"Illuminating Fiction "contains nineteen interviews with fiction-writing luminaries including Edward P. Jones, Julia Glass, Amy Bloom, Jill McCorkle, Margot Livesy, Ron Carlson and Steve Almond. The interviews contain questions about narrative, voice, character, place, point of view, arc of the story/novel plot, and revision; questions about the writing process; questions about the trajectory of the writer's career; questions about the role and importance of writing courses and mentoring; and also questions that Ellis has drawn from the text of the authors' work. Authors describe the challenges they have faced. The reader is able to gain an intimate and specific understanding of the authors works, and the authors thought process as they created their novels and short stories.

In Sherry Ellis' delightful book, That Mama is a Grouch, children from age 3-7 will quickly learn that clutter-caused tension in a home can be avoided. In this story, Mama is having a bit of a tantrum over the mess, and the narrator, a precocious child indeed, soon understands all too well. Toys are strewn about as obstacles that can cause falls and short tempers. Mama is tired-tired-tired of cleaning up this constant clutter. In a voice as wise as it is adorable, the narrator reminds children that parents are human, with feelings and moods. At the same time, parents are reminded that children are, well, children Ms. Ellis has produced a book that takes the place of yelling. Whether read by adults to children or a child reading alone, this book guarantees to charm, amuse, and result in some much-needed changes in behavior

That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN is for all those bleary-eyed families who sincerely believe that they will never again enjoy a full night of sleep. Seen through the eyes of an exhausted sibling, this book is guaranteed to bring a smile to even the most fatigued members of a sleep-deprived household. Can you count the number of nights you slept after you baby was born? Do you remember--or are you now suffering through--the cries that can mean anything from Change me now, to I'm hungry, to Time to come in and play with me? In Sherry Ellis' That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN, there's no question about who's the head of the household. It's the baby The little darling who was born with feed-and-play-on-demand talents is making his message clear: I want you...and I want you now Ms. Ellis understands the world of the sleep-deprived and felt compelled to write a book that might make every family's sleepless nights bearable. Thus, the first lines of the book: "I was sleeping in my bed and a dream was in my head when..." That baby woke me up, AGAIN To hear an interview with the author about the book, go to www.globaltalkradio.com. then click on, "A Story to Tell." The interview is on the September 5, 2005 edition.

An essential handbook for nonfiction writers, featuring the trusted personal writing exercises of today's masters of creative non-fiction, including Gay Talese, Reza Aslan, John Matteson, Tilar Mazzeo, and many more
Beginners and seasoned writers alike will relish the opportunity to use the top-notch writing exercises collected in "Now Write Nonfiction" culled from the personal stashes of bestselling and critically-acclaimed nonfiction authors like legendary essayist Gay Talese ("Thy Neighbor's Wife"), "New York Times"-bestselling authors Ishmael Beah ("A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier") Reza Aslan ("No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam"), and Tilar Mazzeo ("The Widow Clicquot"), 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winner John Matteson ("Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father"), creative nonfiction icon Lee Gutkind ("Creative Nonfiction" magazine), and many other top memoirists, journalists, and teachers of creative nonfiction, these exercises offer fresh ideas for every facet of creative nonfiction writing, from pushing through writers block to organizing a story, capturing character to fine-tuning dialogue, injecting new life into a finished piece to starting a new work from scratch.
"Now Write Nonfiction" will take you out into the field with creative nonfiction's master practitioners:
*Peek inside Gay Talese's mind, as he shares the "writer's road map" he used to organize information for his classic book "Thy Neighbor's Wife" and his seminal essay "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold."
*Learn from Reza Aslan why "what you remember" isn't as important as "why you remember it the way you do"
*Explore the importance of cultural nuance in language with Ishmael Beah
*Discover Lee Gutkind's simple trick, performed with a highlighter, that can help any writer identify whether their piece is truly showing action, or just telling
An essential resource that will help writers of any level to hone their craft and get writing, "Now WRite Nonfiction" offers over 80 quick, simple excersises trusted by top nonfiction writers to get their pen moving

The essential handbook for writers of whodunits, techno- thrillers, cozies, and everything in between-featuring never-before- published personal writing exercises from some of today's bestselling and award-winning mystery writers.

Now Write Mysteries, the fourth volume in the acclaimed Now Write writing guide series, brings together numerous bestselling authors-including winners of and nominees for the Edgar, Hugo, and Shamus awards, -for the definitive guide to writing mysteries, thrillers, and suspense stories. Now Write Mysteries teaches you everything you've ever wanted to know about crafting a page-turning mystery-from creating a believable detective hero (or terrifying villain), to using real-life cutting-edge investigative techniques to bring your story to life-with practical exercises taken directly from the pros:
Discover the best techniques for seamlessly integrating action into your story with John Lutz, "New York Times"-bestselling author of Urge to Kill, Night Kills, and Serial.
Learn how to fine-tune your sense of place and setting with Louise Penny, "New York Times"-bestselling author of the Armand Gamache mysteries.
Take advice from Lorenzo Carcaterra, author of Sleepers and writer/producer for Law & Order, on how to compose a scene that lives up to your character's backstory.
Let Marcia Talley, Agatha- and Anthony-winning author of the Hannah Ives mysteries, show you how to build a memorable, engaging detective. (Hint: It's not about making him flawless.) Others included are: Simon Brett, Hallie Ephron, Meg Gardiner, Peter James, Christopher G. Moore, Michael Sears, and many others. No other mystery-writing guide offers the road tested wisdom of so many award-winners and bestselling authors in one place.

A collection of personal writing exercises and commentary from some of today's best novelists, short story writers, and writing teachers, including Jill McCorkle, Amy Bloom, Robert Olen Butler, Steve Almond, Jayne Anne Phillips, Virgil Suarez, Margot Livesay, and more.
What's the secret behind the successful and prolific careers of critically acclaimed novelists and short story writers Amy Bloom, Steve Almond, Jayne Anne Phillips, Alison Lurie, and others? Divine assistance? Otherworldly talent? An unsettlingly close relationship with the Muse? While the rest of us are staring at blank sheets of paper, struggling to come up with a first sentence, these writers are busy polishing off story after story and novel after novel. Despite producing work that may seem effortless, all of them have a simple technique for fending off writer's block: the writing exercise. In "Now Write ," Sherry Ellis collects the personal writing exercises of today's best writers and lays bare the secret to their success.
- In "The Photograph," Jill McCorkle divulges one of her tactics for handling material that takes plots in a million different directions;
- National Book Award-nominee Amy Bloom offers "Water Buddies," an exercise for writers practicing their craft in workshops;
- Steve Almond, author of "My Life in Heavy Metal" and "Candyfreak," provides a way to avoiding purple prose in "The Five-Second Shortcut to Writing in the Lyric Register";
- and eighty-three more of the country's top writers disclose their strategies for creating memorable prose.
Complemented by brief commentary from the authors themselves, the exercises in "Now Write " are practical and hands-on. By encouraging writers to shamelessly steal proven techniques that have yielded books which have won National Book Awards, Pulitzers, and Guggenheim grants, Now Write inspires the aspiring writer to "write now."