't right and it didn't work. Rereading the original ending on a second and third pass, I knew it didn't fit her character as there was no character growth. I gave my own book a 2 star rating at that point. LOL. There wasn't even a real Happy Ever After, which if you write Romance, is expected (just like finding the killer is important to murder mysteries but more on that later). Reading the original ending, I knew what was going to happen... it was clear as day to me. So, why not then change the ending to reflect that? And in three short clicks, the ending was cut out and re-filed into a folder where I store my cut material (it makes for some inte...

What’s a Critique Partner? Simply, a Critique Partner (CP) is someone, usually an author, who will go over your manuscript in fine detail, searching for plot holes, weak character development, possibly grammar and punctuation errors and so on. A CP will go in depth to your manuscript and bring out the very best of your story the way you’ve written it – something that’s very important. A critique partner worth their weight in gold, will strengthen your words, not twist them into what they would’ve done. They will mix the constructive criticism with the good. This is exceptionally important. It’s equally as important to work with a CP who writes in the same genre and therefore understands the mechanics within. Of course, everyone wants to have a perfect manuscript coming out of the gate, but even the best of the best, have someone else who will review their manuscripts before turning them over to their editors. And swapping chapters with another author gives you a chance to wo...