All throughout March I’ve been over at ChapterBuzz, cheering on all of the writers participating in the 10K Novel Writing Challenge and reading their novels, each of which seemed to grow by several chapters every day. Then, at the end of the month, I had the honor of crowning three winners.

Marian Wood, Susan Woerner, and Robert Jepson all took home awards for their hard work, and you’ll get to meet these authors in this issue.

In fact, all of the articles in this month’s issue are written either about or by award winners in our community. I’m shining the spotlight on these talented individuals not just to recognize their tremendous achievements, but also to highlight the power of arguably their most important tool: words.

You’ll learn how words have helped our cover author, Liberty Henwick, in many areas of life, including getting started on her novel, sharing her work with others, and healing from loss. If her name sounds familiar, it’s because her novel has been at the top of the ChapterBuzz Chart for quite some time, and this month, we pay her a visit at her family’s cottage in rural Ireland to get her insights on writing, rejection, and why she gets so excited about blogging.

Liberty also pens lighthearted poems, and the piece she’s sharing in this issue has words of wisdom for anyone whose life seems too hectic, too boring, or just imperfect. In the poem, Liberty reflects on what she’s grateful for—and finds that sometimes it’s all about being, not doing.

And next, another award-winning author, Shirley Holder Platt, explains how to make your characters seem more true to life by creating believable dialogue between them. She gives several excellent examples, and at the end reveals one very important piece of advice.

Whether it’s spring or fall in your corner of the world, it’s a great time of year to grab a comfortable chair, a cold beverage, and relax outside while you enjoy this month’s issue of Books & Buzz Magazine.

Happy reading,

Timothy Pike
Editor-in-chief, Books & Buzz Magazine