If you want to know the story behind my “Call” when I first learned Berkley wanted to hire me, check out this month’s issue of The Motivated Writer.
Oh, there are a few secrets about my past in there as well, lol!
Enjoy!
CJ
Want to rev up your writing? Learn how to plot, pitch, or develop a story from idea to finish?
Then I highly recommend Blake Snyder‘s Save the Cat workshops!
I just came home from an intense weekend seminar with Blake and some fellow writers–not only did we have a blast, we also left with our heads spinning with ideas.
More than ideas, thanks to Blake we had the tools to make them work.
Check him and his books out!
LIFELINES will be out in the stores next month (March 4th, to be exact) and in addition to a glowing review from Publishers Weekly, it received 4 1/2 stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times Book Review (this is huge, believe me!).
This is what Romantic Times said about LIFELINES:
Top Pick, 4 1/2 Stars. Pittsburgh’s Angel of Mercy Hospital comes brilliantly alive in Lyons ‘ debut novel. This enthralling medical mystery offers an intimate view of the personal and professional lives of its characters. It’s a winner.
To celebrate, I’m hosting several contests–prizes include DVDs, t-shirts, free books, gift cards, and even an iPod.
For more info go to my website, http://www.cjlyons.net. You can also read an excerpt from LIFELINES, check out the photos, and other fun stuff.
And if you want to read a short story that is a prequel of LIFELINES, I’m the featured New and Notable author on Celebwire (alongside Heather Graham, woohoo!) this month and they’re giving away free downloads. Just click here:
http://www.authorlink.com/celebwire/#new
Take care all and thanks for letting me share this exciting time with you!
CJ
Check out my fun conversation with Ali Karim on The Rap Sheet!http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
We discuss how hard it is to write fictional bad-guys, especially after dealing with ones in real life.
Today is dedicated to Patry Francis and the release of the paperback edition of her debut novel, The Liar’s Diary. Go here to see what it’s all about and here to read Patry’s blog and here to buy the book.
One of the things remarkable about Patry and her battles (to be published, to fight cancer, to continue sharing her work and world view) is that she has learned to live a life without “buts.”
No, not that butt, the one brought on by holiday over-indulging. I’m talking about the more insidious, poisonous one that infests our society and prevents so many from daring to dream, much less live their dreams.
You know what I’m talking about. The “but” that starts so many conversations…and brings them to a screeching pre-mature halt.
“But, you don’t understand, I can’t…”
How many times as a physician have I heard that from patients and parents who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions and decisions? Who deny themselves the chance at a better life with a simple three letter word, “but.”
My own life has included encounters with death (my own, my family’s, my patients’), head-long collisions with “facts of life” (which often turn out to be nothing except urban myths cloaked in authority), and scrambling, tooth and claw escapes from poverty.
We’ve all lived through hard times. We’ve all had plans go awry, dreams lost, hopes dashed. We all feel sometimes that it takes more than we have to simply struggle out of bed each day and trudge through the routine we’ve substituted for our life.
I dare you to go read Patry’s blog chronicling her current fight, then return to your own life ready to challenge your own “buts.”
Try it. Banish three letters from your vocabulary, eliminate that one tiny word from your thinking for one day, and see what dreams you can set into motion!
While you’re at it, don’t forget to pick up a copy of The Liar’s Diary and visit Patry on her website or blog.
Thanks for reading!
CJ
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