Tag Archives: Echelon Press

The Wrong Guy (Guest Blog: Claudia Whitsitt)

Posted on April 22, 2011 | 1 comment

On a sunny afternoon about four years ago, I plopped myself on a sandy beach in La Jolla, California and played what if. What if I wrote a book about a turning point? What if I added mystery and suspense? What if I connected it to an event in my own life that I could access in the blink of an eye?

Many years ago, I attended Eastern Michigan University on the heels of the arrest of John Norman Collins, the chief suspect of The Michigan Murders. He was accused of murdering seven college co-eds at my university. Life was scary enough for a college freshman then—the Detroit Riots had shocked my neighborhood two years previous, the Vietnam War loomed in the background, and I was a frightened, naïve Catholic girl. Though the memories of these events, and the creative joy of fiction, The Wrong Guy was born.

The main character, Katie Hayes, is a lot like me, except prettier, and taller. She heads off to school armed with her rosary and her Nancy Drew mysteries. Her best friend, Janie, is the carbon copy of my college roommate—wild and crazy. Enter crisis and mystery. One girl is assaulted, another kidnapped. Even though the cops have the likely suspect behind bars, no one can help but wonder if they haven’t apprehended The Wrong Guy.

I had a ton of fun writing this coming of age mystery. I hope you have a ton of fun reading it.

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Claudia Whitsitt, a seasoned special education teacher and the mother of five grown children, is a Michigan native and lover of both reading and writing. As a young girl, she was inspired by Nancy Drew mysteries. Her passion for mystery spurred the penning of her own mystery, The Wrong Guy, loosely based on her college years and the Michigan Murders. Claudia began her writing career five years ago. During that time, she has written two additional novels, Identity Issues, and Two of Me. Claudia was honored to have won the 2010 Hummingbird Review/Southern California Writer’s Conference contest with her essay, One Last Pearl. The essay appeared in the Summer/Fall edition of the Hummingbird Review. Claudia can be reached through her website, www.claudiawhitsitt.com.

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Posted in Blatherings, Guest Bloggers, Just for Fun, New Book Releases

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How to Write Realistic Dialogue (Guest Blogger)

Posted on April 13, 2011 | 2 comments

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Well written, realistic dialogue is one of the most useful tools at an author’s disposable. Nothing else can pull a reader from a story than unbelievable dialogue. Imagine a character like Mandy Moore’s in A Walk to Remember. Now picture that character cursing. A bum on the streets won’t use large, obscure words. Neither would a small child. Here are some tips for including authentic dialogue in your novels:

1. Go to the mall or other places where lots of people go. Sit on a bench and eavesdrop.

2. Create a character sketch. In order for your character’s dialogue to be true to the character, it must reflect the character’s flaws, weaknesses, strengths, and personality. A smoker character will not rant about the evils of the big bad tobacco companies.

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3. Large blocks of dialogue, similar to large blocks of description, are boring. Pepper some action throughout dialogue scenes. People often talk with hand gestures. Include movements and other actions.

4. Use swear words sparingly unless the character demands it. Some people hide behind them or use them for release. Other characters may only use them under highly stressful situations. And if you are writing a historical piece, look up the curse words of that time period. In Woman of Honor, my high fantasy romance novel, my characters sometimes yell, “God’s Teeth!” or “God’s Wounds!”

5. While using words appropriate to locale (some regions say soda, others pop), try to avoid dating your piece with slang.

6. If you are going to use accents, make certain that they are constant throughout the novel but not overbearing.

7. Once you write a dialogue scene, read it aloud. Does it flow? Does it make sense? Does it further the story and add details to the plot?

Links:
Website: http://www.NicoleZoltack.com
Blog: http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Nicole.Zoltack
Facebook Fan Page: http://tinyurl.com/Zoltack-FB-Fanpage
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/scarlett9284
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NicoleZoltack
Email: Nicole.Zoltack@gmail.com



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Posted in Blatherings, Creativity, Guest Bloggers, Just for Fun, Writing

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Insert YOUR Name Here

Posted on March 23, 2011 | Comments Off on Insert YOUR Name Here

That’s right. I’m looking for the next round of guest bloggers for Life as a Publisher. If this is about my life, why am I bringing all these other people here? Simple. Everything in the world is part of my life and also because it’s my Blog and I can.

Here is what I would like to see on the blog:

  • Monday: Trash Talk (This is where we can all say exactly how we feel. If you’ve got a rant, tell us about it. Books, writing, mean people in bookstore lines, whatever, get it off your chest.)
  • Tuesday: Library Spotlights (I would love to have people (authors, readers, patrons) send posts on their favorite libraries. Librarians, this is yoru chance to get your library in the limelight!)
  • Wednesday: Topics for Writers (this would include anything that would interest writers or authors from craft to marketing)
  • Thursday: Bookstore Spotlights (This is where I would like to have posts on your favorite bookstores. If possible, please send pictures. Booksellers, feel free to spotlight your OWN store.)
  • Friday: New Book Releases (if you have a new book out, this is the day to announce it here.)
  • Saturday: Karen’s Kwips (I’ll post on these days.)
  • Sunday: Karen’s Kwips (I’ll post on these days.)

Signing up to be a guest blogger here is easy. A few simple steps.

  1. Check the schedule in the sidebar to make sure your date is not already taken.
  2. Send an email (echelonpress@gmail.com) that includes your Name, e-mail address, and the date you want to appear. Please make sure your topic works with the scheduled topic. Please place “GUEST BLOGGER REQUEST” in the subject line).
  3. Send me your articles/posts. These should be 250-300 words. I like to keep things short. Please try and get them to me at last 10 days in advance. I am slow enough on my own.

When you send your post, they should be as attachments. The email should include:

  1. The post.
  2. A photo of you and/or your book cover or something relating to what you are talking about. If you don’t include your choice of photos, you are bound to accept my choice of images.
  3. A list of any links you want included. Also include your social networking urls (please visit tinurl.com before inserting those 457 character urls.)

See, how easy is that? Now tell all your friends. Bring it on!

Emails should go to echelonpress@gmail.com

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Posted in Blatherings, Guest Bloggers, Just for Fun

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