Kim McMahill

Yesterday I watched massive chunks of dirty ice and debris churn rapidly down the Missouri River. The raw power was mesmerizing and a humbling reminder of how small and helpless we truly are against the forces of Mother Nature.

At one time many writers were considered eccentric solitary creatures, hidden way from society pecking away at a keyboard, pouring his or her heart and soul onto blank pages. It’s this somewhat romantic image I envisioned when I decided to take my passion for creating stories to the next level. My first novel, The Lodge, came to life while living in a small cabin with no telephone or television, surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery on earth. With no distractions it was easy to let my mind wander and the creativity flow. I’ve learned a lot since that initial book and have grown as a writer, but the most important thing I’ve learned over the years is that writing a great book isn’t everything--it’s only the first step. There can be no hiding out in remote mountain cabins and letting the work sell itself. The author is no longer just an artist, joyfully expressing one’s creativity. In order to succeed the writer must become a publicist, marketing guru, social media expert, sal...

It appears 2011 will be the year of the virtual author, making virtual appearances and doing virtual book tours for their digital following. I’m still learning what all of this means and I’m enjoying certain aspects of the process. I started this blog to share my stories, adventures and book news with family and friends, and have found the feedback from official and casual followers to be helpful and uplifting. So, feel free to spread the word and encourage others to browse my blog and hopefully together we can forge a digital following. My latest novels, The Watch and Deadly Ruins, came out in 2009. In 2010 I’ve put the finishing touches on two other books, The Senator’s Daughter and Big Horn Storm. Hopefully at least one will be published in 2011 and I can put my new virtual marketing knowledge to the test.

A new year always brings a plethora of articles discussing the outlook for writers and booksellers for the coming year. There’s seldom much agreement on what the hottest new trend will be as far a genre, but the one area of consensus is in the power and growing popularity of e-books. For those of us who love nothing more than curling up with a good paperback, it’s a tough pill to swallow. I spend my days working on a computer and when I have free time to read I still want a good old fashioned book to hold in my hands. I’m apparently in a shrinking minority, but I’m slowly warming to the idea and no doubt will conceded defeat and jump onto the speeding train of technology soon. And, speaking of technology…