Welcome Fall, Focusing on Story, IWSG Anthology: Writing for Profit, Marsha West's New Mystery Act of Betrayal

Hello and welcome to the J.Q. Rose blog!

Fall is almost officially here. The Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere actually occurs this Friday at 4:02 pm ET. But you would never know it. The weatherman said this week in West Michigan will be more like weather we experience in mid-July, humid with temps in the mid-80's. What???

Fall mums
Photo by J.Q. Rose

With the changing season, I decided to change my blog, and I don't mean just to the fall leaves background. I changed the name to Focused on Story. That name clearly describes my writing and who I am as a writer. I believe the mission of the author is to create a fictional story filled with writing that brings out emotion in the reader,  Emotion, whether it's love, hate, happiness, sadness, and everything in between, helps readers to identify with the characters and actually care what happens to them.

In non-fiction writing, the story is very important too. When I cover events or interview real people for newspaper and magazine articles, I want readers to identify with someone or understand more about the topic and care about it. A writer can do that by focusing on the story.

So how do I achieve focusing on the story? I don't just tell it, I show it, by taking a deeper dive into the scene and using language to make it come alive in the reader's mind.

For example: 
Tell--Janie was mad at her mom. 

That's okay. But a writer can help the reader "see" the scene. I re-wrote it this way:

Show--Janie slammed her schoolbag on the kitchen table and stomped out of the room. She didn't stop when her Mother yelled her name.

I had this focusing on story "epiphany" while working with my writers group on re-writing a novella I had written 6 years ago. I wanted to go deeper with the characters. And boy, did we ever. With their help, the novella is turning into a novel.

Originally released in 2011, I am thrilled that my publisher, BWL Publishing will be publishing this mystery with a touch of paranormal this winter. The new title is Terror on Sunshine Boulevard. Looking forward to revealing the new cover to you when it's ready.

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I am thrilled to announce an article I penned on blogging will appear in the new anthology from the Insecure Writers Support Group, Writing for Profit. So many talented writers in this group. I'm sure there will be plenty of gems on making money with your writing. 

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And finally, last but definitely not least, a friend and contributor to the J.Q. Rose blog is releasing her fourth book in her Second Chances series, Act of Betrayal, on September 21. Today you can pre-order the book on amazon, Kobo, and B&N for $1.99. After release it will be $4.99. I've read all the books in the series and am looking forward to this one!

Click below to read the Guest Posts on the J.Q. Rose Blog by Marsha R. West

Romance Readers Want to Know
Marsha R. West Shares Her Hobby


Hope you like my newly renovated blog. I enjoy playing with the design, fonts, colors. How often do you change the "look" of your blog/website?

Wishing you a lovely fall season wherever you are!