I have just learned why my recent visits to Little Haiti and Overtown were so underwhelming: climate gentrification. These past few months I have been exploring Miami and loving my temporary home. And getting to know this city well is the beauty of being in a touristy place as more... read more
Dictionaries: not the sexiest topic ever. Even the famous dictionary-maker Samuel Johnson, in the title quote, acknowledged himself to be a “harmless drudge.” Nevertheless, an article in the New York Times this past weekend has inspired me. It is Latin Dictionary’s Journey: A to Zythum in 125 Years (and Counting).... read more
You remember the catch phrase of Pythagoras, don’t you? You know, the 6th century BC Greek philosopher? Of course you remember. He’s known for saying, “Every triangle is a love triangle when you love triangles.” No, wait. This bit of wisdom comes by way of comedian James Acaster in his... read more
On Sunday I continued my exploration of Miami with a foray into Overtown. Overtown: A Historic African American Neighborhood The emphasis here is on ‘historic.’ Today Overtown looks like every other neighborhood in downtown Miami. Full of high rises and construction cranes. It was originally called Colored Town from the... read more
Teasers have been on my mind and my desk for a few weeks now. So have blurbs. They are both promotional tools for selling books. Perhaps the best promotional tools for selling books. They’re the triggers that entice potential readers to click and buy. I’ll define a teaser as a... read more
Thirteen miles west of downtown Miami is Doral. It has acquired the nickname Doralzuela. In recent years, the political and economic conditions have deteriorated in Venezuela. And many of that country’s citizens have migrated here. In case your memory of the greater Caribbean map has dimmed, here’s a refresher: Caracas... read more
Ten years ago Wynwood was like a lot of other old-time light industrial neighborhoods in the US. A wasteland of abandoned warehouses with empty streets and urban blight. A place you wouldn’t go to in the daytime, much less at night. What a difference a decade makes. Wynwood Today Today... read more
Blurb writing is difficult. But once you know the five steps, you have a chance at crafting something effective. See Writing Blurbs I: Five (Not So Easy) Steps. I’m using my just-released The Hard Bargain as a before-and-after example. Blurb Writing: Before Here’s what I wrote before attending Kristin Wallace‘s... read more
Raise your hand if you’re a novelist and you don’t like writing blurbs. Okay, that’s pretty much everyone. Most of us would say we prefer writing the 80,000-word novel to writing the 200-word blurb. (I know I’ve said as much.) Whether you are traditionally published or an indie author, you... read more
To open my discussion of writing trends, I’ll quote the Beach Boys “Catch a Wave” from 1963: “Catch a wave / And you’re sittin’ on the top of the world.” Lucky you, if you swim out into the oceanic literary marketplace and sense a big wave coming afar off. All... read more
