Free Book!

Yeah, you read that right. My publisher is running a hot spring sale today and tomorrow -- hot as in el freebo. You can get the ebook version of OUT OF THE FRYING PAN right now, right HERE.
And just in case you don't have one of them there fancy newfangled ebook reading gadgets, no worries. You can always download it to your computer and read it from there -- or if you're super lazy, install text reading software and have your computer read it back to you. Easy peasy.

Here's what RT Book Reviews has to say about it:

"A laugh out loud mystery with quirky, lovable characters who find themselves in all sorts of trouble. The storyline is believable and comes with descriptions of mouth-watering food, which makes for a delicious plot! A cohesive and fast-moving novel." 4-Stars! RT Book Reviews

And here's a blurb:

Murder in Paradise whips life into a froth for FERN and ZULA HOPKINS. When the retirement center’s chef is found dead, the two ladies get folded in with the case. Their zany attempts to track down the killer land them in hot water with Detective JARED FLYNN. Should he be concerned about their safety—or the criminal’s?

But there are deadly ingredients none of them expect. Drugs. Extortion. International cartels. And worst of all…broken hearts, especially when the Hopkins sisters’ niece KC arrives on the scene.

Life at Sunset Paradise Retirement Village will never be the same.

If you haven't read this one, give it a whirl. You've seriously got nothing to lose. And if you have read it, thank you and spread the word.

Announcing . . .

Feast or famine. That's what the writing life is all about. Currently I'm in feast mode. Yes, indeedy, my friends, it is once again time to yank out your flingle-dingle hooters and bang on your thump-whumpity drums because I have yet another announcement.

I just signed a contract for another book.

Yeah, I know. Right? How in the world am I going to write all these stories? Lots of caffeine and not so much sleep, I suppose. But without further adieu, here are the deets . . .

The book is The Captive Bride (not to be confused with The Captive Heart) and is part of a new series of books soon to be put out by Barbour. Starting with the Mayflower Bride, each successive book captures a different point in American history. I've got the French & Indian War. Woo-hoo! Here's the blurb:

A war-torn countryside is no place for a lady—but Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause . . . to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart.

Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he’s offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he’s the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought.

Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?

Stop the Political Madness

Is anyone besides me sick to death of the current political feeding frenzy on social media? Yeah, our country has problems, but here's a newsflash for you: we always have and we always will. Getting frothed up online damages your reputation.

Case in point: I moseyed over to Facebook the other day to check out a particular actor who's picture was an inspiration for one of my heroes. Whewie! The venom this fella was spewing about the current administration kept me from 'liking' his page. Not that I'm a huge Trump supporter, but the man's negativity was a huge turn off.

There was also a blogger who I used to avidly follow until his posts morphed from awesome writing advice to rant-filled nastiness about those in charge.

Now don't get me wrong . . . I'm not saying you shouldn't voice your opinion. The first amendment is still my all-time fave. I'm simply saying make the extra effort to be kind in how you express yourself.

It's an ugly world out there. Bring a little beauty to your little piece of turf by smiling at someone today.

New Book Announcement

Pull out your jing-dingle-horns and bang on your twiddly-drums because it's time for an announcement . . . drum roll please . . . Coming your way sometime early next year (yes, I know it's still early this year, but patience is a virtue, my friend), I give to you THE INNKEEPER'S DAUGHTER.

Tension is high with the threat of a Napoleonic attack in Regency England, but risk from abroad means nothing when there’s danger at home.

Officer Alexander Moore goes undercover as a gambling gentleman to expose a high-stakes plot against the king—and he’s a master of disguise, for Johanna Langley believes him to be quite the rogue . . . until she can no longer fight against his unrelenting charm.

All Johanna wants is to keep the family inn afloat, but when the rent and the hearth payment are due at the same time, where will she find the extra funds? If she doesn’t come up with the money, there will be nowhere to go other than the workhouse—where she’ll be separated from her ailing mother and ten-year-old brother.

Alex desperately wants to help Johanna, especially when she confides in him, but his mission—finding and bringing to justice a traitor to the crown—must come first, or they could all end up dead.

It’s a race against time for them both.

