Creating an interesting protagonist that characters will be invested in takes some time and research as well as a lot of thought to put them all together in one fun, exciting, messed up package.
One of the first things you need to decide is the profession they are in. Are they a…
Cheryl Bradshaw's Blog (33)
Bestselling mystery/thriller author Cheryl Bradshaw donates $1 per book to the Red Cross
It hasn't been easy watching the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on television. Seeing images of wrecked homes and heartbroken people who have lost everything is never pleasant. But there is one remarkable thing that takes place when these things happen: we all come together, remembering who we are, and what we can do to help.
This month I will be donating $1.00 from every…
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Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on November 16, 2012 at 3:15am — No Comments
My New Release: I Have a Secret (Sloane Monroe Series #3) and the Sloane Monroe Series Boxed Set
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on May 17, 2012 at 7:15am — No Comments
Get Black Diamond Death FREE for Five Days ONLY!
Starting today, December 25th to December 29th, the first novel in my Sloane Monroe series, Black Diamond Death, is FREE…
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Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on December 26, 2011 at 4:53am — 1 Comment
Only Four more days to WIN a Kindle Fire, Books, and Prizes at the Author Holiday Hop!
Christmas is a time for giving back and that's why our authors have come together to offer gifts of ALL kinds to show their appreciation. From books, to gift cards, to gift baskets, it's all there, it's FREE, and most of all, you can even enter to win a Kindle Fire!!!
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on December 22, 2011 at 5:35am — No Comments
My Mystery/Thriller Novels FREE on Amazon Prime for a Limited Time
For a limited time, Amazon is offering both my novels, Black Diamond Death and Sinnerman, for free if you are a member of Amazon Prime. When I considered whether I'd join up or not for a few months I decided it would be a great way for me to give back to my readers -- so enjoy and happy holidays!…
ContinueAdded by Cheryl Bradshaw on December 15, 2011 at 7:04am — No Comments
David Lender Talks About His New Best-Selling Thriller Vaccine Nation
A few days ago I was pleased to have best-selling and newly Thomas & Mercer signed thriller writer, David Lender, as my guest on my blog.
David Lender is the Amazon best-selling author of The Gravy Train,…
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Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on December 8, 2011 at 4:30am — No Comments
Is Your Life Whispering To You?
A couple months back when I was asked to be part of the Indie Chicks anthology I was actually dealing with a really personal situation in my life at the time. I was at a crossroads and had an important decision to make, one that I never saw coming. …
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Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on November 2, 2011 at 1:50am — No Comments
The Author Blog Hop Has Begun! Hop Around to WIN Great Prizes...
I am sooo excited to be part of the Coffin Hop this year! There are 100 authors participating which means YOU have a chance to win some really cool prizes like a Nook, gift cards, books, t-shirts, and even a chance to have your name in a novel!
Although I'm not a horror writer...YET, I am a mystery/thriller writer. I write the…
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Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on October 26, 2011 at 4:55am — 1 Comment
This Week Enter to Win a Signed Autographed Copy of my Novel!
This week on Free Book Friday, my novel, Sinnerman is featured, and I will be giving away three personally autographed copies. You can enter to win by clicking HERE. And good luck to everyone!…
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Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on October 16, 2011 at 5:34am — No Comments
My novel on the side, from an editors POV
When I'm not writing, my time is spent editing novels for other writers. I usually only take on 3-4 a month max so I get the time I need in for my own writing. Lately I've read some books for writers that I thought were really hum-drum. And at the same time, I've been editing novels and seeing the same kind of issues novel after novel...and by that, I don't mean to say the writing is bad at all; in fact, I've edited some… Continue
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on August 16, 2011 at 3:00am — 4 Comments
My Interview with J. Carson Black - Part Two
J. Carson Black is the bestselling author of seven novels, including her Laura Cardinal series, which currently has under three titles under its belt.
She has a total of 12 books; seven published and also one short story. Her Laura Cardinal series has three books in the series: Darkness on the… Continue
She has a total of 12 books; seven published and also one short story. Her Laura Cardinal series has three books in the series: Darkness on the… Continue
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on July 28, 2011 at 2:46pm — No Comments
WRITERS: Think You Can't Sell 500? YOU CAN!!!
So the other day I was reading a fairly interesting article that included stats on the publishing industry, and I love statistics, so it was right up my alley.
Did you know that right now over 500,000 books are being published each year? This includes both self-pubbed and traditional.
Of those, how many do you think sell more than 500 copies (of one book)?
50%? Nope.
25%? Nope.
I'll tell you. 2%. That's right, 98% of books published today don't… Continue
Did you know that right now over 500,000 books are being published each year? This includes both self-pubbed and traditional.
Of those, how many do you think sell more than 500 copies (of one book)?
50%? Nope.
25%? Nope.
I'll tell you. 2%. That's right, 98% of books published today don't… Continue
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on June 22, 2011 at 1:46am — 3 Comments
Hook, Line and Sinker!
