IS IT EVER TOO LATE TO START A WRITING CAREER?

Is it ever too late to start writing with the goal of publishing?

I received that question in an email. I didn't answer right away because my inclination was to say, "It's never too late." because I firmly believe that it's never too late to do something if you really are passionate about it.

Instead, I did a little research to add to what I already knew to be true to go along with my personal opinion.

OLD AUTHORS GET PUBLISHED 

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett had an article that addresses this question. Published in The Writer's Toolbox, Writing Into Your Seventies and Beyond, answers this question beautifully.

She cites May Sarton, one of the examples I was going to give, who wrote and had published dozens of books—poetry, fiction, children’s books, and nonfiction into her early eighties. 

DeMarco-Barrett goes on to give a dozen other successful, older authors as examples and posits that the writings of many older authors grow richer with age. I agree with that assessment. As long as the brain functions well, there's no end date for an author.

ALWAYS WRITING, FINALLY PUBLISHED

In case you haven't heard of PEGGY ROWE, a New York Times bestselling author and the mother of Mike Rowe, TV star, podcaster, and proponent of blue-collar careers, read on. 

Mrs. Rowe wrote all of her life. She typed up her slice-of-life personality pieces and secured the pages on her fridge with magnets. 

She'd tried to get her work published but received only rejections. That didn't stop her from writing. Through her son Mike, she had a publishing offer which was rescinded when she turned in what she'd written. Her son had 10,000 copies of her manuscript printed, talked about it on his podcast, and the print run sold out in a few days.

That made the publisher who'd rejected her work take a second look. She was offered another contract. To make a long story short, this 80-something first-time author has hit the New York Times bestsellers' list with each book she's published. 

Have you always written? Is it your passion?

HARRY BERNSTEIN published his first book at 98. LORNA PAGE was 93. 

Read the article, It's Never Too Late To Begin Writing, that cites several examples from the distant past and from the last few years about older authors.

One thing you should know about these older authors mentioned above is that they were all published by traditional print-based publishing houses, not self-published. 

I'll be the first to admit that these 90-something authors wrote beautifully and had an enormous amount of luck in getting "discovered" by editors/agents. In today's world, it still very hard to accomplish that feat whether young or old. 

SELF-PUBLISHING

How many self-published first-time authors are over the age of 60? I have no idea. To my knowledge, no one has conducted a study of that. I'll take a guess and say a great many. I was over 40 when I received my first publishing contract. At that time, I knew dozens of authors just like me who had been rejected time and time again. Many of those never made the jump to publication. 

Then the Kindle happened, and, suddenly, all those authors who'd wanted to be published had a way to make it happen without a New York publishing house or an agent. 

I personally know of at least a dozen who jumped at the chance to get their books into print. They've done quite well because their books were excellent, well-written novels. They just didn't fit the pigeion-holes required by agents and New York editors.

BOTTOM LINE

I stand by my first impulsive answer to the question: "Is it ever too late to start a writing career?" My  answer? "No. It's not."

You can write fiction or nonfiction about almost anything and find an audience if you write well and produce a book with good production values. You just have to possess the desire to put words on paper to show others the story you have in your head and be willing to learn the publishing end of it or delegate those aspects like editing, proofreading, format, cover art, etc. to others.

 

I'm not saying New York will sign you to a contract and acclaim you as the next genius novelist.

I am saying if you produce a good book, you can find an audience.

In today's world, if traditional publishers say no, you have alternatives, or you can choose indie self-publishing from the beginning.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

You can absolutely have a successful, fulfilling writing career even if you're not young. It's never too late. You'll never know until you try.

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PROGRESS IN SPITE OF DISTRACTIONS

Hurray! I made it to Wednesday. Yesterday was challenging, but then, many days are.

I am dismayed that I haven't finished my book yet, but every time I seat myself in front of the computer, some guy knocks on the back door and says, "Can you go to Home Depot (Lowes, True Value, or Ace Hardware) and get this bolt and nut, this gauge wire, another roll of insulation, another gallon of Kilz, etc.

Seriously, guys putting up a building need a woman on the crew to whip them into shape.