Now then, is that hero's name ringing any bells? It should be if you read Brentwood's Ward. Alex is a fellow officer of Nicholas Brentwood, so yes, there will be a cameo scene featuring Brentwood and you'll get caught up on how he and Emily are doing.

What's in Store for 2017

This coming year I'll be writing more than ever . . . which means something's got to give. Don't panic. I'm not ditching Writer Off the Leash. I am, however, going to be writing fewer posts. Instead of posting every weekday, I'm slacking down to 3 times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday will be post days. But if that's not enough words for your daily consumption, there will be books galore to keep you entertained.

COMING SOON TO BOOKSHELVES NEAR YOU

Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection
Pre-order Now
Release Date: July 2017
Journey along in nine historical romances with those who lives are transformed by the opulence, growth, and great changes taking place in America’s Gilded Age. Nine couples meet during these exhilarating times and work to build a future together through fighting for social reform, celebrating new opportunities for leisure activities, taking advantage of economic growth and new inventions, and more.

My story in this collection is A House of Secrets. Here's a blurb:
Ladies Aide Chairman, AMANDA CARSTON, resolves to clean up St. Paul’s ramshackle housing, determining to renovate the worst of the worst: a “haunted” house, but when she enlists the aide of her fiance, city attorney JOSEPH BLAKE, they uncover secrets neither expects—which may mean the end of their relationship . . . or their lives.

12 Days at Bleakly Manor

Release Date: September 2017

This is the first in a series of 3 tales in the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas trilogy. Here is a blurb:

Imprisoned unjustly, BENJAMIN LANE wants nothing more than freedom and a second chance to claim the woman he loves—but how can CLARA CHAPMAN possibly believe in the man who stole her family’s fortune and abandoned her at the altar? Brought together under mysterious circumstances for the Twelve Days of Christmas, each discovers that what they've been striving for isn't what ultimately matters . . . and what matters most is love.

The Regency Brides Collection
Release Date: November 2017
Love Regency? Love some awesome authors? I am honored to be in this collection. My is The Gentleman Smuggler's Lady. Here's a blurb:

When a prim and proper governess is called home to her ailing father's bedside, her ship is ravaged by smugglers and her heart captured by the leader of them all -- the local lord of the manor. It's within her power to reveal the gentleman's secret . . . and within his to cast her out of town.




COMING OUT OF MY HEAD AND ONTO MY COMPUTER

The Innkeeper's Daughter
A full-length novel --and-- a sequel of sorts to Brentwood's Ward (yes, you'll hear snippets of news about Emily and Nicholas). You've also already met the hero, Alexander Moore, in Brentwood's Ward because he's one of Brentwood's sidekicks. Not sure when this one will release, but the manuscript is due in by the end of June. Here's a blurb:

Honorable ALEXANDER MOORE goes undercover as a rogue gentleman to expose a traitorous plot against the king—and a master he is with his disguise, for JOHANNA LANGLEY believes him to be quite the cad. But when Johanna is swept up in the intrigue, Alex must choose between his mission and the woman he’s come to love.

The Captured Bride
This one is a full-length novel that may or may not be part of a series (it's not actually contracted yet) but whether or not it is, this story simply must be written. Theoretically it's due by November. Here's a blurb:

A war-torn countryside is no place for a lady—but Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause . . . to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart.

Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he’s offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he’s the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought.

Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?

A Teardrop for Christmas
This is the 2nd in the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series. I'll have it finished by the end of the year for a release date of the following September (2018). I'm not entirely thrilled with the title, so
that will likely change. But in the mean time, here's a blurb:

Pleasure seeker WILLIAM BARLOW needs a wife immediately to gain his uncle’s inheritance, and MINA SCOTT is just the girl to make him look respectable—too bad she turns him down. Ought he give her a second chance?

Whew! There you have it. That ought to keep me and you ought of trouble for the rest of the year, eh?

Any Dickens Lovers Out There?

I just typed "The End" on my most recent manuscript, the first book in a trilogy called Once Upon a Dickens Christmas (more on that later this week). Anyhoo, as the name implies, the stories are written with a Dickens flair, which meant I had to do a lot of Dickens research. And while I was nosing about, I uncovered an interesting tidbit of Christmasy Dickensian trivia . . .

