A Writer's Life - Stephanie A. Cain

What I’ve Learned About Writing From My Cats

By Stephanie February 7, 2015 May 27, 2016 1

Here’s the blog post you knew was coming. The crazy cat lady is going to try to say writing is like being a crazy cat lady. But hear me out! Every project is different. Strider takes kitty Prozac because he pees in inappropriate places. It’s something that started after I brought in …

Book Reviews, Indie Publishing, Self-Pub 101

Book Review: Self-Publishers Ultimate Resource Guide

By Stephanie January 31, 2015 March 16, 2015 0

I had the opportunity this week to review the Self-Publishers Ultimate Resource Guide (Amazon affiliate link) by Joel Friedlander and Betty Kelly Sargent. First off, I’ll say that I was given a free digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. But I’ll follow that up by saying that I …

A Writer's Life, Indie Publishing, Self-Pub 101

What to Get a Self-Published Author for Christmas

By Stephanie December 12, 2014 May 27, 2016 5

Are you shopping for a self-published author? Are you tired of giving them notebooks and pens for Christmas? (Hint: You shouldn’t be.) Do you want something more meaningful or significant than yet another book on how to market your novel? Then you’re at the right blog! I have a list …

Book Reviews, Indie Publishing, Self-Pub 101

Book Review: Book Marketing Is Dead

By Stephanie December 1, 2014 December 1, 2014 1

How do you market a self-published book into a best-seller? Start with the absolute best book you can produce. This isn’t really a new idea–marketing experts have long been touting the importance of having a good cover design, professional editing, and excellent back copy–but it doesn’t end there. Author Derek …

Book Reviews, Writers I Like

Book Rec: FAE – anthology edited by Rhonda Parrish

By Stephanie August 20, 2014 May 20, 2016 11

Book reviews aren’t my mainstay here on the blog, but I like to tell people about books I enjoyed, and I have to say that FAE is one of my favorite reads this summer. I read it just after it released, and weeks later, some of the stories are still sticking with …

Stationery

My new addiction

By Stephanie March 31, 2014 March 31, 2014 0

When I learned we were losing our Staples in my town, I thought I would go into withdrawal. And I guess I have, sort of…except that I’ve found a drug to replace Staples. It’s called JetPens, and they’ve made a lot of money from me lately. Japan really is the …

Stationery

I Can Quit Anytime

By Stephanie March 5, 2014 May 27, 2016 1

My town recently lost a precious commodity. A cherished landmark really. Well, I cherished it, at least. And I’m still in the denial stage of grief. Our Staples store closed on March 1. Please bow your head with me for a moment of silence. In the month of warning we …

A Writer's Life, Nature

The Solution to Snow

By Stephanie February 5, 2014 May 27, 2016 0

This is what my drive home from work looked like today. Since then we’ve had probably 6 inches of snow, and more is on the way.

Here is my answer to that:

Because cats are perfect little space heaters.

My Writing Process, Nature

Sunday Snippet: Snowplows and Sixth Street

By Stephanie January 5, 2014 May 21, 2016 2

With the crazy snow coming down today, I thought this was an appropriate snippet. It’s from the story I’m currently working on–an urban fantasy set here in Central Indiana. One of the characters featured in this story is a character who appears in several of my other urban fantasy stories, …

NaNoWriMo, Travel

Never Plan a Road Trip During NaNoWriMo

By Stephanie November 20, 2013 May 20, 2016 0

Oops, I forgot to tell you guys what NaNoWriMo project I picked. I decided to go with my urban fantasy story that wants to be a novel. It involves a lot of small-town Indiana settings and characters I really like. It also has an overwhelmingly female cast. It’s a lot …