But, I digress... I'm here to help you regain focus and make progress in the face of distrations. although this applies to writing, these steps can be adjusted to whatever your particular project is. Just change the text to fit your situation.

GOING FORWARD WITH SO MANY DISTRACTIONS 

When I get to the point where I can't maintain the narrative long enough to put sentences down, I take a step back. This is hard to do when I already feel the pressure to get this book out there, but it's necessary.

Even thought I wrote my first few novels with 4 kids running through the house—shouting, screaming at each other, wanting lunch, snacks, parental face time, etc.—that is no longer the norm. 

The kids are grown, and I've become accustomed to a quieter, more peaceful environment.

Yet, I remember what I did back then when distractions and interruptions were the pattern of a summer day. 

6 WAYS TO WRITE WITHOUT ACTUALLY WRITING

(1) When you write every day, it's easy to keep the scope of the book in your head. When you're not writing every day, the project can go stale, and you may lose your enthusiasm for it. 

That's not good so set aside at least 2 blocks of time—maybe 15 minutes or longer—to think about the project from beginning to end. Focus on what made you want to write the book. Experience the emotions associated with your premise, with the chracters you've created. 

No one writes a book unless there is something about the idea and the characters that touches you deep inside. Mine those emotions until you literally can't NOT write.

(2) Use your imagination to figure out how you'll market the book when you publish it. Imagine the graphics you'll use, the teaser text to hook readers. In other words, be thinking about your book and the end result—a published book. 

(3) Keep a notebook and pen near by if you can't steal an uninterrupted half hour away from whatever is going on in your life so you can make notes that may pop into your head about the book, the setting, scenes that may be needed, snippets of dialogue you hear in your head when you think about the characters. 

(4) Is there any information you need about the background, setting, or characters? Make a metal list about that until you can write it in your notebook.

(5) When you can get to your computer, warm up your engines by using the notes you made to quickly find the information. Be sure to notate the websites or resources you used.

(6) Adopt the habit of writing an affirmation 10 times in the morning and 10 times in the evening that focuses on your writing and/or the work in progress itself.

After a few days, you may find yourself thinking and saying your affirmations when you have to be away from your computer.

Here are a few examples:

• "Writing is easy and fun for me."
• "Writing makes me happy."
• "This book I'm writing is awesome." 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

You may realize that each of these tips are designed to build and maintain enthusiasm for your book in progress so you'll look forward to writing rather than losing interest and wondering why you thought it was a good idea in the first place. Hang in there! Good luck.

Need a little vacation? Read DECEPTIVELY YOURS, a book that will sweep you away to the beach, and it's now on sale for 99¢!

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COME TO THE BEACH PARTY

I need a vacation because I'm SO tired of all the construction here at my hacienda.

Just when I think we're getting close to the finish line, the weather throws a meteorological monkey wrench at is and construction stalls again.

If I can't take a vacation, then at least I can go to a Beach Party in the comfort of my home.

You can come too because I bet you could use an easy and cool getaway too!

BEACH READS AND SUMMER LOVE

Is there anything more fun than a good book on vacation? I think not. If that book is a romance novel, then you're guaranteed to have a good time. So here are the details:

WHAT: Facebook Beach Party

WHO: Hosted by the Romance Gems Authors

WHERE: Romance Gems...Where Authors and Readers Meet

WHEN: Tomorrow, July 14, 2026, starting at 9AM EST and running to 8PM EST

WHY: Because we all need a break and some fun!

HOW TO ATTEND: Go to Romance Gems...Where Authors and Readers Meet and click to join, answer the Participation Questions, agree to the rules, and someone will review your answers and give you admittance if all is in order.

WHY SHOULD YOU GO TO THE PARTY: You can chat with the Authors "live," take part in the Giveaways, and shop the 99¢ Sale Book Fair.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Don't risk FOMO. Come to the party!

Romance Gems...Where Authors and Readers Meet

Difference Between Art and Craft of Writing

What is the difference between the Art of Writing and the Craft of Writing?

THE ART OF WRITING

What is this? It's the creative process of translating emotions, abstract thoughts, and ideas into words that convey meaning to the reader and helps the reader connect with the written text. 

