Learn from the greats part 4: reading recommendations

As mentioned over the past few weeks, books are, no surprise, my favorite things to talk about, and I get asked for recommendations all of the time. I've started a reading section on the Turn the Page website but I will continue sharing some of those recommendations here!

This week, let's talk about BOOKS WITH GREAT ATMOSPHERE:

These books have great stories and characters, but the vibe of each book – the way they make the reader feel – is where they really shine.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

When her grandfather calls, delivering the news that her cousin Allegra has gone missing, Lane Roanoke returns home to rural Kansas. As a teen, Lane lived on the farm, but ran away – is that what Allegra did, or did something more sinister occur? Even though the story is twisted and horrifying in so many ways, there is so much heart and innocence and love that shine through. Some of the scenes between Lane and Cooper in particular made me cry from their bittersweetness. This is a beautifully-written book.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9781101906682

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IwH5tu

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Yes, yes, she wrote the amazing Gone Girl, but this is another stellar book by the author. Reporter Camille Preaker returns to her small-town home (everyone is always returning home in books, I guess!) to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Having avoided speaking to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother, and a half-sister she barely knows, she is forced to get to know them once more. As she delves further into her investigation, she begins finding herself identifying too strongly with the victims, and the demons of her past come back to haunt her.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9780307341556

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XbIhXt

Introducing the Author’s Roadmap, a boutique service offered to authors who are ready, really ready, to realize their long-held dreams of being published.

First we’ll begin with a 60-minute call in which we’ll get to know one another. You tell me about you and your book and what your big, audacious dreams are for getting it published (and even after that). You ask me whatever questions you have and together we identify which roadblocks are keeping you from getting to your last stop.

After we meet, you’ll send me your manuscript and I’ll dive deep within it, identifying which aspects will be most attractive to publishers, literary agents, and readers – and which might need a little work (and then I’ll tell you how to fix them).

Finally, I’ll give you the steps you will need to take to get your book published, and beloved by readers everywhere. Looking for a literary agent? I’ll tell you how to get there. Self-publishing? I’ll get you there, too.

It can be hard to know which way to go, and the options can feel overwhelming.

I’m here to get you where you need to be: published.

​Are you ready to play big?

Learn from the greats part 3: reading recommendations

As mentioned over the past few weeks, books are, no surprise, my favorite things to talk about, and I get asked for recommendations all of the time. I've started a reading section on the Turn the Page website (https://www.turnthepagebookcoaching.com/reading-nook), but I will continue sharing some of those recommendations here.

This week, let's talk about BOOKS THAT SHOW INSTEAD OF TELL:

You’ve heard a million times about showing and not telling; these books take it to a whole new level. The level (and quality) of detail in both of these books is stunning, in addition to a beautiful, heartbreaking story and pitch perfect depiction of the devastating effects of World War II.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Marie-Laure is a young girl who loves in Paris. Her father works at the Museum of Natural History, but when the Nazis occupy Paris, they flee to Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s unless lives in a house by the sea. Meanwhile, Werner Pfenning is a German orphan who, among with his younger sister, is fascinated by the radio. He becomes an expert at building and fixing these devices, and soon is enlisted to use his skills to track down the resistance. Of course, Werner and Marie-Laure’s stories intertwine, in a beautiful and bittersweet way.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9781501173219

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GOgOpt

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

In a small town in France, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France, but when they do, a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, and she and her daughter must live with the enemy – until Vianne is forced to make an impossible choice. Meanwhile, Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, joins the Resistance and doesn’t look back.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9781250080400

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3imWH8k

Introducing the Author’s Roadmap, a boutique service offered to authors who are ready, really ready, to realize their long-held dreams of being published.

First we’ll begin with a 60-minute call in which we’ll get to know one another. You tell me about you and your book and what your big, audacious dreams are for getting it published (and even after that). You ask me whatever questions you have and together we identify which roadblocks are keeping you from getting to your last stop.

After we meet, you’ll send me your manuscript and I’ll dive deep within it, identifying which aspects will be most attractive to publishers, literary agents, and readers – and which might need a little work (and then I’ll tell you how to fix them).

Finally, I’ll give you the steps you will need to take to get your book published, and beloved by readers everywhere. Looking for a literary agent? I’ll tell you how to get there. Self-publishing? I’ll get you there, too.

It can be hard to know which way to go, and the options can feel overwhelming.

I’m here to get you where you need to be: published.

​Are you ready to play big?

Learn from the greats part 2: reading recommendations

As mentioned last week, books are, no surprise, my favorite things to talk about, and I get asked for recommendations all of the time. I've started a reading section on the Turn the Page website (https://www.turnthepagebookcoaching.com/reading-nook), but I will continue sharing some of those recommendations here.