Everyone's heard of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but did you know he produced a series of Christmas tales before that bestseller? The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain is one of those tales, first published in 1848. It addresses the spirit of the holidays as Dickens perceived it. On the first day of publication it sold 18,000 copies. That's a LOT of sales. You can read it for free by clicking HERE.

If ghosts aren't really your thing but A Christmas Carol is, here's another read you might like. God Bless Us Everyone! by Annie Tipton is a devotional inspiration based on A Christmas Carol. Here's a blurb:

One of the best-loved and most quoted stories of "the man who invented Christmas"--English writer Charles Dickens--A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since. The familiar story of cruel miser Ebenezer Scrooge who never met a shilling he doesn't like. . .and hardly a man he does. . .and who hates Christmas most of all, has inspired this keepsake devotional God Bless Us Every One! Alongside scenes from the beloved Dickens classic, you'll learn eternal lessons of charity, kindness, goodwill, heart-transformation, and more. Experience a true Victorian Christmas with these 60 in-depth devotional readings that are sure to warm your heart this holiday season and beyond.

The best things about a Dickens tale are his quirky characters and statements on life. Bleak House is my favorite. What's yours?

Word of the Year

You've heard of book of the year, movie of the year, yada, yada . . . but have you ever heard of word of the year? Yeah, I thought not. I hadn't either.

But there actually is one. Every year the folks at Oxford Dictionary choose to shine the spotlight on one relevant word for the year, and they've just announced the 2016 winner. Drum roll, please . . .

The word is post-truth. It's defined as:

“relating to or denoting circumstances in which 

objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion 

than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”

Usually this word is associated with politics. I know, right? That's a no-brainer. Actually, though, the concept has been in existence for the past decade. It's only recently become a buzzword, and that's why it was chosen (a spike in frequency)

Some of the other words that were nominated but didn't win were:

adulting

The process of taking on the responsibilities of an adult

glass cliff

A situation in which a woman or member of a minority group ascends to a leadership position in challenging circumstances where the risk of failure is high. 

chatbot
A computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet.

coulrophobia 

The fear of clowns.

brexiteer

A person who is in favor of the United Kingdom withdrawing from the European Union.

Which word would you have chosen?

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is my numero uno favorite fairy tale. In a small way, I crafted my hero in The Captive Heart after the beast, giving him a burn scar on part of his face. Plus he's a bit beastly in personality.

So it is with great anticipation and not just a little impatience that I'm waiting for March 17 for the release of the newest version of Beauty and the Beast. Here's a trailer . . .

The Wattys 2016

Looking for a fantastic free read to curl up with this autumn? You're in luck, because over at Wattpad, they just announced the winners of the world's largest online writing contest, The Wattys.

Sidenote: Just in case you don't know what Wattpad is, it's a community of storytellers where users post written works to be read by the world for free.

Now then, there are 10 top winners in each of the following categories for your reading pleasure. Categories are:

People's Choice
These winners were chosen by readers of Wattpad who tweeted their faves on voting day.

HQ Love
This award recognizes stories most adored by Wattpad staff.

New Voices
Gifted writers new to the scene.

Collector's Edition
Stories that were most often added to readers' libraries of favorites.

Talk of the Town
Books with a lot of buzz about them.

Hidden Gems
Stories that haven't gotten a lot of attention -- yet. This brings promising stories to readers' attention.

Trailblazers
Extraordinary tales that show risks with the writing.

Visual Storytelling
Those that include graphics in some way, shape, or form.

Which category interests you the most? Pop over to The Wattys and discover some new free reads. You might find a new favorite author.

In the News

I know. You were hoping for a break from the news, right? You're fed up with all the Hillary this and Trump that. Never fear, though, little cowboys . . . today's smattering of news here at Writer Off the Leash is all happiness and sunshine because it's from the publishing world.

Read For Free with Amazon Prime
Join Amazon Prime and you'll have access to over a thousand titles to read for free on your e-reader or device of your choice. The content is pretty varied, ranging from Harry Potter to comics and magazines.

Kid's Haircut Discount for Reading
Here's a piece of good news in this dark world . . . a barber in Ypsilanti, Michigan, is offering a $2 discount in exchange for the kid reading a book while getting his haircut. Sweet way to encourage reading, eh?