I think this could conceivably be viewed in part as the author's voice. How one author conveys an idea is different from other authors. Maybe that certain something some authors seem born with that enables them to easily master the art of writing is akin to being born with artistic talent.

THE CRAFT OF WRITING

This is much easier to define. It's the grammar rules of punctuation, spelling, choosing the correct word, sentence structure, plotting, scene development, dialogue, characterization, and mastering the narrative elements of writing, just to name a few, in order to properly create text that connects with your readers.

Good writing requires both Art and Craft. Learn your Craft and then use what you learned to write 1000s upon 1000s of words. Why? Because Craft can be learned from outside oneself, but Art can only be learned within by writing.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Want to be a great writer? Learn everything you can and then write, write, write.

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All About Image Copyright

If you publish images online, you probably know that you must possess the RIGHT to use an image in the way you used it.

By possess, I mean one of these situations:

(1) you own the image,

(2) you paid the creator for the right to use the image and received permission for that use,

(3) the image was free and a license was posted saying you could use it without charge for a specific purpose.

Unless you meet those parameters, you risk everything by using an unlicensed image.

AN ASIDE TO TODAY'S SUBJECT

I'd also like to tell you that if you meet the parameters for using an image and you receive an email from a supposed law firm that alleges you violated copyright by using that specific image, that you're dealing with a scammer. 

These scammers use legitimate law firm names and addresses, but their email addresses never link to the legitimate law firm. 

The email may sound similar, but it's not the same you'll discover if you do some basic research on the law firm and the usual form their email addresses take.

COPYRIGHT ENFORCEMENT

Copyright violation has escalated with the rise of social media. As a result copyright enforcement firms are doing a booming business—especially when it comes to copyright image enforcement by firms like PicRights and its lawyers.

If you get a letter from them, it is probably legit. PicRights represents small potatoes and the big boys like the Associated Press. When they find an unauthorized image on a website, they send a letter to the website owner informing them of the copyright violation along with a demand for compensation.

You do NOT want to receive a letter like that. If you don't resolve the issue by paying a fee that is usually 4 figures, their lawyers follow up. 

If you still do not respond promptly, you'll receive a demand letter from the lawyers. The ante goes up, and the end result is that you'll pay a little or a whole lot.

I've got to admit, I wish there were a copyright enforcement firm for authors because my books have been pirated all over the planet! What recourse do independent authors have? Sigh. Not much. 

MAKE YOUR WEBSITE, BLOG, NL, MARKETING BULLETPROOF

Always get permission from the copyright owner before using any image unless the image is in public domain or it comes with a clear notice of permission. This is true for so-called "free" stock images too.

 A website that offers free images always has a Content License posted. For instance on Pixabay, in the top right of a download page, you'll see this: "Free for use under the Pixabay Content License" and the link takes you to a page that tells you what you can do with the image and what you can NOT do with it.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Protect yourself and make sure you know what to do before posting an image.

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10 Ways NOT to Succeed

 I've been trying to write this book since the beginning of the year.

Trying to write a book is vastly different from writing a book.

To quote that famous philospher: "Do or do not. There is no try." —Yoda

With a new month started, I was so disgusted with so little progress that I read a post I wrote many years ago. I needed that reminder of certain truths I know. but am consistently ignoring.

Reading it helped me so maybe it will help you if you have a project that you just can't seem to bring to completion. Just substitute the name of your project where I call it Book and Writing.

Peck,peck,peck.

10 WAYS NOT TO SUCCEED

1. Wait until everything in your life is perfect before starting.

2. If started, wait each day until all the other nitpicky things of daily life have been done before you tackle your writing.

3. Write only when you feel like it rather than establishing a weekly quota of pages or words produced.

4. Write and rewrite the first chapter, not moving ahead until you have the beginning done to perfection.

5. Find a way to procrastinate. For instance, when you finally get to a new chapter, decide it's time to design the cover art. Get lost in that project and drown in indecision until the month is over. Then go back to the manuscript at which point you've lost your enthusiasm for the project.

6. Wallow in indecision about the story, the genre, the marketability, the cover—even after you've had a dozen created—rather than moving forward because that's so much easier than facing the blank page each day.

