If you read the last blog entry, you know I'm giving a bit of history of my publishing career. I decided not to go strictly chronologically, because when I wrote the stories is often different from when they were published. What feels like the correct order for me doesn't line up with dates you'll see for each book.

Her Ex-GI P.I. was fun to write, because I took my husband's stories of Vietnam and wove them into a '60s murder mystery. Carrie is a '60s woman of twenty who's unwilling to settle...

I'm not good at thinking up blog material, but I read a how-to guide for authors that suggested I should trace the development of my writing career in my blog. I like that idea, because I have lots to write about there.

My first book, Macbeth's Niece, was inspired by my years of teaching Shakespeare's Macbeth. It took 6 years to become a book. I worked on it for two years while teaching school, directing plays, and conducting choirs. When I thought it was perfect (Little did I know!), I...

I signed up for Smashwords' End of Year sale, going on for the rest of December. They let authors choose the discount they want to offer. I chose to make all my books free. (If you're in a hurry, you can stop reading and go there now: http://smashwords.com/sale

My husband thinks this is crazy, and I get that. I work for months to write, edit, set up, and publish a book, and then I give it away. It does sound a little odd.

But here's the thing. Independent authors have very little power in the...