Author Archives
I am a writer of adventure stories (although this is not an official category my writing spans YA, NA, Speculative Fiction, and Romance) who taught high school English in a past life.
I am a freelance writers and editor who loves giving creative writing workshops and advising about the self-publishing landscape. I'll have 3 books published in my Chronicles of Xannia series as of April 2017, 3 non-fic industry publications, three short stories in two anthologies, and one essay on the believability factor in fiction writing in a guide to writing.
I am a mother and a wife with an OCD bent toward organization - but I hate cleaning and anything related to it, so I'm definitely not a housekeeper! ;)
I learned how to shoot an olympic bow when I was in high school and I look forward to taking it up again in the future.
I enjoy playing adventure games on my PSIII, X-Box 360, and Wii.
I have a quick mind and a good sense of humour but I am not a humourous person, though I try.
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How to Kill a Character
Inevitably there comes a time when a character must die. It’s often easier to kill off “evil” characters than “good” ones, but both are necessary to bring “balance to the force”. I came across author Lucinda Hawks Moebius’ tips recently… Read More ›
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Fiction Friday #36 – Fractured: When Shadows Arise / YA Contemporary Fantasy
Excerpt From FRACTURED: When Shadows Arise By Cathy Hird Although the sun was close to setting, heat made the air above the black road shimmer. Sweat formed on Korina’s neck, and for a moment, she considered skipping her evening run…. Read More ›
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Book Spotlight – Fractured: When Shadows Arise
Step onto the rail trail outside a quiet Ontario town for an evening jog. A normal thing to do, until… As grade twelve exams finish, Dara anticipates a summer working in the family market garden and hanging out with… Read More ›
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How To Create Credible Female Villains
If someone asks you to list off any three, iconic, female villains you might come up with a list consisting of several of the following: The White Queen (Narnia) Maleficent (Maleficient) Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter) The Evil Queen (Snow White)… Read More ›
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Why Did the Editor Miss Errors in Your Book?
What is the price of perfection? When you pay for professional editing, shouldn’t you be assured that your book will be error-free? Accuracy rates for professional editors today are quite high. Yet language and the art of writing don’t lend… Read More ›
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Tips for Creating Conflict
Having something as intrinsic as story conflict broken down into easy to follow, realistic, and straightforward guidelines is every writer’s wish. Conflict is usually a grandiose idea that doesn’t always manifest to its fullest potential in a first draft. We… Read More ›
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Book Spotlight – 13 Steps to Evil
Your hero is not the most important character in your book. Your villain is. Are you fed up of drowning in two-dimensional villains? Frustrated with creating clichés? And failing to get your reader to root for your villain? Finally, there… Read More ›
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Book Review: 13 Steps to Evil/Writing Guide
13 Steps to Evil: How to Craft Superbad Villains Author: Sacha Black Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars. Highly Recommended Reading. Genre: Non-Fiction/Writer’s Guide. I must say, this book is deviously fun! I’m a lifelong… Read More ›