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.

• Author Spotlight – Melissa Barker-Simpson

  By M.J. Moores on November 22, 2014 • ( 7 )

  

  Behind the Scenes with Sci-Fi Author Melissa Barker-Simpson The first time I wrote a science fiction novel I was fifteen. I haven’t thought about it in a long time, but it was a story I shared with my father, and… Read More ›

• Fiction Friday #24

  By M.J. Moores on November 21, 2014 • ( 10 )

  

  Excerpt From THE FIFTH WATCHER By Melissa Barker-Simpson. I was five years old when they came for me. I don’t recall everything that happened, and perhaps I never will. But I know there were four of them. They were dressed… Read More ›

• Dealing with Bookstores 101 – Pt. 1

  By M.J. Moores on November 20, 2014 • ( 5 )

  

  Publicity Tip #60 Whether you’re self-published or with a small traditional publisher, your book is likely not being stocked in the local bookstore. Why? With limited shelf space many bookstores only carry books from the big guys. Here are a… Read More ›

• THE BRAVE MAN PUTS DOWN HIS SWORD

  By M.J. Moores on November 19, 2014 • ( 2 )

  

  Originally posted on keithgarrettpoetry:
         Anger eats at his heart, hurt devours this mans loving soul, He fights within himself as he seeks the peace of restful sleep. Listen to this man as he asks to be heard among…

• The NaNoWriMo Vibe

  By M.J. Moores on November 18, 2014 • ( 1 )

  

  Writerly Rant #60 By M.J. Moores, OCT. Author. Editor. Freelance Writer. Just to put it out there, November is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for the uninitiated). I’m participating with the hundreds of thousands of authors around the world… Read More ›

• Editing Tip #60

  By M.J. Moores on November 17, 2014 • ( 0 )

  

  Don’t Over Edit… Pt. 3 ~ The easiest trap to fall into is getting stuck in the mind-set that “it has to be perfect” before you’ll let yourself move on. You might think that this kind of over editing is … Read More ›

• Fiction Friday #23

  By M.J. Moores on November 14, 2014 • ( 1 )

  

  ~ Excerpt from GODMODE By Quan Williams. “Sub-level 6 reached,” the familiar, metallic voice of Robo-Brit rings in my ear, waking me from my memory. “Please identify yourself for access to this floor.” The memory puzzles me. Mulder and Ithaca… Read More ›

• The Extras – How to Cash in on Backstory

  By M.J. Moores on November 13, 2014 • ( 1 )

  

  ~ Publicity Tip #59 Appendices and Story Bibles: when to use them and when not to ~ By Quan Williams, Author. When crafting a story, especially a novel or series of novels, a writer will accumulate a lot of background… Read More ›

• My Poetry – bhalsop

  By M.J. Moores on November 12, 2014 • ( 2 )

  

  Originally posted on bhalsop:
  I have been writing poetry as a part of my creative writing course. It is quite a stretch. But I have found a way to be political and activist in certain poem types. There is a…

• Book Promotion that Makes an Impression—Don’t Advertise When You Can PADvertise

  By M.J. Moores on November 11, 2014 • ( 0 )

  

  Originally posted on Kristen Lamb's Blog:
  Since most of us are neck-deep in work and NaNoWriMo, I thought it was time to talk about something OTHER than writing. How are you going to MARKET that NaNo novel by December…