Barbara V Evers

  I did something yesterday that I hate to do--submitted a story within hours of  writing it. Why is that a problem?  Most stories have several drafts. Some people call that first draft the down-and-dirty version. Basically, the writer focuses on getting it written and worries about polishing it later. My internal editor won't let me use the down-and-dirty approach, though. From the first word of a piece, I work on choosing the right word, description, and phrasing. That doesn't mean my first draft is perfect. It's not. FYI, I just paused in writing this to revise something in the previous paragraph. Yes, my internal editor is alive and kicking. After the first draft, the writer needs to revise their work. In a perfect world, you will set the piece aside for a few days or better yet a few weeks before attempting this. After it's not fresh in your mind, you pick it up and work on improving it. This can take multiple run-throughs. In fact, my first novel, THE WATCHERS OF

You almost got to see a full cover reveal today, but not quite yet. Sorry. I found a mistake in the new cover for THE WATCHERS IN EXILE. Nothing major, but I want to fix it before I do the full cover reveal. Today, I'm writing and planning to meet with one of my author friends, so I'm going to cut this post short. I promise a more interesting post next time. Meanwhile, you do get the new teaser for the cover. FYI, if you were subscribed to my newsletter, you would have already seen the cover, just sayin'. You can subscribe here  so you don't miss out on any advance information (as well as contests and freebies). Also, as a thank you for subscribing, I'll send you a free short story from The Watchers of Moniah . On another note, I do have a few paperback copies left of the original covers for The Watchers in Exile and The Watchers at War . If you'd like to grab one before they're all gone, I'm offering them for $12 plus $5 shipping and handling. Just con

The First Tale Two weeks ago, our AC went out. It was one of the hottest days of the summer, AND I had a painter painting the inside of the house. Not ideal. I called the AC people, but they couldn't do anything. It was late Friday, of course. This was my third time needing them this summer, so I pushed harder. Both times, the AC had been "fixed" according to the technician. They scheduled a Saturday appointment with the owner of the company. Unfortunately, when he arrived on Saturday, the news was not good. We needed a new blower motor. Warehouses were closed, assuming anyone had one in stock to begin with. I'd already lost my voice and was developing a cough due to paint dust and open windows. The next day wasn't any cooler. Sometimes, it was better on the porch than inside. We decided to stay in a hotel. Three different times, they came to replace the motor. The first two times, I raced from the hotel to meet them at my house. Both times, they had the wrong mot