Writing Evil

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Gabby Wells - Book 4, Gods & Martyrs, Novel, story telling, Writing

I was writing a chapter in the fourth Gabby Wells novel, Gods & Martyrs, and, when I was done, was so disturbed by what I had written, I pushed the keyboard away in disgust. Creating characters is a tricky thing.  They end up taking on their own lives and making decisions you don’t want them […]

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MNINS: Season 3, Episode 7 – Smarter Artist Summit Recap

Posted Sonlight Press MNINS, Writing

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 7 of My Name Is Not Steve – The Podcast by Storytellers about Storytelling (with People Not Named Steve).   In this episode, Pete Bauer and Dorothea Bauer chat about Pete’s amazing experiences at the Smarter Artists Summit writers conference. Mobile Users Listen Here or Subscribe on ITunes In this […]

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2015 – Writing Year in Review

Posted Sonlight Press Gabby Wells Novel, Independent Publishing, Writing

This year was very much an overall representation of my creative life… big goals, almost realized, yet undermined by my health. I started out this year having published nothing. I had spent years learning, writing, re-writing and trashing most of my work. 2015 was the year things finally started to come together. I started this […]

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Why There Should Always Be Books Printed on Paper

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Writing

Technology changes everything and you can’t un-invent disruptive tools once they enter the marketplace.  E-readers and portable computers masquerading as phones have made the world’s libraries one click away. But, I hope books will also continue to be available in paper. Reading a book that is intended to be nothing more than a single story […]

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Why Young Adult Novels? Because Teens Are Amazing!

Posted Sonlight Press Gabby Wells Novel, Writing

There is something special about the teen years.  You know enough about the world to figure out how it works, but you’re not embedded in it.  You see where the lines have been drawn by generations before you and you challenge whether they were sketched out in the right place. Teens also have more time […]

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Writing through the Valleys

Posted Sonlight Press Gabby Wells Novel, Writing

Writing is fun.  Writing is hard. Like any creative endeavor, it has its peaks and valleys.  Moments of inspiration are short and writing through incomplete ideas, long.  For the hobbyist, indulging in your chosen art only when inspiration hits gives a false impression that, if one were to do it full time, everyday would offer […]

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Writers, Get Out More

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Faith, Gabby Wells Novel, Independent Publishing, Social Media, Writing

Writing is often a lonely, isolating experience.  We usually find our quiet space, fill it with white noise or our favorite music, and write characters that exist in our minds before they do on paper. We spend a lot of time like that.  Too much, sometimes. The most valuable thing to me is my time.  […]

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Writing on Vacation

Posted Sonlight Press Author, Gabby Wells - Book 1, Gabby Wells - Book 2, Gabby Wells Novel, Writing

I just got back from a great vacation with my family in Virginia.  There were so many wonderful things to do that everyday was packed with activities.  There were a couple of times, however, when everyone else went out and I stayed back in the room and wrote. I loved it. The idea that I […]

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Kneel & Prey on Sale for $0.99 Until July 4th

Posted Sonlight Press Chapter Sample, Gabby Wells - Book 1, Gabby Wells Novel, Kneel & Prey, Novel, Writing

Kneel & Prey, the first novel in the Gabby Wells Thriller series, is on sale for under a buck until July 4th. In this fast-paced novel, Gabby hears rumors a classmate is planning to commit mass murder during the town’s Independence Day celebration and is willing to risk everything, including her soul, to save her […]

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Trusting the Journey

Posted Sonlight Press Author, Author Blog, Faith, Gabby Wells, Gabby Wells - Book 1, Gabby Wells - Book 2, Gabby Wells - Book 3, Gabby Wells - Book 5, Gabby Wells - Novella 1, Gabby Wells Novel, Novel, Novella, Screenplay, Writing

God never seems to draw a straight line. I wish he did.  It’d sure make life a lot easier. The path I’ve been on in writing the Gabby Wells Thrillers is one of the most convoluted one could conceive.  Two years ago, almost to the day, I posted about this strange unfolding.  Back then I […]

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Setting Expectations When Launching Your First Novel

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Gabby Wells - Book 1, Gabby Wells Novel, Independent Publishing, Novel, Social Media, Writing

