Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Getting a book published is hard. Like really, really hard. I could just say difficult, but really, really hard creates better emphasis. I used to think all you needed was raw writing talent. While helpful, there are so many variables that go into it. Timing. Agent/Publisher preferences. The marketplace. How you present your work. And, of course, luck. When I was querying (the term for shopping your book around) Legend Has It, I dea

You can’t talk about the Rainbow Springs site in Mukwonago without including golf in the same breath. Stretching roughly 950 acres west of the Wisconsin village, the property once hosted two 18-hole golf courses, known for their beauty, as well as their propensity to steal golf balls. The courses didn’t have sand traps but rather several bodies of water. Golf became the lure that drove Mukwonago developer, Francis Schroedel, to construct what would have been a world-renowned

I remember getting ready to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens back in December 2015. It had been 10 years since we last had a mainstream...

I've never been one to chase a trend. Sure, I can get swept up in a craze or a fad from time to time, but, for the most part, I tend to...

I'll be honest: I don't think I'd be a great teacher when it comes to my craft. I don't say that modestly or to mask some great teaching...

I'm not sure if it's just me or if this is relatable, but self promotion does not come easy for me. In today's society, social media...

Have I got a story for you. Well, kind of. In my head, it's an epic adventure of one man desperately trying to realize a creative vision...

Writing a novel isn't an easy feat. Anyone who has ever done it will tell you this (well, let's say most people as there might be a few...

During my journalism days, I couldn't go a day (sometimes a couple of hours) without interviewing someone for a news story. It's an...

I once naively thought that the book publishing process went like this: you write a novel, a publisher picks it up, and then you sit back...

Every story needs a setting. Some stories have several of them. While Legend Has It has a few locations, its primary setting is in the...

This past week, I found myself in a writing rut as I contemplated my next blog post. I had an extensive list of blog topics when I first...

As I scrolled through the metrics of my prior blog posts, I had a thought. I wanted to understand which content performed best so I could...

I heard the rumor so many times every fall: a 10-to-13-story haunted house attraction on the outskirts of Chicago. You sign a waiver and...

Rejection isn’t fun. Not even in the slightest. It can mess with your psyche and shatter your confidence. Yet it is something that is...

I have a newfound respect for anyone that can (successfully) keep up with the demands of multiple social media accounts. Before I signed...

I debated if I should write this blog post. There’s a small part of me that feels a slight ping of guilt that I’m not a typical author....

I share a commonality with many people: I’m not a fan of failure. For a long time, I had an uneasy relationship it. The thought of...

*Note: This blog post first appeared on the Horror Writers Association website . I remember when the feeling hit me, the one where you...

It's interesting how different stages of your life can build upon each other and give you all the tools you need for the later stages....