7. Take on a volunteer project that benefits all of your friends because you feel it must be done as soon as possible rather than procrastinating on it to write a book which is such hard work.

8. Take on another volunteer project because you finished the previous one.

9. Realize that you have 2 trips coming up so you know you won't get the book finished before then so set it aside to get your hair done, a mani-pedi, and new shorts and tops or whatever you think must be done now, now, now.

10. When you think about your work in progress, you get depressed so stop thinking about it. Watch some captivating documentary on TV when the itch to write makes you uncomfortable.

Depressing? You betcha. Fortunately, you'll eventually come to your senses and start saying NO to anything that isn't writing the book. You'll go to your office, give yourself a stern lecture, and start writing.

TAKEAWY TRUTH

Thomas Carlyle said, "Our main business is NOT to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand." That means FOCUS on what you set out to do, and get it done. That's what I'm doing now. I'm writing, NOT trying to write.

Books are little vacations between two covers. Take a vacay today—read a book!. If you love reading, sign up for Joan's free newsletter, I LOVE READING, and receive exclusive content and news about book bargains and new releases. SIGN UP TODAY.

Patches of Red - New Book by Liz Flaherty

Today, I'm pleased to welcome one of my favorite authors to SlingWords—LIZ FLAHERTY.

Liz is one of the Romance Gems Authors on a popular Facebook Group, Romance Gems...Where Authors and Readers Meet.

 She posts to the Romance Gems page at least once a month so drop and say hello some time.

MORE ABOUT LIZ

Grab your favorite morning beverage and say hello to Liz who thinks one of the things that keeps you young when you quite obviously aren’t anymore is the constant opportunity you have to reinvent yourself.

Liz's latest professional incarnation is as a women’s fiction author and she is enjoying every minute that she’s not scared to death.  

Liz invites you to visit her online at her Website or at her Facebook Page.

To find out more about her published books, click to visit her Amazon Author Page. If you'd like to email her, she can be reached at lizkflaherty@gmail.com.

If you read my post about the first book, Pieces of Blue, you'll be familiar with her series. I asked Liz to tell me about her new book, PATCHES OF RED. It's Book 2 in her series, Colors, the Harper Loch Trilogy.

LIZ SAID...

When I started writing Patches of Red, Book 2 in Colors, the Harper Loch Trilogy, the Lovin’ Spoonful song, Darling Be Home Soon came into my mind for the first time in … oh, a really long time, and made itself right at home. Every day for I’m not sure how long, the tune slipped into my consciousness. 

This isn’t a complete surprise. The Lovin’ Spoonful’s music was an important and much loved part of my late teenage years and lead singer John Sebastion is still one of the greater unrequited crushes of my life.  

What is a complete surprise is how much music affects my writing, how the melody and the lyrics will tumble between lines and make suggestions not of their use, but of the emotions they share. The way they soften sharp edges, and ease the tension in the back of my neck when I find myself deleting more words than I’ve added. What makes it surprising is that I can’t write at all while music’s playing or the TV’s on. I lost that ability when the last kid left for college and the nest grew empty and quiet.

But, oh, the songs. The Spoonful’s breakout hit was Do You Believe in Magic? I don’t think I did—believe in it, I mean—when the song came out, but I learned to as I grew older. When sharp, shattered pieces of life somehow came together to create smooth mosaics of knowledge gained and achievement earned and love winning. The things romance novels are made of. 

I seldom write straight romance anymore, but my women’s fiction titles contain love stories that bring their couples home, finding magic along the way, and creating their own mosaics and melodies. I am thankful for the stories and for the songs. And, maybe a little, for that unrequited crush on John Sebastian.

ABOUT PATCHES OF RED

He’s handsome but couldn’t even remember her name.

She’s pretty, but her finickiness drives him crazy. And yet … 

After twenty years as a nurse practitioner in the same practice, Ellie Wentz gives notice. When office politics interferes with her job, it’s time to get a new one. When her son and daughter-in-law buy her house and she has sold and given away everything else that’s not attached to her heartstrings, she packs up what remains and goes to Harper Loch to spend time with her best friend. She’ll decide what to do and where to go from there. No matter how much the handsome friend of her friends annoys her.