The dream of everyone that wants to be a writer is to draft the next great American novel, release it to public accolades and sit back while the money and notoriety roll in. There’s one word for that… fantasy. In today’s publishing climate, its never been easier to get your idea into novel form.  However, […]

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Kneel & Prey – The Proof is in the Proof

Posted Sonlight Press Gabby Wells, Gabby Wells - Book 1, Gabby Wells Novel, Independent Publishing, Novel, Novella, Screenplay, Writing

It took eight years to get my original idea into a printed book.  Through three screenplays, two 13-episode television series scripts, two novels that were scrubbed and four novellas that were augmented, Kneel & Prey, the kick off of the Gabby Wells Thriller series, is finally complete. It was a long journey with far more […]

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Amazon – A Land of Opportunity?

Posted Sonlight Press Independent Publishing, Marketing, Writing

Amazon is like what America used to be. While listening to a recent debate about whether or not Amazon is good for readers, some heavy hitters on both sides of the argument discussed the pros and cons about the behemoth that is Amazon.  The arguments often strayed from the primary focus and, instead, postulated about […]

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MNINS: Season 01, Episode 4 – Hopeful or Hopeless

Posted Sonlight Press Gabby Wells Novel, MNINS, Writing

Welcome to the fourth episode of My Name Is Not Steve – The Podcast by Storytellers about Storytelling with People Not Named Steve. This time we talk about the aspects of a story that determine if it is one with hope or one without. Mobile Users Listen Here or Subscribe on ITunes My Name Is […]

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Faith is Dramatic

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Faith, Gabby Wells Novel, Writing

There aren’t a lot of authentic characters of faith in modern entertainment.  And that’s a waste. I’ve often wondered why more writers don’t include faith as one of the key components of their main character.  It adds weight to everything they do.  The story no longer becomes just about what the protagonist is trying to […]

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Making Your Characters Suffer is the Best Part

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Gabby Wells - Book 1, Gabby Wells Novel, Writing

My job as the author of the Gabby Wells Thriller series is to make Gabby’s life a living hell.  And I do, relentlessly. That’s what every author is supposed to do.  To torture the protagonist so you can torture the reader. Do I like making Gabby’s life an insurmountable mess?  Yes and no.  I like […]

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I Want it to Be Difficult

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Blog, Gabby Wells Novel, Novel, Writing

Writing is hard.  Writing a series is harder.  Being successful as a writer is nearly impossible. And I love the challenge. I want it to be difficult, because then, only those most committed will make it.  And I’m committed. Sure, there are some things that also come into play… talent, luck, timing, communication skills, marketing […]

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Podcast – Generosity & Female Ninjas

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Blog, Gabby Wells - Book 1, Gabby Wells - Book 2, Gabby Wells - Book 3, Gabby Wells - Book 4, Gabby Wells Novel, Marketing, Novel, Podcast, Screenplay, Writing

Author Pete Bauer and Dorothea Bauer talk about the generosity of the independent publishing community, female ninjas and audio books. Mobile Users: Click here to listen to the episode. Topics Covered: Independent Film Marketing Similar as Novels Competing with your Competitors Screenplays Collecting Dust Knowing your Audience Generosity of Independent Authors Hit and Miss Writing […]

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Podcast – Thanksgiving Episode & Mockingjay Part 1 Marketing

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Blog, Faith, Gabby Wells - Book 1, Gabby Wells Novel, Marketing, Novel, Podcast, Screenplay, Writing

Author Pete Bauer and Dorothea Bauer talk about the issues with the Mockingjay Part 1 marketing approach and give thanks to those who have helped get them this far. Mobile Users: Click here to listen to the episode. In this episode: Thanksgiving Day Episode Mockingjay Part 1 Breaking Dawn Parts 1 & 2 Mockingjay Part […]

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Kneel & Prey Draft Complete

Posted Sonlight Press Author Blog, Blog, Gabby Wells, Gabby Wells - Book 1, Gabby Wells Novel, Novel, Novella, Writing

It’s taken writing over 500,000 words to get here. From the first attempt of converting 13 television scripts into a novel to 100 drafts later to a near finished product to tossing it out and starting over.  From turning the idea of five novels into five novellas and five novels to then deciding to write […]

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