A Letter from the Editor
by Timothy Pike

Welcome to the August 2024 issue of Books & Buzz Magazine, featuring bestselling author Tosca Lee, who just won the International Book Award for the third time! Read our interview to learn all about it—and also hear about the big “plot twist” in her life.

Each month, as I gather and edit the material for our upcoming issue, I learn quite a bit from our slate of talented contributors. Their articles reveal a lot: New developments in the literary world. Surprising facts. Actionable advice to help you, as a writer, improve and get ahead in your career.

When I come across these juicy nuggets, the first thing I want to do is climb onto the rooftop with a megaphone and shout them across town. But I settle for the next best thing: publishing them in this column.

So here they are … 10 things in this issue you (probably) didn’t know:

1. Not much has been written about the Bataan Death March during World War II—fiction-wise, at least—so Tosca Lee teamed up with another bestselling, world-class author to write a story that would go on to win the International Book Award.

2. Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway loved their cats, and Virginia Woolf kept a cocker spaniel. Interesting, but hardly surprising, considering pets can be a source of great comfort while writing, as Melody Horrill explains.

3. If you want readers to buy your book, confidence in your work is the #1 most important thing, say technology duo Breakfield and Burkey. Your unwavering confidence will shine through when you take the time to invest in and improve your offerings.

4. There are many ways to build confidence in your writing. Start with the simple—recognizing your stories for what they truly are—and work up from there.

5. “The novelist is not a detective, a reporter, or a lawyer.” Author Gretchen McCullough explains you don’t need to be an expert on a subject just to write a story about it.

6. Even bestselling authors don’t write every day. “I’ve never been good at routine,” says Tosca Lee. “I’ve tried, but finally accept I’m just not wired this way.”

7. Amazon now offers a free tool to help you promote your books. It’s called A+, and it comes highly recommended by Breakfield and Burkey themselves.

8. Turns out it’s possible to forge a strong friendship with a dolphin. This author did just that … then wrote a memoir about the experience.

9. It’s not just you: other people fall down rabbit holes of fascinating research, too. But as fun as it is, how much do you really need to research your novel to make it believable? Here’s the answer.

10. Tosca Lee is combining two of her favorite genres, historical fiction and thrillers, into one book: a medieval thriller. And, she assures us, it’s coming soon!

And there’s much more. As you explore this issue of Books & Buzz Magazine, please leave a comment and let me know what you learn!

To your success,

Timothy Pike
Editor of Books & Buzz Magazine