This week, let's talk about BOOKS WITH CREATIVE, INVENTIVE PACING:

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown soon after her best friend Corinne’s disappearance – she is back, however, to care for her ailing father and tie up loose ends. A murder occurs, and before she knows it, she is pulled back into the mystery of what happened Corrine, family drama, and a burgeoning reunion with an old flame. The twist – the story is told backwards.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9781501107979

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jSM5ON

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Another treat for Christie fans, and mystery lovers in general. Book editor Susan Ryeland receives the manuscript of author Alan Conway’s latest crime novel, and assumes it will be just like all of his previous bestsellers. How wrong she is! The more she reads the story (the story within the story!), the more she begins to suspect that all might not be fiction. A truly delightful read.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9780062645234

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Cw2IpU

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

This is a perfect book for mystery lovers, especially Agatha Christie devotees. Years ago, bookseller Malcolm Kershaw put together a list of the mystery genre’s most unsolvable murders. Now the owner of the Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, he is shocked when an FBI knocks on his door – she wants his help in investigating a series of murders, murders that seem to mirror those on Malcolm’s old list. Worried about becoming a suspect himself, he begins doing his own investigation, which brings up major skeletons from his past – and brings the killer out of the shadows. Brilliantly paced and plotted.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9780062838193

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3iiJq0G

The Author Power Pack: 4 Mini-Trainings to Make Your Writing Dreams Happen and Get Your Book Published Now

Discover Industry Insider Tips and Tricks to FINALLY Write and Publish The Book You’ve Been Talking About Forever

I’m sharing:

• Why you need a nonfiction book proposal, how to write one, and how to make yours stand out from the hundreds of others agents and editors see every day

• The 16 common mistakes and missteps that even the best authors make when writing, editing, and pitching their manuscripts

• The #1 mistake that most authors are making (without even realizing it!) and how you can fix it so you can finally get your book written and published

• The 12 specific strategies my clients use to build their platforms

• The secrets to creating a stellar “elevator pitch” and becoming a pro at pitching yourself

Click the link below to purchase your game-changing Author Power Pack Today!​

​I’m Ready to Be a Published Author

Learn from the greats: reading recommendations!

Books are, no surprise, my favorite things to talk about, and I get asked for recommendations all of the time. There are some books that are just plain enjoyable, some that are examples of everything you SHOULDN'T do as an author, and then some who have particular strengths. I've started a reading section on the Turn the Page website, but I will start sharing some of those recommendations here.

This week, let's talk about BOOKS WITH AN INCREDIBLE SENSE OF PLACE.

In addition to great stories and themes, these books all transport the reader into the books’ worlds. You can see, hear, smell, feel, even taste alongside the characters – the level of detail is intoxicating, but not overwhelming. Regardless of what type of book you are writing, you want to transport your readers, too – and these books can provide some inspiration in doing so:

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

Three photographers are brought together during the fall of Saigon: Helen Adams, an ambitious ingenue; Linh, a local who is torn between his homeland and his burgeoning feelings; and Sam Darrow, who is addicted to the danger of his job – and Helen, too. This is a gripping, emotional read.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9780312674441

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VT3d4r

Tangerine by Christine Mangan

A juicy, suspenseful melodrama, this is set in Tangier and Morocco in the 1950s. Upon arriving in northern Africa, Alice Shipley is surprised to see childhood friend Lucy Mason. Once inseparable, they have not spoken in quite some time. The two friends reunite, but soon Alice begins to feel stifled by Lucy. When John, Alice’s husband, goes missing, she begins to question everything, even her own state of mind.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9780062686695

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Csa11R

The Dry by Jane Harper

One of my favorite books (and authors) in the last five years, this is a mystery set in a small town in Australia. When Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns home for his childhood friend’s funeral, he learns that there is more this apparent murder-suicide than meets the eye. As he investigates, and goes up against hostile locals and a hostile environment, he is forced to confront his past.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9781250105622

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Qnc25f

The Author Power Pack: 4 Mini-Trainings to Make Your Writing Dreams Happen and Get Your Book Published Now

Discover Industry Insider Tips and Tricks to FINALLY Write and Publish The Book You’ve Been Talking About Forever

I’m sharing:

• Why you need a nonfiction book proposal, how to write one, and how to make yours stand out from the hundreds of others agents and editors see every day

• The 16 common mistakes and missteps that even the best authors make when writing, editing, and pitching their manuscripts

• The #1 mistake that most authors are making (without even realizing it!) and how you can fix it so you can finally get your book written and published

• The 12 specific strategies my clients use to build their platforms

• The secrets to creating a stellar “elevator pitch” and becoming a pro at pitching yourself

Click the link below to purchase your game-changing Author Power Pack Today!

​I’m Ready to Be a Published Author