Barbara V Evers

Last week, I covered 3 comma usage rules. I'm going to follow up this week with three more comma rules, but before I do that, I want to share a cool contest with you. You have a unique opportunity to enter for a chance to WIN 6 signed copies of blockbuster books by myself and 5 other authors, and TWO people will win! Here are the details: Dates : May 24-May 31 What : A chance to  win SIX series starter  books signed by these blockbuster authors Plus :  Lots of great author info in their newsletters The Books :  Telepathic women who helped military bombers strike their targets.  Legal hitmen who only need a contract to kill.  The fall of the corporation-run government and the shattered lives left to survive this fallen world.  People from the wrong side of humanity fighting the system and its prejudices by using a loophole to follow a dream of space travel. Current day military called to save the world from invading aliens.  And of ...

Commas--you either love them or hate them. Comma lovers understand when, how, and, most importantly, why to use them. Haters don't.  To be fair, some lovers think  they understand but don't really. Punctuation lessons have gotten confusing over the last few decades. The biggest disaster in comma education came from the practice of teaching students to put in a comma whenever they pause while speaking the sentence. Unfortunately, that's a misleading direction. Lots of people pause for emphasis. Those pauses don't always align with grammar rules. Imagine putting commas everywhere James T. Kirk pauses in this clip. YIKES! To complicate matters, even the people who know how to use commas don't always agree.  Take the Oxford comma for example—a simple rule complicated by people who decided we didn't need the last comma in a list. Somewhere along the way, schools started teaching that the comma before the "and" or "or" at the end of the list was no...

  This past weekend set me free! How? After months and months of steering clear of people, I attended one of the first SFF Cons to return to holding an in-person event. I mingled with authors and other creatives as well as fans of science fiction and fantasy. It was truly marvelous! Where was this? Atomacon in North Charleston, SC.  I'm an extrovert, so I really needed this experience. I came home tired but energized. Yes, I know those are opposites. Let me explain: I came home tired in body but energized in spirit. Several of you know, I spent years submitting   THE WATCHERS OF MONIAH to agents and editors. Then, last year, I signed with New Mythology Press, an imprint of Chris Kennedy Publishing. Unlike most of my author friends, my debut launched at a time when no one could hold a celebration.  No book launch party with friends and family. No in-person book signings. Nada. Thanks to Atomacon, that drought ended this past weekend. I met people excited to get out an...

There are quite a few Watchers in  The Watchers of Moniah trilogy. No surprise there, right? But can you name them? I'm going to make it easy for you and focus only on the first book, THE WATCHERS OF MONIAH. Off the top of my head, I came up with eleven, but I had to stop and think about it. To check my accuracy, I went back to my spreadsheet where I track everything from character names and traits to descriptions of the land, food, traditions, kingdoms, etc. There are THIRTEEN Watchers listed by name in the first book. I know why I forgot ONE, but how many can you name? If You're Stumped... I've provided a clue for each one. This high-ranking Watcher is left in charge of Moniah This Watcher was ordered to escort Adana back to her chambers This Watcher does embroidery This Watcher became a member of Adana's Honor Guard and was one of her early trainers  This Watcher keeps watch with Adana one sleepless night in Elwar This high-ranking Watcher expected to become First V...