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Articles by Joan Hall
Buried Wilderness Secrets by Jaime Jo Wright
Buried Wilderness Secrets by Jaime Jo Wright Stand-Alone Novel Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense, July 29, 2025 REVIEW BY JOAN HALL I’ve been a fan of Jaime Jo Wright’s dual-timeline Gothic suspense novels since Mae Clair introduced me to the author. When I learned the author penned a modern-day romantic suspense novel, I gave it a try.
Changes
Changes. The word reminds me of an old David Bowie song. And if you now have an earworm (like I do), I’ll say, “You’re welcome.” After all, that is a good song. But seriously, this post doesn’t have anything to do with music. Most of you know I cut back on my blogging last year due to health issues. I had two different sites – this blog – and my website. Because I hate ads on blogs, I paid for a subscription to keep them off this site.
It’s Release Day… And Time for Bad Moon Rising
The long-awaited day has finally arrived. Blood Red Dawn was released today. If you haven’t purchased your copy, you may do so by clicking this link. I’m not doing a blog tour this time. However, I am making one guest appearance at Teri Polen’s site for Bad Moon Rising. Her October feature is always a lot of fun, so I hope you’ll join me there.
Writer’s Self-Care - Friends and Family
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today with my second post in the Writer’s Self-Care series. If you missed the first one, you can read it by clicking this link. Today, I’m going to talk about friends and family. I woke up early that Saturday morning, grabbed a shower, saw my husband off to work, and sat down at my writing desk. By that time, I was hungry, so I stopped long enough to eat breakfast, then took my laptop to the sofa and sat down for what I’d hoped to be a productive writing day.
Writers Self-Care ~ Taking Time Off
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. In my last post, I talked of a new series this year on self-care for writers. We often become so focused on our productivity that we forget to take care of ourselves. Today’s post will speak more to those who write full-time, but hopefully, everyone can benefit. When you hold a full-time job and work outside the home, most people have a forty-hour work week. Some have four ten-hour days, but a majority work five eight-hour days.
Sally Cronin recommends A Death at The Inn: Harbor Pointe Series Book 7
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Writing Intervals: The Pomodoro Technique
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. I’m all about productivity but at the same time, we need to be mindful to take breaks in order to avoid burnout. Today, I’m going to talk about a method that has been proven to increase productivity. The Pomodoro Technique was developed by developer and entrepreneur Franciso Cirillo in the late 1980s when he was a university student. Cirillo was looking for a method to organize his study schedule.
Organizing Your Ideas
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. For those in the northern hemisphere, I hope you’re staying cool in this heat. Last time, I talked about research and rabbit trails. This month, I’ll talk a little bit about organizing all those ideas. I have more ideas than time to write. Whenever I think I’m narrowing down the list, something new pops in my head. That’s a good thing because I doubt I’ll ever run out of things to write.
Historical Writing: Get Your Facts Straight
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. A couple of years ago, I wrote a post about historical fiction and the importance of doing your research. Today, I’d like to take it a step further. I used to think of historical fiction as set during the 1800s. Depending on who you ask, historical fiction can be anything that dates earlier than the mid-twentieth century to as late as twenty-five years ago.
The Interior of Your Book
Hey, SE Readers. Joan here today. D. L. Finn posted last week about book formatting. If you haven’t read it, you can do so by clicking this link. Today’s post also deals with the same subject but is directed toward the style. Last time, I talked about the importance of a good-quality cover. Today, we’ll discuss the interior design of your book. A poorly formatted book can lead to its downfall. Spacing, alignment, and chapter headings that are inconsistent are a sign of amateurism. We’re writers.
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Special Announcement!
Hey, SE Readers! Last week, I promised we had a special announcement to make. Today is the day! Story Empire began with five authors in August 2016. Over the years, there have been several changes as some authors left and new ones joined. Last year, we expanded to eleven contributors. This year, we’re growing again! Drum roll, please! I’d like to welcome our newest member. We are over the moon excited that Stephen Geez has agreed to join Story Empire.
Using Dialect and Vernacular
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and the new year is off to a good start. Regional dialect and vernacular are commonplace. Here in the United States alone, we have Appalachia, the deep south, Texas, the Midwest, and the northeast just to name a few. We speak English, but many of our sayings differ. For instance, in Texas and many parts of the south we use the word “y’all” when referring to a group of people.
