Why Merit Bridges? Selecting A Name for a Novel
Choosing a name for a character in a novel was just as tough as selecting my son’s name before he was born. I thought of Atticus Finch, Nancy Drew, Rozat “Rusty” Sabich, Mary DiNunzio, Mickey Spillane, Regina “Reggie” Love – on and on. I thought of the book Primal Fear by William Diehl and the […]
Happy New Year and Black-Eyed Peas
Hi Ya’ll: 2017 is just around the corner and I’ll be eating some black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year’s Day! There are a few different ways to prepare this southern staple, but I like to stick with the classic recipe below. I often substitute chicken stock for bouillon, and this year I’m using […]
Happy Holidays, Y’all!
Ho Ho Ho! Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. This week I’m wrapping up some last minute Christmas presents as well as putting the finishing touches on the next two books in the Texas Lady Lawyer series. Exciting news: I got an early Christmas present this week when […]
My NYC Adventure (as told by Social Media)
WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 Until Next Time, NYC
Writing What I Know and What I Don’t from a Legal Perspective
Hi Y’all: I’m still in NYC writing Music Notes and getting in the holiday spirit before traveling back to Austin next week! Today we have as our guest best selling author, Judge Debra H. Goldstein! Debra is the author of the legal mystery, Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery (Five […]
Why Do You Read Legal Thrillers?
Hi Ya’ll: I’m still in NYC writing on Music Notes and enjoying the holiday season – as I hope you are! Today we have as our guest best selling author, Larry A. Winters! When I read Larry’s post, “Why courtrooms make such exciting settings”, I knew he would be a great addition to the line-up […]
Val’s Lovely Mac and Cheese
Happy Thanksgiving Y’all! I’m coming to you today on my Birthday! We’re still in NYC and will be heading out soon to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and a celebration of food and fall. My gift to you is the recipe for Val’s Lovely Mac and Cheese. It is one of my favorites from the […]
The Drama of the Law
Hi Y’all! I’m coming to you this month from New York City. Bill & I will be here until mid-December soaking up the culture and watching the holiday traditions unfold. I’m working on my next book in the Texas Lady Lawyer Series, Music Notes! Before I began writing legal thrillers, I asked myself why we […]
Using Famous People In Your Writing
Each time I give my presentation, Legal Issues For Authors, I get a question about using a real person in a book. Usually, it’s Elvis Presley or James Dean, but occasionally it is a historical figure like Eleanor Roosevelt or George Washington. Often it’s the writer’s Aunt Harriett or Uncle Harry. The short answer is […]
Registering a Copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office
After last week’s blog wherein I discussed the pirating of books online, I received a number of questions about how an author copyrights their book. A copyright attaches to a book or other creative work at the moment it is created. That said, it is not always easy to prove the creator or the date […]
