by kristinoakley | Jun 15, 2024 | Creativity & Craft, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter
Last month, I sent a polished draft of The Runner – The Devil Particle Series Book Three to six critical readers for their feedback. I assumed they’d suggest only a few scene tweaks, and I’d be good to go with the planned release date of November 20,...
by kristinoakley | May 31, 2024 | Newsletter, Writer's Book Club
About a year ago, I watched the horror movie Knock at the Cabin and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I realized it was based on the novel A Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul G. Tremblay, I had to get the book. I’m a fan of Tremblay’s after reading his A...
by kristinoakley | May 17, 2024 | Creativity & Craft, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter
Wait, what? Hasn’t Carpe Diem, Illinois been out for a while? Yes, it has. Ten years, in fact! To celebrate, I’m releasing a tenth-anniversary edition with a new cover and an author’s note. I’m also writing a short (ten-page or so) prequel to...
by kristinoakley | Apr 18, 2024 | Creativity & Craft, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter
Do you have an idea for a story even if you’re not a writer? Is there a tale stuck in your head you’re just dying to tell? Where did that idea come from? Last week I spoke about writing at Oakwood Village Retirement Center in Madison, Wisconsin, for their...
by kristinoakley | Apr 6, 2024 | Books and Movies, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter, Writer's Book Club
For this month’s Writer’s Book Club, I’m reviewing The Hacienda by Isabel Canas and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. I had a lot of issues with both books, but while I found it tough to get through The Hacienda, I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Matter....
by kristinoakley | Mar 22, 2024 | Creativity & Craft, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter, Writing Life
I’m obsessive about meeting deadlines — if I set a deadline, I work fifteen-hour days to get the job done. So, when I’d promised my five critical readers (the Fab Five) a well-edited manuscript of The Runner – The Devil Particle Book Three by...
by kristinoakley | Feb 29, 2024 | Books and Movies, For Readers, For Writers, Newsletter, Writer's Book Club
For February’s Writer’s Book Club, I review The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, narrated by Jack Hawkins and Louise Brealey. In this bestseller, a criminal psychiatrist attempts to treat a woman who murders her husband and then never speaks. I bought the audio...
by kristinoakley | Feb 16, 2024 | Conferences, For Writers, Newsletter
Last November, I attended the 20Books Vegas Conference, and it was quite a whirlwind. This was the first writers’ conference I attended where 90% of the sessions concentrated on business and 10% discussed craft. With over 2,000 attendees, it was the largest in...
