The Tropification of Book Marketing

Mpepper/ January 15, 2024/ Think Pieces

A year or so ago, I was encourage to make an “arrow chart” of each of my books. If you’re an author or reader, you know what this is: an image (often animatic) showing the book with a bunch of arrows describing the tropes in the story. I suck at this kind of thing, but I tried. (The animatic one

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Book Reviewing: Four Stars = Not Enough?

Mpepper/ September 25, 2023/ Reviews, Think Pieces

So I stumbled onto this story via social media. (I’m not someone who frequents Reddit, but that’s where this led me.) And I have to say I think ESH. But, at the same time, there is no easy or “correct” answer. Allow me to summarize: a book reviewer (who evidently reads and reviews a lot of books and says they

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Reading Update

Mpepper/ September 16, 2023/ Uncategorized

So close! I am so close to completing my reading bingo board for 2023! I just need a rom-com and I’m done! Luckily, I went to the library today and grabbed Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade, which has been on my list (see below) for a while now. Glad to finally have a chance to read it. My Goodreads challenge

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Books I’ve Tried but Failed to Read

Mpepper/ September 4, 2023/ Uncategorized

Lately, I’ve struggled to find books that hold my interest. Some of that is definitely on me; I’ve been having a rough time, and sitting down and focusing on a book has been incredibly difficult. And yet I have read a few books that I enjoyed (check my YouTube channel for those). So it can be done. Still, the wins

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2022 in Review: Writing

Mpepper/ December 9, 2022/ Flashbacks, Writing

Although the year is not quite over, it’s about time to start wrapping things up and examining what worked, what didn’t, and how to move forward. I intend to do this in bits and pieces by looking at different aspects of my life through the year. Naturally, I’ll start with my writing. Releases It’s difficult to believe I actually started

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Names in TSC

Mpepper/ December 8, 2022/ Writing

Every author has his or her own way of naming characters. For me, the characters often name themselves, but sometimes they tease me, kind of like a game of Rumpelstiltskin. They’ll make me guess. If they’re nice, they might give me hints like, “It starts with B” or, “It’s one syllable.” Then I have to figure it out from there.

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AMC’s Interview with the Vampire

Mpepper/ October 11, 2022/ Reviews

I have only watched the first episode of AMC’s take on Anne Rice’s vampires, but I have some mixed feelings. And yes, I understand why some changes were made, and I don’t have a problem with those. I don’t think Louis needs to run a slave-owning plantation in order to tell this particular story. His being a person of color

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Pre-Order The Ghosts of Marshley Park!

Mpepper/ September 9, 2021/ Announcements

Coming October 19! If you want to get the book on the day it comes out, pre-order now from your favorite indie bookstore! (Ebook available exclusively through Amazon Kindle—including via Unlimited!)

Books: Any Way the Wind Blows (Simon Snow #3) by Rainbow Rowell

Mpepper/ July 19, 2021/ Reviews

I wrote a short review on Goodreads immediately after finishing this book. Then, a few hours later, I filmed a video review that rambles a bit. So here I’m going to attempt to organize my thoughts a little more coherently. For context, let me begin by saying I adore Carry On and like Wayward Son. Though the second book was,

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Books: We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra

Mpepper/ May 19, 2021/ Reviews

I didn’t like it, then I did, then I didn’t again. The set-up: high school sophomore Jonathan Hopkirk (“Jo,” age 15 at the start of the book but 16 by the end of it) and repeat senior Adam “Kurl” Kurlansky (18) are assigned by their English Lit teacher to write letters to one another. Jo idolizes Walt Whitman, dresses in

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