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Point of View: Something’s Missing

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missing puzzle piece

I recently finished writing the second book in the River City Chronicles series, Down the River. Overall, I’m really happy with it – the storylines all wrapped up well, and the ending seemed perfect. Almost. Oh how I hate that word. Writing a novel is like putting together a 10,000 piece puzzle, blindfolded. Or maybe it’s like running in the dark, hoping not to hit anything, and trying your damndest to reach the finish line in perfect form by the deadline. I’d been careful to wrap up each of the major character’s storylines, and to spill all the secrets by … Read more

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Author Spotlight: Daniel Lawrence Abrams

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Daniel Lawrence Abrams

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today: Daniel Lawrence Abrams grew up in NYC, attended Trinity School, and then graduated from Stuyvesant High School. He got his BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan. The 3-D input device he invented earned US Patent # 5,652,603. Abrams trained in comedy writing at The Second City and The Groundlings. He used to perform stand-up at The Improv in LA and The Comedy Cellar in NYC. As a playwright, Abrams’s stage … Read more

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Point of View: Diving Into the Past

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time travel - hands and clocks - deposit photos

You reach a certain point in your life, and the years you have behind you start to number more than the years you probably have left. This leads to introspection, and I am no exception to that rule. In recent days, I have found myself reflecting on my past a lot. No particular timeframe, just little memories that keep coming up in my mind. It may be because Mark and I have just started reading a new book in Italian by a fairly well-known author. We’ve previously read two of his fictional works, but this one is an autobiography. We’ve … Read more

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Review: Romance in Autumn Anthology

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Romance in Autumn anthology

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Magical Realism LGBTQ+ Category: Gay Reviewer: Ulysses Get It On Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords | Thalia | Vivlio | Universal Buy Link About The Book A queer Anthology that explores the romantic life and happy ever afters of gay men navigating the LGBT landscape. All stories are written by Own Voice gay authors! Includes: Releasing on September 19th, this is a follow-up to this spring’s Romance is a Drag. The Review This collection of short stories (the first of which is nearly a novella), offers a wide range of romantic settings and a diversity of characters (not all white, not all young). The autumn and Halloween … Read more

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Serial: Down the River – Epilogue

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Down the River Header

I’m finally revisiting the characters from The River City Chronicles nine years after their original timeline. I’ll be running the series weekly here on my blog, and then will release it in book form at the end of the run. Hope you enjoy catching up with all your faves and all their new secrets! Today, that’s all, folks! Hope you enjoyed it. < Read Chapter 63 Join my email list to get my weekly newsletter with notifications of new chapters. Epilogue Three months later Ben knelt next to the young oak tree where Sam had scattered Brad’s ashes just a … Read more

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Point of View – The Copyright Jungle

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copyright - deposit photos

The recent Anthropic AI settlement has me thinking a lot about copyright. I’m in the US, and we can register our works with the US copyright office. It’s not hugely expensive – about $45 if you do it before publication and $65 if you do it after the fact. But US copyright law also says that if you indicate that a work is copyrighted – by including a copyright page – then you are covered by copyright protections without having to formally register. So it’s not always been necessary to do the paid registration to enjoy copyright protection in the … Read more

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Serial: Down the River – Chapter Sixty-Three

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Down the River Header

I’m finally revisiting the characters from The River City Chronicles nine years after their original timeline. I’ll be running the series weekly here on my blog, and then will release it in book form at the end of the run. Hope you enjoy catching up with all your faves and all their new secrets! Today, we’re finally at the end, so of course there’s a wedding. But don’t worry… there’s still the epilogue next week… < Read Chapter 62 | Read the Epilogue Join my email list to get my weekly newsletter with notifications of new chapters. Chapter Sixty-ThreeWedding Cakes … Read more

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Point of View: A Character Experiment

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Characters - Deposit Photos

Characterization has long been my Achilles heel. I grew up reading, big idea science fiction and fantasy, and that’s what I always wanted to write. I had the big ideas, but when I first started my writing career, I didn’t know how to craft compelling characters. I’ve spent the last ten years working on it, using some helpful books filled with character exercises, making story Bibles to track my character info and helping me get inside their heads, and studying how compelling characters are created in books and other mediums. I’ve come a long way, but it’s still a challenge … Read more

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Author Spotlight: Edale lane

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Edale Lane

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today: History. Mystery. Heroines worth falling for. From windswept battlefields to candlelit conspiracies, Edale Lane crafts sapphic historical fiction, mysteries, and fantasy brimming with action, romance, and intrigue. An award-winning author with an MA in history, she brings every era to life with rich detail, unforgettable women, and stories where love and danger walk hand in hand. Thanks so much, Edale, for joining me! J. Scott Coatsworth: How long on average does it … Read more

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Serial: Down the River – Chapter Sixty-Two

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Down the River Header

I’m finally revisiting the characters from The River City Chronicles nine years after their original timeline. I’ll be running the series weekly here on my blog, and then will release it in book form at the end of the run. Hope you enjoy catching up with all your faves and all their new secrets! Today, Gio comes home from Italy with Stella and Sole, and gets a big surprise… < Read Chapter 61 | Read Chapter 63 > Join my email list to get my weekly newsletter with notifications of new chapters. Chapter Sixty-TwoComing Home Gio hugged Dante tightly. “Thanks … Read more