Kickstarter Jane Austen Coloring Book Project
Want to support an artist and spread your love of Jane Austen? This is the project for you. It combines the artist's love of Austen with her illustrating skills. She's pretty close to meeting her goal so I think this one will make it.

Book Sales Are Up
According to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, bookstore sales in August rose by 2%. Could be just from college students snatching up their texts, but hey, a sale is a sale.

There you have it . . . your dose of good news for the day.

How Average of a Reader Are You?

I just spent a long weekend in the North Woods of Minnesota. I packed 5 books to read. You know how many I got to? About a quarter . . . of one. How pathetic is that? I thought it was pretty schlotzy of me not to devour more pages because surely the average reader in America would’ve gone through that pile, right?

Actually, no. The average reader in America finishes 12 books a year, according to a report from Pew Research.

So far this year I’ve read 8, but one of those was a 3 in 1 book dealio, so really I’m at 11. It’s only October so I figure I’m going to be above average.

How about you? Will you hit that goal? And may I make a recommendation for you to read?

Out of the Frying Pan released last week (you saw that one coming, right?). Pop on over to Amazon to snatch up your copy or try your luck here on the Rafflecopter Contest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grammar Gaffs and Typos and Formatting Errors, Oh My!

Available September 6.

Currently I'm freaking out because my next release is due to hit the ol' bookshelves in 3 weeks. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. The problem lies in the fact that I haven't done a final read-through yet. But good news! I can quit biting my nails. Even if there are a few bugaboos, that could just make it a collectors item. If it works for J.K. Rowling, why not for me? Here's what I'm talking about . . .

The first print run of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone contained about 500 books with an error on page 53. Yeah, I'll give you a moment to go snatch up your copy and flip open to that page.

Okay, ready?

Now then, the mistake lists "1 wand" twice in an inventory of first-year wizarding supplies. Not that big of an error, but big enough for one of these boo-boo editions to hit the auction at Bonhams Fine books and Manuscripts Sale for a whopping $33,500.

Does your copy list it twice? If so, you stand to make some serious bank.

As for me, I'm not sweating it anymore. One typo could make all the difference.

Feast or Famine

The thing about writing is that sometimes you go long stretches with nary a contract in sight. You stumble around, hands outstretched like a blind man, groping for the merest hint of someone--anyone--who might want to purchase your pithy stories. Weeks, months, years pass and you got nothing but dreams.

Then blammo! The clouds break and streams of glorious sunshiney contracts fall from the sky and land on your head.

Seems like it's one or the other, and currently I'm soaking in the sun. Besides the Dickens-type Christmas series, I just signed another contract for a new novella, due out next summer. The book will be titled OF RAGS AND RICHES ROMANCE COLLECTION. Here's a general blurb:

The Gilded Age in America (1870-1900) was a time of opulence, growth, and great change for all aspects of American life. Modern conveniences and improvements paved the way for western expansion and leisure activities. The rich became richer, and the poor worked hard to make a better life for themselves. This collection features nine stories set between 1870 and 1900, exploring this exciting time in American History.

And here's a blurb for my story, A HOUSE OF SECRETS . . .

Ladies Aide Chairman, AMANDA CARSTON, resolves to clean up St. Paul’s ramshackle housing, determining to demolish the worst of the worst: a “haunted” house, but when she enlists the aide of her fiance, attorney JOSEPH BLAKE, they uncover secrets neither expects—which may mean the end of their relationship . . . or her life.

Since this one is due before the Christmas series, I'm immersing myself in the gilded age. Want to see some pictures of characters and settings? HERE's the Pinterest page. Have at it.

Christmas in August

I've never been a fan of Christmas in July. Who even came up with that in the first place? It's just wrong on so many levels, but here are a few . . .

-  It's way too hot to think about roasting 

    chestnuts when my own chestnuts are sweaty.

-   I haven't lost the 12 pounds I gained from 

    last year's Christmas cookie extravaganza.

-   Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer 

    shouldn't be played any month of the year.

So for all those reasons and a plethora of more, I vote there will be no Christmas in July. Ever. Period. And amen.

