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Category: BOOK REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEWS, READING2 Comments

Jot Note Journaling for Those Who Read & Review

January 3, 2023December 10, 2022 zarawest

Do you have trouble remembering what you read? Know the title but not the author, the setting but not the characters’ names? Can’t recall that great quote or turn of phrase? Looking for examples of exemplary writing and plotting? Wish … Continue reading Jot Note Journaling for Those Who Read & Review

BOOK REVIEWS, PLOTTING TIPS, WRITING CRAFT BOOKS11 Comments

5 Writing Craft Books You Shouldn’t Miss

December 12, 2022 zarawest

Looking for a gift for a writer friend, or perhaps, one for yourself? Here are five books I have found helpful in my writing this year. Fiction Blurbs: The Best Way Forward Way by Phoebe J. Ravencraft If you hate … Continue reading 5 Writing Craft Books You Shouldn’t Miss

BOOK PROMO, BOOK REVIEWS, WORD CHOICE TIPSLeave a comment

Powerful Prose

April 24, 2022April 24, 2022 zarawest

Power Charge Your Language by Joan Koster provides a zillion ways to add vividness to your writing. Continue reading Powerful Prose

BOOK REVIEWS, DRAFTING TIPS, WRITING CRAFT BOOKS, WRITING TIPS, WRITING TOOLSLeave a comment

Fast Draft Your Manuscript: It’s NaNoWri

October 23, 2020October 23, 2020 zarawest

Do you want to write faster and enjoy the process while doing so? Check out Fast Draft Your Manuscript and Get It Done.
Continue reading Fast Draft Your Manuscript: It’s NaNoWri

BOOK REVIEWS, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, WORD CHOICE TIPS, WRITING TIPS3 Comments

Characters as Verbs

March 18, 2018October 23, 2020 zarawest

~ I ________ you ~ I was very fortunate to have the chance to hear Damon Suede speak at the New Jersey Romance Writers Conference last … Continue reading Characters as Verbs

BOOK REVIEWS, DRAFTING TIPS, INSPIRATION, ORGANIZING, WRITING TIPS3 Comments
Writing in Fifteen Minutes by Zara West

Fifteen Minutes Writing – The Book Factory Method

February 16, 2018October 23, 2020 zarawest

~ Life in Fifteen Minutes ~ Do you know how much time you spend on daily activities like reading e-mail and perusing Facebook? Do you struggle to reach your daily word count? I know that I do. A while back, … Continue reading Fifteen Minutes Writing – The Book Factory Method

BOOK REVIEWS, CREATIVITY, WRITING TIPS, WRITING TOOLS, Zara West Books1 Comment
Notebook Zara West Suspense

Time Management versus Creativity in Writing

March 28, 2017October 23, 2020 zarawest

Or Why Hitching Creativity to the Clock is Doomed to Failure Yikes! Where did the time go? My last post was when – December? So much for keeping a writing journal. It was such a good idea – writing down … Continue reading Time Management versus Creativity in Writing

BOOK REVIEWS, BOOK TRAILERS, CREATIVITY, WRITING TIPS, Zara West BooksLeave a comment
Beneath the Skin

How I made a Book Trailer for Beneath the Skin

May 21, 2016October 23, 2020 zarawest

How I Made a Book Trailer for Beneath the Skin! Book trailers are the hot new thing in book marketing. With my background in making videos, I just had to try my hand at creating one for Beneath the Skin. It … Continue reading How I made a Book Trailer for Beneath the Skin

BOOK REVIEWS, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, PLOTTING TIPS, Zara West BooksLeave a comment
Beneath the Skin romantic suspense www.zarawestsuspense.com

Beneath the Skin is different

March 1, 2016October 23, 2020 zarawest

Now I read a lot of romantic suspense novels. I love them. Why else would I write them? I like the fact that there is mystery … Continue reading Beneath the Skin is different

BOOK REVIEWS, WRITING TIPS, Zara West BooksLeave a comment

Zara West’s Romantic Suspense Book Review

February 20, 2016February 20, 2016 zarawest

Blood Code by USA Today bestselling author Misty Evans definitely fits the requirements for a romantic suspense. The heroine is a Russian princess who has lived … Continue reading Zara West’s Romantic Suspense Book Review

BOOK PROMO, BOOK REVIEWS, PLOTTING TIPS, WRITING TIPSLeave a comment
Beneath the Skin romantic suspense www.zarawestsuspense.com

What Makes a Romantic Suspense Suspenseful?

January 15, 2016October 23, 2020 zarawest

Lisa Gardner in the “Seven Secrets of Romantic Suspense” lists the following elements that all romantic suspense novels need to be successful: A tense, dangerous setting Complex heroes, heroines, and most importantly, villains, who have goals they must accomplish and … Continue reading What Makes a Romantic Suspense Suspenseful?

BOOK REVIEWS, INSPIRATION, WRITING TIPSLeave a comment
Kiss from Romancing the Stone

When You Are a New Romantic Suspense Writer

January 9, 2016October 23, 2020 zarawest

Beneath the Skin is my first romantic suspense. This is a genre that I have always enjoyed reading. A romantic suspense has two interlocking plot lines. There is the love story which wends it way through the novel, pulling the … Continue reading When You Are a New Romantic Suspense Writer

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