2009 has exploded with a super nova burst. Among other good news, Eternal Press picked up my Havana Thriller Series with the first novel, Havana Top Secret, tentatively scheduled for a May publication as an e- book and in print. A published author and friend who read the novel sent me the following unsolicited comments: "One of the fastest reads I've enjoyed in many moons. The entire book was outstanding. The way you were able to weave together the complex storyline was very impressive."
So if you enjoy fast reads, mark May on your calendar. I'll have more information before then about how you can purchase a copy of Havana Top Secret.

Amazon.com, the popular online bookstore, is once again sponsoring the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. Last year, one of my manuscripts, Who Killed Fidel Castro, made it to the semi-finals, thanks to all of you who took the time to read my entry and send comments.
This year, I have entered a new manuscript, However Long the Night, in the general fiction category. It is a romantic tale of love, loss and redemption that has already won two significant literary awards. The Amazon contest has different rules this year, and readers will not have a chance to register their opinions until the judges have narrowed the field to the top three. I'll update you on the results in future newsletters.

Good writers, like good carpenters, know their tools and know how to use them. During the next few months, I'll discuss the tools that help writers build memorable stories. Today, let's look at three: narrative summary, description and dialogue.
Narrative summary tells readers what happens offstage. It is a scene that is told rather than shown. To use computer jargon, narrative summary takes place offline. The best use of narrative summary in modern fiction is to connect scenes. It should be used with discretion. Too much narrative summary will bog down your story.
Description is the depiction of a locale or person. While well-done description adds color and richness, it should be used sparingly. A hundred years ago, writers - who were often paid by the word -- indulged in pages and pages of description. Modern readers, "trained" by TV, film and the Internet, are much more impatient. So, however beautiful you believe you write description, don't overindulge or you'll lose your readers.
Dialogue is an invented language that resembles everyday speech. Dialogue in fiction breaks the monotony of lengthy descriptive passages, advances the action and lends insight and personality to characters. Pitch-perfect dialogue involves conflict, either internal or external. Conflict points to change.