Stephen Lawrence Brayton's Blog (200)

I think what many authors tend to either forget or not realize in the first place is that publishing is a business. With any business, there are rules, regulations, and requirements for those who want to be employed. Writers sometimes don’t do their homework. I admit, I didn’t, but in time I learned the rules, and am still learning.

When applying for a job, there are…

Rick Robinson, Sunny Frazier, and Sparkle Abbey.

Three authors (four actually since SA is actually two collaborators) to whom I must give credit for making me think about this week’s blog. Let me explain.

Many moons ago, I met Sunny Frazier, Oak Tree Press’ acquisition editor, at the Killer Nashville conference. She was personable, open, friendly and we…

There’s an old joke with a few variations but each has a similar theme. One example of the joke might be: A woman wants to vacuum the living room. Taking the vacuum out of the closet, she notices the disarray of the shoes. Kneeling down to straighten the shoes, she spies a stain in her favorite coat. She takes the coat to the kitchen where she keeps the stain remover and sees the pile of bills on the table. Forgetting the coat, she sits down to pay the bills but realizes she hasn’t balanced…

“Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.”

Been there, done that. And let me tell you, there is no easy way to smoothly extricate yourself and still look cool.

Admitting you're wrong is difficult. Admitting someone is right can be, too.

This is especially true when it come to critiques about your writing.

All…

In November of last year (on another blog site), I posted a series of humorous statements entitled Adult Truths. Many people enjoyed them and one person, my editor and friend, Sunny, suggested I think about writing a blog about each individual truth.

Well, I kept the idea in mind, wondering how I might turn these bits into blogs about writing. Now that my blogs…

A few moons have passed since the last author interview. September has arrived, cooler weather is upon us, as well as football season and the end of another crappy year for the Cubs.

I had the honor of beign interviewd by Mark Tierno last month on his blogtalkradio program and he requested to have the interview favor returned so here he is.  He wanted to be…

A couple things have happened in the last month or so. They have me thinking about changes.

I really dislike change, even though I know sometimes, even most times, the new situation will be better. I’m resistant to jumping into the water without a net…or something to that effect.

The first thing was that my goofball landlord, who hasn’t deigned to take…

I know it seems as if I’m changing my blog schedule weekly. What I list as topics for the next week’s blog doesn’t always appear. I’ve delayed some things or postponed topics because of mitigating circumstances. My topics get pushed aside for author interviews because I want to do my part to promote others.

Part of the problem has been I’ve been…

With the forthcoming release of my latest book, Alpha, I know one of the popular interview questions will be: “How did you ever come to write this story?” Another will be: “But wasn't your first book entitled Beta? Why the reverse titles?”

Allow me to answer the first part of the second question. No, my first book was entitled Night Shadows. However, in the Mallory Petersen series, Beta was released before Alpha and this is the story behind the story.

This…

The first Friday in August bodes another day of heat and no rain…just like the last, uh, I can’t remember how many. The weather girl on WHO Radio is bored out of her mind because the forecast never changes.

So, I’m off to pick up this week’s featured author and we transport to what she calls her wonderland. (Again, I don’t know the actual destination because…

Again another author assumes control of the transporter. You know, all they have to do is tell me the destination and I could get us there in no time. But, Justin is a country boy and they have their own of doing things, so I suppose I’ll go along. With visions of Deliverance in my head, I’m pleasantly surprised when we wind up lounging on the back porch of a log…

Another week of hot temps and I have to get back from interviewing this week’s featured author in time to perform for the local fair crowd. When I pick up Ms. Christi, I know she’s taken lessons from otehr authors and instead of giving me a specific destination nudges me aside and takes control of the transporter.  Where do we end up? Well, I’ll let her own words…

We’re moving toward the middle of Jully, into the second half of the year. This week, I pick up this week’s featured author and, once again, I’m booted out of the way and not allowed to control the transporter. Usually, everything works out for the best, but you never know with these pushy types. lol. Anyway, before I know it, we’re enjoying brie and chewy bread…

This week has been a series of hot, hot days. I am so glad to be able to leave this state, transport down to Florida to pick up this week’s featured author. We’re off to New York City and the famous Algonquin Hotel at 59 West 44th Street in the heart of Manhatten. Built in 1902, the Algonquin has been a standard for luxury and comfort for decades. They’ve recently…

The past two days have been extremely warm, so I am so glad this week’s featured author loves ice cream. I also enjoy the fact that she’s from the Quad Cities, where I used to live as a child. I show her around the old familiar places before we transport up to Madison, and order the largest bowls of Babcok ice cream at the Memorial union, feeling the sun and he cool…

When I saw this week’s featured author’s book in my review list I knew I had to invite her for an interview. As you can tell by her picture, she’s into martial arts and in my book that makes her worthy of a little attention (as well as the fact if I tick her off I risk getting hit with those kamas she’s weilding).

The problem I ran into was…

I sometimes envy those authors whose books are centered in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. They describe neighborhoods and toss out street names and locations like a poker dealer throwing out the new hands to the players. Of course, if those authors live in those cities, then the familiarity is understood. For me, though, it’s still amazing because they seem to…

Many moons ago when I was working on a story involving my heroine, Mallory Petersen, the idea for the sequel started to take shape. I truly could not tell you from where the plot originated. Maybe after listening to another writer in my critique group read his selection or hearing something on the radio. Anyway, the idea of Mallory (martial arts instructor/private…

It’s a brand new month and this week’s featured author sets the trasnporter’s controls for Space Coast near Kennedy Center. In a few minutes, we’re lounging in his music and writing studio listening to Dexter Gordon on the stereo and a mockingbird outside. He gives me cheap Walmart wine and crackers and says the pizza is coming soon. However, I can spend the night in…

Heading into a hot holiday weekend. Two days off and no set plans.

First, however, it’s another interview with a fantastic author. I pick her up in my trasnporter and since she didn’t care where we went, I did something I’ve never done with any other author. I took her back to my apartment to meet my cat, Thomas. (And no, that’s not a euphamism for anything,…