Jesse Grant comes to Harper Loch to help out his niece for a few weeks. He’s retired from the navy, his boys are grown, and he’s at loose ends. But he really likes the little lake community in Michigan—he thinks he might stay. Long widowed, he has no interest in getting married again, and neither does the redhead he can’t seem to avoid. And yet … again.

In case you already know you want this book, you can find it at Amazon. 

To find it at several other online booksellers, visit Draft2Digital.

BONUS: EXCERPT FROM PATCHES OF RED

He drew in a deep breath, absorbing the combination of smells she was noticing. “I like this time of year.”

He was surprised that he still did. There were rough days, like this one, times when Grace’s suffering in memory came close to breaking him as certainly as it had in real time. 

“Oh, me, too. I even like winter, although I’m not so sure I’ll be crazy about it when it snows. How will I get to the shop?”

“Sam says the Crossleys plow snow in the driveways and on Enoch Trace around the lake. I’m not sure about getting to the highway on Harper Loch Road, though. That could be iffy.” He couldn’t find it in himself to worry about something that hadn’t happened yet—he was having enough trouble not worrying about what already had. “You’ve got a while to think about it, I think.” He could hear the edge in his own voice. 

“I’m not really concerned.” She was silent, but not for long. “I just talk sometimes without thinking it might be annoying. I believe that’s where we are tonight, isn’t it?”

He didn’t know how to answer that. She was right. Although he liked her being there with him, he didn’t want to talk. He didn’t want her to talk. But how did he explain that without sounding like a total horse’s behind?

“Maybe,” he said, without looking at her, and they rode on in silence. 

When they’d started the ride, he’d intended to go back and check on the progress of the pumpkin patch, look at the Christmas trees, and make scary jokes about things hiding in the cornfield, but he didn’t do any of those things. He just turned the Mule around at the wide spot created by the other lane crossing the one beside the ditch. 

“It’s a bad day,” he said finally, when they were on Enoch Trace heading toward her cottage. “Grace passed sixteen years ago today, after the longest, hardest week I’ve ever known. I didn’t want to be alone, but it would have been better if I was. I’m not good to be around.” He couldn’t make himself apologize—it would be like saying he was sorry he’d loved someone so much that remembering her death was like an open wound. 

Ellie nodded, not breaking her silence. She laid her hand on his on the steering wheel, and when she went to withdraw her fingers, he caught and held them for a minute, until he pulled up in front of her house. 

He got out of the cart to walk her to her door, because that’s how Lessie had taught him to treat a woman, and when he walked around, Ellie reached and put her arms around him. She still didn’t talk, just held him there in the sweet smell and clear moonlight of September. 

For just a moment, long enough he thought she surely noticed it, he stood stiff in her embrace, and then he returned it, wrapping his arms around her and resting his face against her soft hair. 

Nothing would ever have been enough to get him easily through this long hard day, but she offered what comfort she could, and he accepted it and was grateful. 

When he went to bed after texting with Zack and Luke, for the first time on this day in those sixteen years he’d mentioned, he remembered—instead of Grace’s death—her life.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

This book sounds amazing. Let me give those buy links again. Click to buy from Amazon. 

Click to buy from other booksellers via Draft2Digital. 

What Should I Write? Keep the Well Full

Why do people give up on blogs or newsletters or social media?

Two words. Content creation. Make that 3 words. Constant Content Creation.

Yes, when you set yourself up to "give" something to the public, you go in knowing you've got to create something new and interesting on a regular basis.

After a while, people just abandon their blogs, newsletters, and social media accounts. The constant need to create, creat, create on a daily or even weekly basis wreaks havoc on the very thing needed to keep going—creativity.

I have a better plan. Maybe it's because I wrote for newspapers, but I always seem to find something to talk about. In fact, my biggest problem is finding the time to actually write the blog or newsletter of FB post. That's because I'm always over-committed personally and professionally. (I have a hard time saying no, but I'm working on that problem.)

So, getting back to the big question: "What should I write?"

The answer lies in the second part of the title above: "Keep the Well Full." 