But I heartily lift a mug of eggnog in honor of Christmas in August, especially since I just signed a contract for the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series! Yes indeedy, 3 brand spankin' new books coming at you in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Here's a blurb:

On a stormy night 2,000 years ago, a baby was born and a coin was forged—both the bearers of a second chance. The God-man returned to heaven, but the coin yet roams the earth, passing from hand to hand, hope to hope. THE ONCE UPON A DICKENS CHRISTMAS series follows the path of that coin as it touches three different lives in Victorian England.

Story 1: TWELVE DAYS AT BLEAKLY MANOR

Imprisoned unjustly, BENJAMIN LANE wants nothing more than freedom and a second chance to claim the woman he loves—but how can CLARA CHAPMAN possibly believe in the man who stole her family’s fortune and abandoned her at the altar?

Story 2: TEARDROPS FOR CHRISTMAS

Pleasure seeker WILLIAM BARLOW needs a wife immediately to gain his uncle’s inheritance, and MINA SCOTT is just the girl to make him look respectable—too bad she turns him down. Ought he give her a second chance?

Story 3: THE LITTLE MATCHMAKER GIRL

Recently widowed BELLA WHITE is finally freed from the domination of the overbearing men in her life, but when she enters into a business partnership with the handsome EDMUND ARCHER, she begins to wonder if marriage is worth a second chance.

Thankfully it's not July because I'll be yanking out my Christmas tree and tinsel, decking my halls, and blasting Jingle Bells for inspiration as I sit down to channel my inner Dickens. Stay tuned for updates as I have them.

Readers Live Longer

Of course I spout the benefits of reading because, hey, I want you to buy my books. But turns out there's a less self-serving used-car-salesman kind of schlocky reason to read . . .

You'll live longer.

No, really. I'm not making this up. A recent study published in Social Science & Medicine backs this up with facts.

A group of 3,635 people (all over the age of 50) were split into one of three groups:
     - non-readers
     - readers who read books for up to 3.5 hours every week
     - readers who read books for more than 3.5 hours per week

Collecting data from those groups, here's what they found out . . .

Those who read up to 3.5 hours a week were 17% less likely to die over 12 years of follow-up.

Those who read more than 3.5 hours were 23% less likely to die.

On average, book readers lived almost 2 years longer than those who did not read at all.

But if books aren't your thing, there is still a longevity benefit (albeit less) for those who read newspapers and periodicals.

So there it is in print . . . your official permission to run out and buy a new book today.

Big Buck Authors

You've heard my mantra . . .
Writers don't make a lot of money. Keep your day job. 

Yeah, well, some do. Want to know who and how much? Recently Forbes released a list of the highest paid authors.

1. James Patterson $95 million
2. Jeff Kinney $19.5 million
3. J.K. Rowling $19 million
4. John Grisham $18 million
5. Stephen King $15 million
6. Danielle Steel $15 million
7. Nora Roberts $15 million
8. E.L. James $14 million
9. Veronica Roth $10 million
10. John Green $10 million
11. Paula Hawkins $10 million
12. George R.R. Martin $9.5 million
13. Dan Brown $9.5 million
14. Rick Riordan $9.5 million

Kudos to these big time writers. They can, officially, quit their day jobs.

Post-Mortem Publishing

Some authors are so dedicated, they don't let a little thing like death stop them from publishing. Michael Crichton died in 2008, a huge loss to the literary world, probably best known for Jurassic Park (though my favorite is Timeline). So you would think that means no new books from him, right?

Wrong-oh, Bucko. Recently, his wife, Sherri Crichton, discovered a manuscript of his and Harper Collins snatched it up.

DRAGON TEETH is slated for an April 2017. Here's a blurb from Amazon:

DRAGON TEETH follows the notorious rivalry between real-life paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh during a time of intense fossil speculation and discovery in the American West in 1878. 

The story unfolds through the adventures of a young fictional character named William Johnson who is apprenticed first to one, then to the other and not only makes discoveries of historic proportion, but transforms into an inspiring hero only Crichton could have imagined. 

Known for his meticulous research, Crichton uses Marsh and Copes' heated competition during the 'Bone Wars,' the golden age of American fossil hunting, as the basis for a thrilling story set in the wilds of the American West.

