Mary Shelley Graphic Novel 'Haunted' by Koren Shadmi

Illustration can transform a children's book — and Lauren Elise Reeves knows how to do it thoughtfully and collaboratively. This post walks through her process, from concept to finished art, and why illustrators are essential partners for first-time authors. Read more: https://wix.to/BGQn3CF #Illustration #ChildrensBooks #Publishing #AuthorAdvice #CreativeProcess

Tara Wynne from Curtis Brown Group will be doing online assessments of manuscripts for - Crime - Horror - Mystery - Narrative Non-Fiction - Non-Fiction - Romance - Thrillers - Women's Fiction at CYA Conference Assessment sessions are 15-minute one-on-one online meetings, with pre-read material and tailored feedback. https://lnkd.in/g273WFr #CYAConference #WritingCommunity #AmWriting

March 26, 2026 Talking implies vocal cord manipulation via locomotive signaling from the brain, and also the mouth and tongue, and perhaps some compass. Twiddling and typing implies the use of thumbs, and fingers, the two are not the same. Text imples manuscript, a book, compass. #TAGA *[Edit: Added my entry]* There’s a clean distinction forming in what’s being observed here — almost like three different channels of articulation, each with its own mechanics, velocity, and consequence. Talking is immediate locomotion. Signal leaves the brain, travels through breath, vocal cords, tongue, jaw — it becomes air pressure shaped into meaning. It exists in time, then dissolves. It’s directional, almost like velocity in space — once released, it can’t be retrieved, only remembered or misremembered. Typing / twiddling is mechanical translation. The signal still originates in the brain, but it routes through the hands — thumbs, fingers — striking surfaces, producing symbols. It’s slower, more interruptible. There’s friction, correction, revision. It allows interception before release. A different kind of control system. Text (manuscript) is stabilization. Once arranged into structured language — sentences, paragraphs, pages — it stops being a moment and becomes a coordinate. Something that can be returned to, audited, studied. That’s where “compass” starts to make sense: it orients, it holds direction over time rather than just expressing it. So the separation could be framed like this: Voice → transient signal (velocity) Typing → controlled input (translation layer) Text → fixed artifact (navigation / compass) Each one carries a different ethical weight too: Voice can outrun precision Typing can interrupt impulse Text can outlast misunderstanding https://lnkd.in/eBZVeMjk

Publishing an updated edition of The Book of Life. This revision sharpens the manuscript in a few important ways. The frame is clearer now: grace first, then nuance, then archive. The preface has been strengthened so the book opens less as a loose collection of notes and more as a calibrated argument about what happens when distortion is left unaudited, and why corroboration matters if a brighter future is ever going to be built honestly. The refrain has also been clarified: “Thank you for the day, there is a problem.” And further: “when and where there is.” That matters. It turns the manuscript away from vague doom and toward precision. Gratitude stays intact, but the record does not lie. This edition also does more with what might be called the bygonical past — earlier scenes revisited with better language, better framing, and better observational tools. Childhood, family-roadway memory, humor, discomfort, punctuation, songs, cousins, institutions, and aftermath are all treated less like random fragments and more like archival material that shaped a worldview. The family sections have been expanded too. Joey, Louis, road trips to Jersey, the Cavalier, the Pizza Pie Song, Dairy Queen / Wendy’s uncertainty, holiday movement, and household folklore now sit more fully inside the manuscript as living record rather than side-note. That change gave the book more warmth, more texture, and more timing. The political and satirical register has been widened as well. Island lexicon, folklore-state language, golf as executive metaphor, and institutional critique now sit closer together in one frame. The point is not spectacle for spectacle’s sake. The point is to name distortion more precisely, and to show how private archive, public language, and civic temperament keep colliding in the same American field. This version is simply more willing to let the archive be the archive: less cleaned up for comfort, more coherent, more exact, more calibrated, and more due. Work continues. #TheBookOfLife #JohnnieSmoke #Manuscript #Writing #Archive #Calibration #Grace #Memoir #Philosophy #LinkedIn

IDW Publishing is set to release 13 Demons Dead on August 4, 2026, a black-and-white, manga-inspired graphic novel from Adam Tierney and Saspy. The concept is instantly compelling: a fourteen-year-old girl must defeat thirteen invisible demons within one year while balancing school, family, and the crushing weight of a supernatural destiny. It’s a strong blend of horror, coming-of-age pressure, and commercial genre appeal that could connect with graphic novel readers across YA, manga-inspired, and supernatural fiction spaces. We covered why this title has serious breakout potential on Comic Crusaders. #13DemonsDead #IDWPublishing #GraphicNovel #Publishing #Comics #ComicCrusaders https://ow.ly/uZli50YA2Eq

