The fall of mankind begins in the jungles around the Congo River Basin. Amidst conditions that are ripe for war in Africa, a doctor is sent there to combat the threat of monkeypox. The disease he encounters is far deadlier though. Counterterrorist agents sent to rescue the doctor arrive in the Congo, but getting the…
Life was anything but good for a woman during the Victorian era. Women had more to fear from the men of that time than they had to fear from vampires, werewolves, zombies, or any other supernatural creature that might be wandering around. It became even worse if you were deemed to be mentally challenged or…
If you want to vote in the affirmative, would you vote eye, aye, or I? Would you put a needle through an eyelet or an islet? Would you put eyes, ayes, or ice in your drink? If you say something in a joking manner, are you being facetious or factious? Is a pseudonym a factitious…
Prepare to meet a bizarre assortment of people. History blends with science fiction and fantasy in this story that will keep you engrossed. Once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down until you reach the last page. Kelly Hayward and her mom have traveled to Coney Island, New York from…
I recently finished my sixth draft of a new novel, which takes place in the Iraq war. I’m ready to show it to agents as I look for new representation. At the recent AWP Conference in Los Angeles, I attended a panel called “Agents on Agenting,” where afterward I asked Noah Ballard, an agent at…
Relationships are at the center of each of these stories. They will make you think about your own life, the people that you know, and what each of them might encounter in their day-to-day lives. Each of these stories is an extremely real slice of life. They are very well-written, and the characters are so genuine…
Describing a character in your story is usually an easy task. After all, you can see the character clearly in your mind. It’s as if this person is real and standing right in front of you. He might even speak to you, allowing you to hear the sound of his voice. Let’s say, in this…
A teacher of English literature was lecturing a class of adolescents on one of the syllabus’s prescribed modern novels. She selected a short passage which included the following two sentences: “Vanessa’s passage was impeded by the building’s front door. The door was blue.” She read the sentences aloud and said to the class, “What did…
A sadistic killer slashes the throats of his victims and then does something to them that would make anyone cringe. Each of these murders occurs at 11:05 pm. And each one happens on a Tuesday. Throw in a stalker and a mysterious informant, and things get even stranger. A plan to catch the killer goes…
Is a female sheep a ewe, a yew, or a you? When you accept something, do you except it or accept it? Is a surplus an excess or an access? When you get rid of something, do you exercise it or exorcise it? When you speed up, do you exhilarate or accelerate? ewe, yew, you A ewe is…