New Year Holiday
Hey, SE Readers. The Story Empire authors are taking a long weekend break, so we don’t have anything scheduled today. We’ll return on Wednesday for our first post of 2023. Next week, we have an exciting announcement you won’t want to miss. Today, take some time to relax, cozy up by the fireplace, and read a good book. And keep on writing! We’re here to help you. Like this: Like Loading... Related
Wrapping Up 2022
Hey, SE Readers. We’ve come to the end of another year, and it’s been an exciting one for Story Empire. Comments are closed today, but on behalf of all the Story Empire authors, I’d like to wish you a Happy New Year and share a few highlights from 2022. New Members In January, we announced the addition of two new authors for Story Empire, D. Wallace Peach and Beem Weeks. We now have a total of eleven contributors to the site.
Who Influenced Your Writing?
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. Some of us knew from an early age that we wanted to become a writer. For others, the desire came about later in life. Mae Clair wrote an excellent post a few years back, Are Writers Born or Made? If you haven’t read it, you can do so by clicking this link. Regardless of when you realized you had the writing bug, no doubt there is at least one person in your life that influenced your decision. There are several people that played a role for me.
Signs You Might Need a Writing Break
Hey, SE Readers. Joan here today. Many of us face times when we need a break from writing. Whether you balance a full-time job with writing or write for a living, we all need to step aside for a while. I’d like to note that D. L. Finn wrote an excellent post earlier this year on mini vacations for writers. Click here to read. The year 2022 has been one of transition for me. I’ve gone from being employed full-time with writing in the evenings and on weekends to becoming a full-time writer.
Using Timelines
Hey, SE Readers. Joan here today. I’m going to begin today’s post with a story. Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this. Back in the early 1980s, I read a series of books by one of my then-favorite authors. These books chronicled several generations of one family. The first volume was set in what was then modern times (the late 1970s or early 1980s). I’m not sure if the author planned to write others when she published that one, or if it was an afterthought due to the popularity of the book.
Ambiance and Writing
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you on this September morning. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re only three days away from the beginning of autumn—my favorite time of year. I love the cooler temperatures, the changing leaves, migrating birds, and fall fairs and festivals. While the stores are already putting out Christmas decorations, and at least one friend has already decorated her house, I like to enjoy the fall.
Series Fiction
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. In my last post, I spoke of story length. Today we’ll discuss writing a series of books. First, let’s talk about serial fiction versus a series. Serial fiction is released in installments. This type of fiction became popular in the nineteenth century. Charles Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers was released in nineteen installments and published over a twenty-month period.
Story Length
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. Previously, I talked about the advantages of writing short stories and participating in anthologies. Today, I’ll cover story length and the various definitions used in fiction. Later, I’ll pose a question. Image courtesy of Pixabay There are several terms to define works of fiction based upon the length of the story. Check a dozen sources and you will likely get a dozen different answers but here is a general consensus of story type as defined by word count.
Independence Day
Hey, SE Readers. Today is a holiday in the United States, so we’re taking a day off here at Story Empire. Whatever you plan—spending time at the lake, going on a picnic, attending a parade or fireworks display, or maybe just relaxing—we hope it’s a good day for you. We’ll be back on Wednesday, July 6 with our regular posting schedule. Happy Independence Day! Like this: Like Loading... Related Authors , Beem Weeks , C. S. Boyack , D. L.
Anthologies
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. In my last post, I talked about the advantages of writing short stories and how they could be stand-alone works or part of a collection. Today, I want to talk about anthologies. What’s the difference?
Advantages of Writing Short Stories
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. This post is short and sweet. (Pun intended.) Let’s talk about short stories. There are advantages to writing shorter pieces of fiction. Not only does the writing process take less time, but many readers these days have shorter attention spans. There are some who won’t spend the time it takes to read a full-length novel, but they will spend 45 minutes or an hour for a short story. Even avid readers sometimes prefer to read something that takes less time.
Keeping Track of Story Ideas
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. One of my first posts at Story Empire was titled “The Stories Around Us.” Ideas come to me in all kinds of places and all sorts of situations—on an Alaskan cruise ship, observations in restaurants, things I see while driving, listening to a song, or watching a movie. Story ideas are certainly all around us. I once told someone that I had more ideas than I have time for writing. That’s probably true for a lot of writers.
Around The Fire Blog. Hosted by D.V. Stone
Thanks for stopping by my fire. We had a campfire last night and I made Paella. About fifteen people joined us to say goodbye to a few new friends as they headed home. The fire is a place of good food, good conversation, and good friends. I'm glad you're here to meet my fellow Wild Rose Press author. Say hi Jan, while I grab us a couple of beverages and tell our readers Who you are other than your bio? I am a widow.