We all have a creative well inside us. If we don't fill it constantly by reading widely—books, articles, white papers. Watch informative documentaries or videos about many varied subjects including what's going on in the world arouond you.

Interact with people from every walk of life. observe the world around you. Experience life from the commonplace to the extraordinary.

When you fill the well with all of that, you must also make note of those moments. That makes it easy to prompt your imagination when the time comes. After all, how do you recall all of those moments and bits and pieces of information that intrigued you?

You take notes. Seriously, yes. Keep a notebook next to your chair where you sit when watching TV. See or ehar something interesting? Make a note. Same with reading anything. Make notes. 

Overhearing people's conversations when you stand in lines? Pull out a tiny notebook or your cell phone and make notes. I've done that. It's fascinating what people will talk about.

Be aware of what's happening around you and what you're experiencing, and write notes about it. Then you won't draw a blank when it's time to filter all of that through your own attitudes, experiences, beliefs, etc. and spill it onto the digital page.

Your creative well will help you write a blog, FB post, newsletter, or whatever format you've chosen to stay in touch with your readers, customers, family and friends, or whoever is your chosen audience.

Ready to write your monthly newsletter? Get your notebook out and skim through it. Where do you think the idea for this post you're reading came from? I've been on more than 1 group email over the years where people said they gave up on blogs and newsletters because they never had anything new to say.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Start filling your creative well and keeping track of what goes into it. You'll be surprised how the simple action of "taking note" literally and figuratively prompts your imagination when the time comes to write. 

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Invitation to a Readers Event

We're having a party, and you're invited!

What: The Power of Love, a Readers and Authors Event

When: May 16, 2026, starting at 11:00AM CDT

Where: RomanceGems…Where Authors and Readers Meet Facebook Group

 Go there now and (1) click to Join (2) Read the Rules (3) Answer the Questions. Someone will review your answers. (4) Then come to the party tomorrow. 

Why: Chat with bestselling authors, shop the 99¢ Ebook Sale, and be entered to win Prizes.

I'm giving away a hardbound Journal that has 200+ pages and inspirational prompts to help you write your life story.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

It's going to be a fun day.

Come to the party and let's talk about romance novels and the kind of stories you like best.

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Exciting New Book - Devil's Advocate - MJ Schiller

Looking for an exciting book full of passion and romance? Look no further—I've got a book for you, and it publishes today.

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE by MJ Schiller is Book #11 of the Devilish Desires Series, and it will thrill you.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The verdict’s in. He’s guilty of falling for opposing counsel.

Nick Adams doesn’t have time for the existential crisis he’s having. 

But when I wind up being charged with contempt of court and discover her at the shelter where I’m serving community service, she brings out a side of me I’ve never seen. Could this be the true Nick?

B.J. McCaffrey doesn’t form attachments with anyone. And playboy counselor Nick Adams would be the last person on the list if I did. But, then again, this isn’t exactly the Nick Adams that people have made him out to be.

Could he heal his broken heart by discovering that, despite outward appearances, she has one? One thing’s for sure. It’s hell being the DEVIL’S ADVOCATE!

LET'S READ AN EXCERPT

(Warning: Language!!! Nick's a bad boy.)

I have it all, and it means absolutely nothing to me.

I can still feel the punch to the gut that was Zack’s returning to claim Zoe, just as I was about to seal the deal and make her mine. I can still smell the exact fragrance of the air when I stepped out onto the balcony, still hear my voice as I told her, “I can be whoever you want me to be, Zoe.”

What the hell was I thinking? I wasted eight years of my life on one woman. 

A woman not unlike B.J. McCaffrey, who was sitting across from me now, acting as opposing counsel. I looked at her. As drop-dead gorgeous as she was, she was just another woman. 

“Mr. Adams? Are we boring you?”

I could hear him somewhere on the edges of my thought, but it didn’t matter to me. Change myself. For a woman. Where was my pride? Where is my pride?

“Earth to Mr. Adams.”

I turned my head slowly to face the judge. He was a prick.

“Does the accused need another lawyer? Or are you going to continue to sit there and let him destroy himself on the stand?”

I looked at my client. He didn’t even wear a tie. “Yeah. I think I am.” 