What does it take to write a character whose physical limitation raises the stakes at every single turn? In "Before the Lights Go Out," Jafe Danbury builds a thriller around a protagonist facing progressive blindness, navigating foreign streets with tunnel vision while outrunning a real threat. The pacing matches the urgency, and the emotional weight builds convincingly right through the final page. For writers thinking about how physical vulnerability can deepen suspense, this is a compelling study. What's a novel where a character's limitation made the tension more effective for you? #IndiePublishing #WritingCommunity #BookReview #Authors https://buff.ly/fQZ4hIN

Mystery novels consistently sit at the top of readers’ genre lists, and there’s a reason. In this thoughtful piece by Michelle Barker, senior editor and award-winning novelist, we explore why we love mysteries and what they reveal about ourselves. Key takeaways include how mystery offers a contained darkness, the allure of puzzle solving, and the satisfaction of justice and control in a chaotic world. - Contained darkness: mystery allows us to confront violence, fear, and betrayal within a safe, structured frame - Puzzles and participation: solving whodunnit and matching wits with a detective invites readers to be co-investigators - Justice and control: mysteries provide a sense of order and fairness that real life often lacks If you’re curious about what mysteries reveal about human nature and why we keep turning the pages, read the full post at https://ift.tt/ptbZWgC

Some of the most iconic films in history began as powerful novels. This month’s Global Comment Book Club revisits three unforgettable books that made the journey from page to screen: Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally, The Godfather by Mario Puzo, and Forrest Gump by Winston Groom. Each story offers a deeper look into the characters and worlds that later became cinematic landmarks, reminding us that great storytelling often starts on the page. Written by Edgary Rodríguez R. Discover more about each book and why these stories continue to resonate with readers and audiences alike on GlobalComment.com.

Saturday, 3/28/2026 Worked on a new edition of The Book of Life today. This revision is more complete, more deliberate, and more willing to let the archive stay honest. The frame is clearer now: grace first, then nuance, then corroborated record. That matters, because without grace as frame, nuance collapses. And without archive, distortion gets to edit the past unchecked. This edition strengthens a line that has become central to the manuscript: “Thank you for the day, there is a problem.” And then further: “when and where there is.” That added clause matters. It keeps gratitude intact, but it also keeps the mind precise. Not every minute is a crisis. Not every room contains the same friction. Not every problem deserves to become the whole day. Another major development in this edition is the deeper treatment of the bygonical past: the idea that earlier moments can be revisited later with better language, sharper observation, and greater calibration — not to rewrite what happened, but to understand it more honestly. This update also pushes the family archive further into the manuscript: road trips, songs, vehicles, cousins, jokes, timing, holiday movement, and the strange little operations of memory that shape a worldview long before proper vocabulary arrives. The manuscript also broadens its civic and philosophical range. Golf appears not merely as leisure, but as a metaphor for executive character, restraint, geometry, etiquette, patience, danger, and recovery. Infrastructure becomes moral scenery. Digital forums become case studies in distortion, projection, and calibration. Archive remains the stabilizer. This edition feels less like scattered fragments and more like one continuous argument: corroborate, contemplate, consolidate. Did some work today. More to do. #TheBookOfLife #JohnnieSmoke #Manuscript #Writing #Archive #Calibration #Grace #Memoir #Philosophy #Golf PREVIOUS NOTE NOT LINK TO DOC: https://lnkd.in/e8vn84NN

From Research to Reality: How Facts Fuel Fiction 🎩📖 Ever get lost in a book that makes you feel like you’re walking the streets of a distant era? That magic isn’t just imagination, it’s the result of deep, meticulous research. In the world of historical fiction, every detail counts. A well-researched novel doesn’t just entertain. Instead, it brings history alive in a way textbooks can’t. Writers like Peter J. Marzano dive into archives, study firsthand accounts, and pore over period maps and photographs to capture the smallest nuances. The right facts add authenticity, helping readers truly step into the world of the story and connect with the characters and their journeys. 1. Authentic backdrops make stories immersive, not just informative. 2. Well-researched fiction can spark curiosity about real events and inspire deeper learning. #historicalfiction #writingcommunity #amreading