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.

• Tips for Creating Conflict

  By M.J. Moores on May 31, 2017 • ( 0 )

  

  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 ›

• Book Spotlight – 13 Steps to Evil

  By M.J. Moores on May 30, 2017 • ( 0 )

  

  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 ›

• Book Review: 13 Steps to Evil/Writing Guide

  By M.J. Moores on May 29, 2017 • ( 2 )

  

  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 ›

• Book Review: Age of Becoming / Dark Fantasy

  By M.J. Moores on April 26, 2017 • ( 0 )

  

  Age of Becoming – Kallodhan Book 2                                    Author: Justin Wright Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars. Recommended Reading. Genre: Epic Dark Fantasy. Samantha’s life is far from perfect, and her lifelong admirer wants to see… Read More ›

• Editing Your Novel’s World: Not Just for SFF

  By M.J. Moores on March 3, 2017 • ( 4 )

  

  Whether you write general fiction or genre fiction, when it’s time to review that completed first draft and look for loop-holes in the substantive/content portion of your manuscript, WORLD BUILDING should not be taken for granted. Now, it’s true that… Read More ›

• Book Review: Treasures of the Forgotten City / Adventure

  By M.J. Moores on February 23, 2017 • ( 4 )

  

  Treasures of the Forgotten City – An “Ultimate Ending” Choose Your Own Adventure, Book 1                                    Authors: David Kristoph &     Danny McAleese Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Recommended Reading. Genre: Adventure.   “You are Donovan… Read More ›

• Book Review: A Brother’s Will / Fantasy

  By M.J. Moores on January 10, 2017 • ( 0 )

  

  A Brother’s Will – Kallodhan Book 1                                    Author: Justin Wright Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars. Recommended Reading. Genre: Epic Fantasy.   I love a good quest and Justin Wright has all of the “right” ingredients:… Read More ›

• Not All Authors are Shy: How to Empower Yourself

  By M.J. Moores on December 7, 2016 • ( 2 )

  

  I must admit, I’m guilty. I’ve done a number of publicity posts about the need to get out into your local community and finding the courage to own the fact that you’re an author. But what about those authors who… Read More ›

• The ELLIPSIS… (Writing Tips) – Infographic…

  By M.J. Moores on November 2, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  If your character gets cut off from what they’re saying, use an em-dash not an ellipsis… here’s a fantastic graphic to remind you when to use them 🙂

• 6 Ways to Add Depth to Your Narrative – Guest Article on Book Marketing Tools

  By M.J. Moores on October 27, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  You might be surprised to learn that “seasoned” writers will still, on occasion, get this highly vague editing note: Add More Depth. This might refer to a character, a setting, a scene, and yes—even backstory (when appropriate). The following 6… Read More ›