Plan Ahead to Maximize Writing Time
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. Most of us would agree that there aren’t enough hours in the day, especially when it comes to writing. For me, it seems that Murphy’s Law often happens during my writing sessions—an unexpected phone call, visit, or an urgent matter that must be dealt with immediately. (I’ll not mention the times I distract myself. Oh, wait. I just did.) You get the idea.
Blogging Etiquette
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. Most independent, and even some traditionally published writers, are also bloggers. A blog is a great way to connect with readers and build your audience. In a past Story Empire post, I wrote about making your blog user-friendly by choosing a well-known platform such as WordPress, not making it difficult for readers to leave comments, etc. Today, I want to take things a step further and talk about blogging etiquette.
Would You Buy This Book?
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. We’ve already reached the end of January, but I hope your year is off to a good start. It goes without saying that all authors, Indies in particular, must promote their books. Although many authors hate this part, marketing is an essential part of the writing process. Fellow SE contributor Jan Sikes has a fantastic series on marketing. If you haven’t read her posts, I highly recommend doing so.
Benefits Of Journaling
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today for my first post of 2022. Hope your year is off to a great start. Years ago, when I was still in the “want to be a writer” stage, I began a writing journal. While many of those first entries sounded like a pity party, there were several highs as well. Things like my first writer’s conference, when I joined an online fiction writers group, staring the draft of my first novel, and my first published book. As I wrote more fiction, the journal entries decreased.
Writing Goals
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today for my last post of 2021. This subject has likely been covered before (probably by me) but this is the season when I tend to look ahead at the upcoming year. I began to set writing goals several years ago. There are many ways to do this. What works for one writer might not work for another. As with most aspects of writing, there is no one-size-fits-all.
Writing Historical Fiction
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. This is a sad day in American history. Fifty-eight years ago, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Most who were alive on November 22, 1963, remember that day. It’s like Pearl Harbor for those who were alive on December 7, 1941, or in more recent years, September 11, 2001. I was only five years old in 1963, but I still remember when my father told me the news. I recall my mother’s tears.
Character Types: The Helper
Hey SE Readers. Joan with you today. This is the sixth and final in a series of posts about character types. The ideas come from my personal observations or public knowledge of well-known people. The other posts are The Attention Seeker, The “I Can Top That” Person, The Know it All, The Introvert, and The Extrovert. He “thinks” he’s helping. (Creative Commons photo from Pixabay.) It seems like a lot of families have at least one person that fits this category. My Aunt Betty was one.
Character Types: The Extrovert
Hey SE Readers. Joan with you today. This is the fifth in a series of posts about character types. The ideas are from my personal observations or public knowledge of well-known people. The other posts are The Attention Seeker, The “I Can Top That” Person, The Know it All, and The Introvert. Creative Commons photo via Pixabay Several years ago, I attended a weekend women’s retreat. I knew several of those attending and didn’t have a problem conversing with them individually or in a small group.
Character Types: The Introvert
Hey SE Readers. Joan with you today. This is the fourth in a series of posts about character types. Most are from my personal observations or public knowledge of well-known people. The other posts are The Attention Seeker, The “I Can Top That” Person, and The Know it All. My mom used to say, “Be careful of the silent type.” At the time, I was seeing a boy who was somewhat introverted and soft-spoken. Coupled with my extreme shyness at the time, you can imagine how that went. But that’s another story.
Character Types: The Know it All
Hey SE Readers. Joan with you today. This is the third in a series of posts about character types. The ideas are from my personal observations or public knowledge of well-known people. The other posts are The Attention Seeker and The “I Can Top That” Person. “Jack of all trades.” You may have heard this phrase as a compliment to someone who is skilled in several things. An everyday handyman fits the bill. He might know a bit about plumbing, how to frame a house, or do minor electrical work.
Character Types: The “I Can Top That” Person
Hey SE Readers. Joan with you today. This is the second in a series of posts about character types. The ideas are taken from my personal observations of people or public knowledge of well-known people. You can click here to read the first of the series, The Attention Seeker. I think we all know at least one person who fits the category of “I can top that.” No matter what you say, no matter what you’ve done, they have a story to top it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s good or bad, they one up you.
Character Types: The Attention Seeker
Hey SE Readers. Joan with you today. I love character-driven fiction. All stories need a good plot, but when characters are flat, the story falls flat with me. This is the first of a series of posts about different character types. All are from my personal observations. One of my favorite pastimes is people watching. Sitting in a shopping mall or airport is often best, but you can observe people anywhere—restaurants, sporting events, community gatherings, family get-togethers.