I'll be pre-ordering this little gem because he's one of my all-time favorites. But no need for you to wait to snatch up some literary greatness . . . here's a sweet contest for you from BOOKSWEEP.

Celebrate the summer with a chance to win more than 40 inspirational romances from award-winning, NY Times and USA Today bestselling authors, PLUS a Kindle Fire.

You've got a week to enter by clicking HERE.

Serial Reader

Just because a word has serial preceding it doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing. Yeah, sure, I'm not negating that serial killers are awful. So are serial warts. Serial drive-by opera singers give me the shivers. And let's not forget serial power outages that make your freezer thaw and all your meat goes bad and you have to spend the entire day cooking all the chicken you scored on sale last week at Winn Dixie.

Whew. Let's all take a breath and exhale out such negativity, shall we?

Now, on the inhale, here comes the positive . . . Serial Reader. This handy dandy app lets you read classics in bite-sized pieces. No more choking down huge passages of War and Peace or Great Expectations. Just pure, unadulterated, enjoyment of the classics in small bits that are entirely doable while you're waiting for a bus or standing in line at the grocery store.

Here's how it works:
Every day the app sends fragments of classic texts (which classic is up to you). You subscribe to a classic and voila, daily digestible chunks for you to swallow. It's a great way to finally plow through something you've always wanted to read but never had the time to sit down and study. Available for iPhones and Androids.

Spread the news to your readerly buddies. Who knows? Maybe my books will make it on there someday (cue evil laughter).

Cover Reveal: Out of the Frying Pan

Next up on the new release docket is OUT OF THE FRYING PAN, due to release on September 6th. It's been several years in the making. Okay, so maybe slightly more than that, but hey . . . you can't rush excellence, right?

Though it's not set to hit the shelves until the first part of September, I can let you in on a little sneak preview of the cover. Ready? Drum roll, please . . . (and don't forget an excessive cymbal crash) . . . (and fireworks) . . .

And here's a blurb for the story . . .

Murder in Paradise whips life into a froth for FERN and ZULA HOPKINS. When the retirement center’s chef is found dead, the two ladies get mixed in with the case. Their zany attempts to track down the killer land them in hot water with Detective JARED FLYNN. Should he be concerned about their safety—or the criminal’s?

But there are deadly ingredients none of them expect. Drugs. Extortion. International cartels. And worst of all…broken hearts, especially when the Hopkins sisters’ niece KC arrives on the scene.

Life at Sunset Paradise Retirement Village will never be the same.

So yeah, lots of romance, tons of intrigue, and a huge helping of humor and snark. Plus there will be a few giveaways and some special offers coming up as well. Stay tuned!

NaNoGenMo

No, that title isn't a typo. I'm not speaking in tongues. I didn't slug back one too many Buds yesterday at my BBQ because I don't even like beer. Nasty, vile liquid. Oops. That probably just cost me a few home-brewing fans.

Anyway, you've all heard of NaNoWriMo because you're savvy Writer Off the Leash readers that know it means national novel writing month . . . but that doesn't happen until November so don't panic yet. Today, though, I'm introducing you to a new, geeky celebration of writing that marries technical wizardry with prose. And so, I bring to you (cue the excessive tooty-horns and drum roll)
NaNoGenMo.

Yeah, it's a spin-off of NaNoWriMO and it means National Novel Generating Month. Computer nerds spend the month writing code that will generate a 50,000 word novel. At the end of the month they share the novel created by the code. It's all about algorithms (whatever that is) instead of words, because it's actually the computer that creates the words. How that works beats me, but apparently it's intriguing enough to have people give it a whirl once a year.

Code may not create the most spellbinding story you've ever read, but it does expand resources for an author (of words) to use. One guy is working on a program that will first generate a plausible outline for a short story. Then the outline will be used for fleshing out the plot that filters out "uninteresting ideas."

Hmm. After just spending a week brainstorming a few plots, let me tell ya, I'd be the first in line to try that little beauty.

For more details, check out Structure in Computer-Generated Novels.

And don't forget there's only 2 days left to enter the Kindle Giveaway . . .
a Rafflecopter giveaway