For Dan Coleman, et al...
About a year ago I opened up the first page of the novel I just started reading and it said:
It was one hell of a night to throw away a baby (Julia Spencer-Fleming)
And whoa nellie, I was hooked! And you want to know the interesting part? I had JUST read a how-to book that said never, never, ever, start a book with "IT". As a reader, I couldn't have disagreed more - I was completely wrapped up in this baby. Why was the baby…
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on June 1, 2011 at 2:24am — No Comments
Guest Post by Nancy C. Johnson
Nancy C. Johnson is the author of Her Last Letter which is doing excellent right now on Amazon. It's currently #79 in the Kindle Store, #2 in Women Sleuths and #3 in Romantic Suspense. …
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Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on May 17, 2011 at 1:32am — No Comments
Readers and Writers - Join Us and Get to Know Each Other!
Hello everyone!
I wanted a place on Facebook where readers and writers could come together in one centralzed location to interact and mingle with some of your favorite authors and to meet and get to know new and upcoming authors.
Here's just a few things readers can expect from the authors of the group:
*Authors sharing information about their works
*Announcements of contests, promotions & giveaways
*Q&A with the authors
*Author… Continue
I wanted a place on Facebook where readers and writers could come together in one centralzed location to interact and mingle with some of your favorite authors and to meet and get to know new and upcoming authors.
Here's just a few things readers can expect from the authors of the group:
*Authors sharing information about their works
*Announcements of contests, promotions & giveaways
*Q&A with the authors
*Author… Continue
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on May 3, 2011 at 1:40am — No Comments
Those Pesky Yet Important Red Herrings
A red herring by definition is a person that gives your readers a false trail to follow. They fall under the "whodunnit" category and can lead the reader to falsely believe someone else committed the crime while concealing the identity of the true villain. You cannot have a mystery without them.
When I was growing up I loved the game CLUE. And it serves as a good example of what a red herring is. Lots of suspects who all look guilty in some way. There was nothing as satisfying as…
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on April 15, 2011 at 5:32am — No Comments
The Persnickety Protagonist in a Mystery or Thriller
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on April 10, 2011 at 6:19am — No Comments
Hook, Line, and Sinker
About a year ago I opened up the first page of the novel I just started reading and it said:
It was one hell of a night to throw away a baby (Julia Spencer-Fleming)
And whoa nellie, I was hooked! And you want to know the interesting part? I had JUST read a how-to book that said never, never, ever, start a book with "IT". As a reader, I couldn't have disagreed more - I was completely wrapped up in this baby. Why was the baby thrown away, who's baby was it, where was it… Continue
It was one hell of a night to throw away a baby (Julia Spencer-Fleming)
And whoa nellie, I was hooked! And you want to know the interesting part? I had JUST read a how-to book that said never, never, ever, start a book with "IT". As a reader, I couldn't have disagreed more - I was completely wrapped up in this baby. Why was the baby thrown away, who's baby was it, where was it… Continue
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on April 8, 2011 at 4:20am — No Comments
Writing the First Chapter
It's one of the most important if not THE most important part of the novel - the opening. Daunting to say the least! I remember when I first created my list of potential literary agents that I wanted to query, it was stressful to read that if the query passed muster, a lot of agents wanted to look at the first chapter or two only.
It's hard not to overthink the beginning because it's the first impression, and it really matters.
That being said, here are some tips I have…
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on April 7, 2011 at 2:21am — 1 Comment
Back Door The Backstory
Behold, the info dump.
The backstory by definition: events that happened prior to the start of the plot, essentially the history, the characters past. You know...once upon a time in a land far, far away...
Newbies tend to want to start with a ton of backstory about their protagonist thinking that a big info dump is necessary for the reader in order to understand everything. But what is important to understand is that readers are smart. And they don't need all that info in…
Added by Cheryl Bradshaw on April 6, 2011 at 3:02am — 4 Comments
Latest Blog Posts
- Bestselling mystery/thriller author Cheryl Bradshaw donates $1 per book to the Red Cross
- My New Release: I Have a Secret (Sloane Monroe Series #3) and the Sloane Monroe Series Boxed Set
- Get Black Diamond Death FREE for Five Days ONLY!
- Only Four more days to WIN a Kindle Fire, Books, and Prizes at the Author Holiday Hop!
- My Mystery/Thriller Novels FREE on Amazon Prime for a Limited Time
- David Lender Talks About His New Best-Selling Thriller Vaccine Nation
- Is Your Life Whispering To You?
Most Popular Blog Posts
- Those Pesky Yet Important Red Herrings
- Tick Tock - Establishing a Timeline
- Guest Post by Nancy C. Johnson
- Book Review: A Touch of Deceit by Gary Ponzo
- Readers and Writers - Join Us and Get to Know Each Other!
- Permissions: Use of Song Lyrics in Your Writing
- Pick Your Poison - Writing from a First or Third-Person POV
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