A miscellany of thoughts about dogs, cats, writing, life in the Ozarks, & occasional book reviews
I write from experience, from observation, from research. The characters living in the worlds I create are good, bad, and sometimes both. They're not shy about voicing their opinions and fighting for what they think is right. That includes characters who are military veterans. In Dangerous Deeds (forthcoming), you’ll find multiple characters with the common …
Continue reading Veterans in Fact and Fiction
On the national level, Americans are commemorating the actions of the Second Continental Congress, who ratified the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and established the United States of America. History buffs might be interested to know that the Continental Congress was comprised of delegates from the 13 original colonies. And, like much of …
Continue reading Summertime Celebrations
Among the late bestselling author Elmore Leonard ‘s widely quoted 10 Rules of Writing is this gem: “Try to leave out all the parts readers skip.” And what, you may ask, did he believe readers tended to skip? “Thick paragraphs of prose you can see have too many words in them.” Personally, I’m one of those …
Continue reading Writing For Readers
♦ ♦ ♦ J. R. Cotner is an artist, author, and poet. See more of his work online at his website https://jackronaldcotner.com/ and on his Cotner Collection Artwork page on Pinterest. Visit his Amazon author page for descriptions and purchase links for his published books. C. J. Frick is the author of the …
Continue reading The Love of a Dog
Copper Waters by Marlene M. Bell A New Zealand Cottage Mystery May 29 - June 23, 2023 Virtual Book Tour Marlene Bell’s Copper Waters is the fourth in the series featuring an antiquities expert and amateur sleuth who compulsively involves herself in investigations of murder, mayhem, and mystery. If you’re interested in mystery and suspense …
Continue reading Mayhem and Mystery