Before WHISPERS IN THE CANYON was published, I received an agent's critique of my query letter and first ten pages that was pretty positive. She said it did a nice job of presenting a complicated plot succinctly. However, she felt the “stakes” weren't quite high enough. If you've read the first article that comes up … Continue reading How Do You Explain a Character’s Moral Code?
irish in america
DONOVAN FAMILY SAGA: Cast of Characters (3)
You can read about the main characters in WHISPERS IN THE CANYON here, and about the Donovan elders here. Now let me present: The Siblings John Patrick and Molly Donovan had ten offspring, Adam and Brian being the eldest and twins (see Cast of Characters 1). When her sons were born in Ireland, Molly had … Continue reading DONOVAN FAMILY SAGA: Cast of Characters (3)
WHISPERS IN THE CANYON: Historical Novel Society Review
I am so proud to announce that the HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY printed a review of my debut novel in their magazine of May 2020. (Note: I removed the spoiler sentence for those who haven’t read it. Otherwise, it’s a word for word transcription.) WHISPERS IN THE CANYON Review by Brodie Curtis The Donovan family, led … Continue reading WHISPERS IN THE CANYON: Historical Novel Society Review
DONOVAN FAMILY SAGA Cast of Characters (2)
THE PARENTS & “GRAN” MOLLY DONOVAN: When An Gorta Mor (the Great Famine of Ireland) began in 1845, Molly (nee Mary Agnes O’Brien) lived with her two younger brothers and her parents. Within two years, her parents had starved to death; she and her brothers were close to following them. Excerpt from WHISPERS IN … Continue reading DONOVAN FAMILY SAGA Cast of Characters (2)
DONOVAN FAMILY SAGA Cast of Characters (1)
The cast of characters for these family novels is fairly large, so I'll begin with the main characters in WHISPERS IN THE CANYON. ADAM DONOVAN. This 32-year-old bachelor is considered by his family to be a cowboy with a poet's soul. He's tall, dark and (yes) handsome (what Irishman isn't?), and has a quick hand … Continue reading DONOVAN FAMILY SAGA Cast of Characters (1)
WHISPERS IN THE CANYON Now Available!
I am thrilled to share the news that WHISPERS IN THE CANYON, the first book of the Donovan Family Saga, has been released by Soul Mate Publishing and is now available on Amazon! In the 1880s Arizona Territory, Jesse Travers' father dies and leaves her with a bankrupt ranch and a deep well of distrust. … Continue reading WHISPERS IN THE CANYON Now Available!
FAILURE IS NOT FATAL
Just the other day, I posted this quote from Winston Churchill: Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Normally, I'd just leave it out there and it would hopefully inspire some other folks the way it inspired me. But I've found that over the past few … Continue reading FAILURE IS NOT FATAL
What If You Get a Call to Revise & Resubmit?
If you've noticed that the blog has been quiet for the past few weeks, it's because I got a request from a publisher to “revise and resubmit”. You might think publishing houses accept a manuscript “as is”, but reality teaches us differently. Almost everyone is asked for some revisions to their manuscripts, whether it's to fall in with a … Continue reading What If You Get a Call to Revise & Resubmit?
Gifford MacShane, Author 