I am a skeptic. Admittedly. I am not the one who jumps on bandwagons or who purchases the first iterations of a product. I always stand back and wait for the reviews. Always. And so it is with AI. I'm waiting to find out whether or not it's going to be a good thing or …
Author: M.K.B. Graham
I am a freelance writer and novelist.
A scam is a scam is a scam …
I've had five as of today. That's five book club organizers from all over the world who want to showcase my books to their members or who want to promote them. For a fee, of course. I'm all for free enterprise and entrepreneurial endeavors and especially book clubs, but I can't help but wonder how …
What they won’t have …
I’ve been mulling the dilemma for future generations—especially when they become curious about their own ancestry, a search that is curiously engaging especially as one ages. I’m fortunate because I come from a family with two habits that leave me with ample trails to follow. While some, of course, are rabbit holes, which I’ve written …
The rabbit hole mystery …
The last time I posted here, I was mired in a mystery. I promised I would tell you if it solved it. So here it is. The letter in question was indeed written by my great uncle, a man we affectionally called “Uncle Hoboo.” He was a little man who loved to tease and whose …
The perils of rabbit holes …
I'm taking a break momentarily. I have spent half of my day in a rabbit hole. Unsuccessfully so far, I might add. Rabbit holes—as anyone who has tackled deep research into history, particularly family history knows—rabbit holes are occupational hazards and can be maddeningly frustrating tasks AND amazing adventures. (When successful, they warrant a loud …
Writers of a feather …
I have always loved getting together with fellow writers and avid readers. I can almost always guarantee there will be an absence of small talk and chit chat. Authors and writers tend to think deeply, to converse engagingly, and to entertain interesting and unique perspectives. Nothing bores me more than mindless cocktail conversation (except ad-filled …
The ultimate review …
As the author of three historical novels, I’m always eager to know what readers think. I (like all writers) wait breathlessly for reviews. Now, however, I have received the ultimate review. I recently reconnected with a friend I had known when I was a teenager. Our fathers had worked together, and she and I graduated from the …
The unexpected fact checker …
While I was working on my latest novel, one set in the the Virginia Highlands—a mountainous region with soaring views and deep restful valleys—I had an unexpected fact checker. I had written in a late spring storm. As an earnest novelist, I am always cognizant of "verisimilitude"—the requirement that demands that everything in a book …
Readers are different …
A month or so ago, I published my third novel. As always , I did so with great trepidation and hope! Living with a novel for weeks, months, years provides an author with a deep and penetrating knowledge of the characters and their lives. In one respect, authors come to know them so well that …
The landing gear is down …
The hardest thing about writing a novel isn't the writing. It isn't even the editing. It's certainly not finding a suitable cover (that's fun!) The hardest part—undoubtedly—is letting it go and sending it out for the public to read. And that is just where I'm poised right now. I've been flying with and around this …
M.K.B. Graham 