Cover Reveal of NEW THESAURUS! And some free education!

This is a special edition of my blog. I'm helping Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi promote the latest book in their thesaurus series. 

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Have you ever held onto a secret you've been dying to share, and then finally...you can? For the last few weeks I've been helping Angela and Becca at Writers Helping Writers keep a BIG secret...what the next book in their thesaurus series will be. It might seem strange to not tell one's readers what book you're planning to release...unless you happen to write books on Show, Don't Tell like Angela and Becca do! They couldn't resist the opportunity to show, not tell, by waiting for the cover reveal. They even created a *REDACTED* cover for it, which you might have seen floating around.

We're revealing the cover at long last!

*drum roll*

The next book in the descriptive thesaurus series is The Emotion Thesaurus Second Edition! It's been 7 years since the original Emotion Thesaurus hit the shelves. Many writers have credited this unusual book with transforming their writing. This guide is packed with helpful lists of body language, thoughts, and visceral sensations for 75 different emotions, which makes it easier for writers to convey what characters feel. Since 2012, many have asked the authors if they would add more emotions, so that's what Angela & Becca have done. This new edition has added 55 more emotions, bringing the total to 130. There are other new additions to the book and in fact, it's almost doubled in size! I recommend checking out the full list of emotions (and some sample entries) HERE.
And more good news: this book is available for preorder! You can find it on Amazon, Kobo, and Indiebound.

One last thing: go grab some free education!

Angela & Becca are giving away a free webinar recording of one of their popular workshops on Emotion, so head over if this is an area of struggle for you. It might really help!

IWSG - Books - Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:  Patricia Lynne, Lisa Buie-Collard, Kim Lajevardi, and Fundy Blue!

This month's question is: What are your favorite and least favorite questions people ask you about your writing?

(Personally I'm glad the question isn't about goals and resolutions.)

Favorite question: Where/how did you get your idea? Those are stories in themselves and I'm always glad to share them.

Least Favorite question: Can you tell me how to publish/write/edit, etc.? My answer is always the same. I direct the person to IWSG, and to other writerly sites, and tell them that writing, to be good, is very hard work. 

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Books Read in 2018

I read 31 of my usual 40 books in 2018 the reason being that quite a few of them were quite long and since I'm a slow reader they took longer to get through. I like going over my list and seeing what I read. Last year it included many books in the historical fiction and non-fiction genre.

Lost in Shagri-La - Michael Zuckoff - nonfic
The Royal Physician's Visit - Per Olov Enquist - historical fic
Some Very Messy Medieval Magic - C. Lee McKenzie - MG fantasy
Two Old Women - Velma Willis - Native American myth
Secrets of the Savanna - Mark and Delia Owens - nonfic
The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan - fic
Hunger - Donna Jo Napoli - MG historical fic
The Inquisitor's Tale - Adam Gidwitsz - MG fantasy
The Wright Brothers - David McCullough - nonfic
Forty Years a Slave, Three Yeas in the White House - Elizabeth Hobbs Kechley - bio
Watership Down - Richard Adams - fic
Lilack Girls - Martha Hall Kelly - historical fic
The Green Song - Doris T. Plenn - MG
The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories - Harold Courlander - MG
News of the World - Paulette Jiles - historica fic - excellent
The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell - scifi
Children of God - Mary Doria Russell - scifi
Caliban's Shore - Stephen Taylor - nonfic
Sing Down the Moon - Scott O'Dell - MG - historical fic
Water Buffalo Summer - Huyhn Quang Nhuong - MG bio
Dragon of the Lost Sea - Laurence Yep - MG
Sand Dollar Summer - Kimberly K. Jones - MG
Grass - Sheri S. Tepper - scifi
The Gate to Women's Country - Sheri S. Tepper - scifi
Freud's Mistress - Karen Mack - historical fic
The Queen's Captive - Barbara Kyle - historical fic
Diggers - Terry Pratchette - MG
The Chilbury Ladies Choir - Jennifer Ryan - fic with a little history thrown in
The House with Chicken Legs - Sophia Anderson - MG
The Boy, the Boat, and the Beast - Samantha M. Clark - MG
Blended - Sharon M. Draper - MG

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Being Thankful

I'm thankful it's a new year and that there are more books to read and,
that I get to wear these cool socks my sweetie gave me for Christmas.

What are you thankful for? What's your favorite/least favorite question people ask you about your writing? Read any of the books I've read?