Words
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. Since it’s summer, and a time to be a little more laid-back, I thought we might have a little word fun. One of my earliest posts for Story Empire was titled “Words – Old and New.” I talked (wrote) about how we’d become more casual in our conversations, using acronyms such as SCOTUS, FLOTUS, and POTUS. I listed some “trending” words, new words, and a few antiquated words. If you’d like to read that post, click here.
Revising Published Work
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. This post is one I never thought I’d write because it involves an undertaking that I never saw myself doing. Revising published work. “I hate writing, but I love having written.” Dorothy Parker I can’t say I agree with Ms. Parker. I love writing. I also love when the finished product is published. There was a time when I disliked editing, but there’s something satisfying about taking that first draft and revising it once, twice, three times, or more.
Welcome, Jan!
Story Empire is growing! Today we have the pleasure of introducing our ninth and newest member, so we’re once again rolling out the red carpet. Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you. Jan Sikes is an award-winning author of biographical fiction, poetry, short stories, and paranormal romance. She’s also a music lover (a woman after my own heart), and a great supporter of other writers.
Summer Reading
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. I’ve heard several authors say that summer isn’t a good time to release a book. I can’t speak to that personally since I’ve never released one at that time. At least, not yet. Curious, I recently Googled “best times to release a book” and found several articles that say anytime is good as long as you market the release. As you know, marketing is especially important for Indie Authors. But today, I’m not going to talk about marketing or writing (well not too much).
Capturing Emotions by Using Personal Experiences
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about ways to capture character emotions. I briefly touched on using personal experiences. Little did I know I would soon face a situation that left me (and several of my neighbors) more than a little “uncomfortable.” Hope you don’t mind a brief story. In early March, a man shot a woman in her home, then fled the scene. This happened within a mile of my house.
Useful Writing Tools
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. You’ve probably heard the terms planner, plotter, and panster. Some writers must have a detailed outline before writing the first word of a novel. Others write by the seat of their pants and let the story (or characters) determine what happens. I’m somewhere between. When I begin a novel, I have a general idea of where I want it to go. I name my characters, know the inciting event that propels the lead character into action, and how I want the book to end.
Book Review: The Edge of Memory
Hey, everyone. I’m making good progress with my 2021 reading challenge. I recently finished The Edge of Memory, a debut novel by Mary Beth Brennan published in 2017. I’m delighted to share my review. Blurb When your childhood is cut short by murder and treachery, it’s not easy to live a normal life. At the tender age of nine, Harriet witnessed her father beat her mother to death, and she holds herself partially responsible.
Research - Love It or Hate It
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. I have a confession to make. When I first began writing fiction, I hated to do research. I didn’t want to bother with such mundane tasks. Once I even wrote a blog post titled “Research, A Necessary Evil.” I’m not sure why I had such an aversion. I’ve always loved history and trivia. In general, I’m a curious person and there’s no telling what might pique my interest.
Picture It, Portray It, Pen It
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. Do you ever struggle with describing a character’s emotions or how they would react in a particular situation? I do. Even though I have several reference books, at times I feel as if I keep repeating the same thing—an arched brow for surprise, a pricking sensation for fear, slamming door when they’re angry, etc. I’m in the middle of editing a manuscript and have given a lot of thought to how to better describe character reactions.
Getting it Done with Writing Sprints
Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. Hope you’re enjoying this chilly, um, frigid February. Perfect weather for staying indoors to write. You’re near the end. You can see the end in sight. You want so badly to cross the finish line and celebrate having the first draft of your manuscript completed. But there are obstacles in the way. Life doesn’t stop because you’re a writer. There are family obligations and some of us work full-time jobs.
Pesky Words
Hey SE Readers. Joan with you today. I’m going to preface this post by saying I’ve probably made every mistake I mention and then some. I tend to read with a more critical eye these days. It isn’t intentional, but as a learn more about the craft of writing, I pick up on things in other author’s works. Too bad I’m not good at finding these pesky things in my own writing, but I’m thankful for my critique partners who do. As writers, we want to draw our readers into the story.
Which Way Do I Go? Critique Groups, Critique Partners, or Beta Readers
Hey, SE Readers. Happy 2021. Joan here today. No matter if you’re a beginning writer or have been writing for years, you’ve probably heard the terms critique groups, critique partners, and beta readers. Since the onset of indie publishing, critiques and beta readers are more important than ever. Traditionally published authors can benefit from these groups as well. You may ask yourself which way to go. Let’s look a little at the differences.
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