At first, I couldn’t believe the words came out of my mouth. But they felt good. Felt right, somehow. “I’m sick of working my ass off on cases and having my clients ignore everything I tell them about their demeanor on the stand.”

Judge Walters looked at my rival, B.J. McCaffrey. She shrugged. “Mr. Adams. Your job is to defend this man. Are you incapable of doing that?”

“I don’t know.”

Again, the judge and my opponent exchanged a look.

Pull it together, Nick. Find that damn pride of yours. “Wait.” My eyes ricochetted around the desk in front of me and finally fell on the yellow legal pad with my scribbled notes for the case. “I apologize, Your Honor. It’s been a rough—”

Eight years? Two months? Life?

“—day. My apologies to the court.”

“I repeat, your job is to defend this man. Are you capable of doing that?”

Damn. I just apologized. Can’t you let it go?

I didn’t have the time or patience for the existential crisis I was going through, but it would have none of it. It was bound to torture me all the same. 

Of course, the reason for it was undoubtedly her. The woman I loved—or thought I loved—was on her honeymoon with my best friend. And I was beginning to see how crazy it had been for me to wait around eight years for her. 

As a result, I was approaching thirty and still didn’t know who I was. I straightened my back. This is what Zoe had brought me to. 

“Yes, Your Honor. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not, Mr. Adams, or you won’t see the inside of my courtroom again.”

Yeah, yeah. You’re in charge, big boy. We all get it.

“Now I’m going to do you a solid, Mr. Adams. It’s late. I’m—”

He likes to use slang. He thinks it makes him look cool. I managed to roll my eyes inwardly this time.

“—going to adjourn this court until one. I suggest you take the time to pull yourself together.” He looked at my client. The rail-thin, gray-haired, unshaven man sat with his mouth hanging open like a guppy. “You can get down now.” 

The man nodded and Walters pounded his gavel. He glared at me. “The court is adjourned.”

I gathered my things, cursing quietly.

Can't wait to the end of this post to get DEVIL'S ADVOCATE? Okay, you can get it from these booksellers at Books2Read or from Amazon. 

But read on and let me tell you about the Author, MJ Schiller.

M.J. Schiller is a retired lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance.

M.J. is the mother of a twenty-eight-year-old and three twenty-six-year-olds. That's right, triplets! So having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon. 

Visit M.J. Schiller Online: 

Website: https://mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-j-schiller

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Schiller-Romance-Author/286382241460365

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mjschiller/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjschiller

Tumblr: http://mjschilz.tumblr.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mjschiller

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479377.M_J_Schiller

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-J-Schiller/e/B009JOQFQQ

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you're looking for a new book or a new author to you, grab a copy of DEVIL'S ADVOCATE by MJ Schiller. You'll be glad you did!

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Life in Shades of Blue - Just Ask Liz Flaherty

Life is what the bestselling author Liz Flaherty writes about in one emotional, compelling novel after another.

Liz is my guest this morning so grab a cup of coffee or other essential morning drink and let me tell you about Pieces of Blue, a book you'll want to read.

FIRST, A LITTLE BACKSTORY

This book was originally published in 2024, then it went out of print because sometimes that’s how things go in publishing, but Liz decided she wasn't ready to move on from this book. She said: "Pieces of Blue is one of the stories I hold closest in my heart."

Smart lady. Bringing this book out again is a good thing. Even better, Liz is offering the ebook on sale for only 99¢. For you print readers, you can also get Pieces of Blue in print at Amazon.

LIZ'S JOURNEY IN WRITING PIECES OF BLUE

My intent, once I got rolling on this book a few years ago, was to write Maggie’s story. Just that. She’s a natural-born loner, so maybe just this once, I could keep the character count in a book at a manageable level. Lots of others writers do it; surely I could, too.

But everyone—at least everyone who makes herself at home in my keyboard—needs a best friend, so we met Ellie Wentz, a nurse practitioner whose been Maggie’s “ride or die” since they were in second grade. 

Then, when Maggie was walking around the lake, she stopped to look at the pristine little church and, before she kept walking, she met its pastor. Young Cari Newland went to culinary school, worked in stained glass, and ended up in the pulpit—go figure.

