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.

• Wading Through the Abundance of Self-Published Works

  By M.J. Moores on October 29, 2013 • ( 5 )

  

  Writerly Rant #5 The Sludge Pile by M.J. Moores, OCT. Author. Editor. Business Owner. Literary Agents and Publishers have the dreaded Slush Pile, but book reviewers have the Sludge Pile. I read a blog recently where the writer/reviewer politely requested… Read More ›

• Editing Tip #5

  By M.J. Moores on October 28, 2013 • ( 0 )

  

  Don’t Bully the Bad Guys The more well-rounded you make your antagonist, the more believable he or she will be. We all love to hate the bad guys but don’t forget that even Darth Vader was a cute kid before… Read More ›

• Interview with Young Adult/Fantasy Author Adrienne Clarke

  By M.J. Moores on October 27, 2013 • ( 0 )

  

  Adrienne Clarke A writer of fantasy and literary fiction, Adrienne’s short stories have appeared in a number of publications including, The Storyteller, New Plains Review, and in the e-zines A Fly in Amber, The Devilfish Review, and Rose Red Review…. Read More ›

• Review: To Dance In Liradon

  By M.J. Moores on October 26, 2013 • ( 1 )

  

  To Dance In Liradon                              Author: Adrienne Clarke Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars Highly Recommended Genre: YA/Teen/Fantasy — To Dance In Liradon is the story of 17 year old village outcast, Brigid, and the repercussions in her… Read More ›

• Fiction Friday #2

  By M.J. Moores on October 25, 2013 • ( 0 )

  

  Cursed by M.J. Moores, OCT – Author. Editor. Business Owner. The apples for the pie were picked from Old Man Wicker’s orchard.  Waiting for the oven timer to ding, Alexis considered her actions: she knew she shouldn’t have scaled the… Read More ›

• How Do the ‘Big Boys’ Read Your Resume?

  By M.J. Moores on October 24, 2013 • ( 0 )

  

  Writerly Rant #4 The Politics of Teaching by M.J. Moores, OCT. Author. Editor. Business Owner. No matter what profession you find yourself in, there are hidden agendas and political interweavings that will make your head spin.  When I graduated from… Read More ›

• New Option for Publishing on a Tight Budget

  By M.J. Moores on October 23, 2013 • ( 0 )

  

  Publicity Tip #4 Working on a budget is a harsh reality for most writers looking to publish.  Consider alternative sources of funding based on your wants and needs from the industry. Have you ever heard of Kickstarter?  What about crowd… Read More ›

• Experiential Poetry

  By M.J. Moores on October 22, 2013 • ( 0 )

  

  CLIFF JUMPING, SOYERS LAKE by Patricia Miller, Writer. Poet. Coordinator. – – – I’m perched On a steep ledge Of dense brown rock Like a blue jay Willing my wings to Flutter, flap, soar Having conquered this land before Instead I… Read More ›

• Editing Tip #4

  By M.J. Moores on October 21, 2013 • ( 0 )

  

  Words to Avoid & Why – pt.2 Make sure your ideas are clear and your characters are not ‘wishy-washy’ with their POV (point of view). There are certain words we writers fall into the habit of using to help explain… Read More ›

• Interview with Fiction Writer Erika Willaert

  By M.J. Moores on October 20, 2013 • ( 0 )

  

  This week I have the transcription of an interview done for Author Hour on Thriller Writer V. M. Gopaul’s website.  With his and Erika’s permission, below you will find an excerpt of the first half of the audio interview.  Erika Willaert,… Read More ›