The Maine Crime Writers
Author Archives: jenbloodauthor
Beta Readers: Where to Find Them, How to Use Them, and Why You Need Them
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about my own writing process, as I slog away on the next Flint K-9 Search and Rescue novel. One of the most important parts of that process is one I actually have very little … Continue reading
How to Make a Murder
You may remember this post that I wrote back in July, about the murder mystery I was writing and coordinating for Sisters in Crime and the annual Books in Boothbay event held at Boothbay’s Railway Village. Well, I’m at it … Continue reading
Maine House Dreams, Part II
It’s been a crazy month here, between the sad loss of my grandmother and her subsequent memorial at the beginning of the month, a trip to Chicago to visit Ben’s family, and a blizzard that unexpectedly extended that Chicago visit … Continue reading
Maine House Dreams
These days, I hang my hat in a lovely home in a little neighborhood off Mere Point Road in Brunswick, Maine. Ben and I are renting the place for the year from a couple of professors who have taken a year-long … Continue reading
The Best Part of Writing: The Research
In my last book, The Darkest Thread, teenage sisters go missing in Vermont’s mysterious Bennington Triangle, and it’s up to K-9 search and rescue handler Jamie Flint and her dogs to find them. Naturally, lots of unsavory things happen and it’s … Continue reading
Trying to Go Green on This White, White Christmas
When I was imagining this month’s post last month (because I do think about these posts in advance — I just don’t actually write them then), I had beautiful visions of a post detailing all the eco-friendly ways I’ve embraced this holiday … Continue reading
Posted in Jen's Posts
Tagged charitable gifts, environmentally friendly gift ideas, green christmas
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An Animal Rescue Story
Given the charged political climate and the fact that I’m still not quite recovered from the post-election catatonia I was plunged into after last Tuesday, I thought this month a little change of pace might be in order. As anyone … Continue reading
Posted in Jen's Posts
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How to Launch a Book on a Budget
Whether you’re an author with a traditional publishing company or you’ve elected to go it alone, I don’t think it’s really a surprise that budgets are tight when it comes to promotions and marketing these days. Unless you are one … Continue reading
Field Trip: The VINE Farm Sanctuary
Last month, my boyfriend Ben and I went to visit his cousins, Stephen and Elaine — two well-traveled, kind, and delightfully eccentric septuagenarian vegans in Vermont. Our weekends in Vermont typically include lots of down time playing with the dogs, … Continue reading
Posted in Jen's Posts
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#WriterWednesday: 20 Questions to Help Write Strong Characters
This month, I thought I would include the Maine Crime Writers in something I’ve just started doing at my own blog on Wednesdays, to celebrate something the Twitter-verse calls #WriterWednesday, or #WW. In the Twitter world, you use that hashtag … Continue reading
Posted in Jen's Posts
Tagged how to write great characters, maine crime characters, writing exercises
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