Then there’s Sam, who’s Maggie’s lawyer and friend for over half their lives. Who suddenly gives her frissons. She’s a writer; she really likes the word frisson. When he appeared to me, he looked like Mark Harmon in his 50s, but to Maggie, he just looks like Sam. And he gives her frissons. Who knew that would happen?

I hope you love Maggie’s story as much as I do, and…hey…if you get a frisson or two along the way, all the better.

WHAT'S THIS BOOK ABOUT?

Life comes in shades of blue...

Self-imposed loner, Maggie North, has worked for bestselling author Trilby Winterroad her entire adult life, starting as simply his assistant and ending up as his ghost writer. 

Through ups and downs--including a divorce from an abusive husband--he has been the one person on whom she could always rely. So when Trilby dies suddenly, Maggie finds herself adrift, not sure what she’ll do or where she belongs in the world any longer. And the confusion continues when she discovers he’s not only left her his beloved dachshund, Chloe, but a house she knew nothing about, on a lake she’s never heard of.

It only takes one visit for Maggie to fall in love with both the house and the small lakeside community. The longer she’s there, the safer she feels and the more her life begins to expand...as do her feelings toward her friend and Trilby’s attorney, Sam Eldridge.
But is she really safe? Or are the glistening pieces of her new life about to shatter as an old danger returns?

HOW ABOUT AN EXCERPT?

  
There were ten of us that night, all women. A few drove together from Placer to join us. Several of them had been at coffee that morning. We entertained each other by explaining why we were or were not wearing the same clothes we’d worn then.

The night was warm, the air soft. I looked at them as we walked and talked. I listened to their stories—Trilby taught me a lot about listening and its importance.

We’ve all known struggles and heartbreak; several of us have known physical abuse. Sadie had lived in her car for a while. Rose had left Colby in Detroit and come to the lake, saying he could come or go; it was up to him. Adrian told the story of her Uncle Henry’s father beating his wife half to death because their son “wasn’t right.”

Maxine said her husband had raised his hand to her exactly one time and she told him he’d better not let it fall or he’d never, ever be able to go to sleep again. We laughed at that, but she didn’t. “I was scared to death and so was he. Not that I’d kill him, but that he’d gotten so angry over something minor. He got himself to an anger management therapist and I went along with him. But I’m aware every day that we’re the lucky ones. Our lives could have gone a whole different way from that day forward than what it did.”

We’ve laughed together at the images people have of others’ lives. While Harper Loch doesn’t look anything like a resort or even a high point on rural Michigan’s social scale, it does look like a place where bad things can’t happen. Where marriages are all good, no one uses illegal substances, and everyone is safe.

But we know better—and it’s not lost on me how often I use the word we when I talk about the lake. We’ve absorbed each other’s pain. I didn’t know how Cari could bear the weight of the secrets she kept.

“How many women around here have been abused? Not just on the lake, but in the area.”

“More than we know,” Rose acknowledged. “Just like anywhere. Some talk about it, but more than a few don’t.”

“Many,” Haley agreed. “Because they think it’s their fault or it’s never going to happen again or they don’t have any alternatives.”

I thought of those women. Of their children. I thought of the people who’d circled the proverbial wagons around me to keep me safe. I thought of Cari and Ellie and the confidences they kept and carried with them. I thought of Aunt Lin and Claire and Annabelle and how strong they’d been when their lives turned on them.

I thought of the ashes. And of the sapphires.

Click to get Pieces of Blue from Amazon.

If you buy books from other online bookstores, click here to get Pieces of Blue from other sellers.  

ABOUT LIZ FLAHERTY, THE AUTHOR 

Liz Flaherty has spent the past several years enjoying not working a day job, making terrible crafts, and writing stories in which the people aren’t young, brilliant, or even beautiful. She’s decided (and has to re-decide most every day) that the definition of success is having a good time. Along with her husband of lo, these many years, kids, grands, friends, and the occasional cat, she’s doing just that.

You can reach her at lizkflaherty @ gmail.com or anywhere on https://linktr.ee/LizFlaherty. She’d love to hear from you!

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you're looking for a book for the weekend, you won't go wrong in picking Pieces of Blue.

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