James Ross's Blog, page 18

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving that was filled with great food, football, the Macy's parade, and maybe even a little golf if the weather allowed! Amongst all of the festivities, there was one major golf story that was splashed across the newspapers and television stations. How could I go without mentioning it here as well?

As most readers already know, Tiger Woods was involved in a single-car accident early Friday morning. He had just pulled his Cadillac Escalade out of t...

You're asked, "Who has made the biggest difference in your life?" Do you have an automatic response? Are you fortunate to have that one name that pops into your head? Has someone impacted you and made a noticeable difference in your life path?

For many people, their mother or father played this pivotal role. For others, perhaps it was a teacher, a coach, or a pastor. Celebrities and the examples that they set in their profession and personal life also influence us, for better or worse. Ho...

Thinking of the "Four Ps" that were shared by both the game of golf and the act of writing a novel was a good mental exercise for me, so I've decided to expand the idea to other letters of the alphabet. Today, I want to share my brainstorming that focuses on the letter "B" and concepts that apply to my two favorite pastimes.

Bargain -- While I love being a writer, I admit that once in a while you do have to make deals with yourself in order to stay motivated. If you aren't in the mood to sit...

Justin Ventimiglia and Keith Puccio were two teenagers who were looking for ways to pass the time during a long, hot summer in Missouri. With questionable parental supervision and the typical draw towards trouble that most teenagers experience at some point, the boys made the unfortunate decision to vandalize the home of their cranky, elderly neighbor.

The "punishment" for their juvenile prank was to get a summer job to pay for the damages. The boys spent the remainder of their seasonal...

My last post included several similarities between playing golf and writing a book, and asked all of you to think of ways in which one of your passions could translate into a publication.

I've thought about the connection between golf and writing some more, and developed a list of the "Ps" that anyone must incorporate into their participation in either activity. I know that I found all of these concepts to be true when writing my three published novels.

Practice -- If you want to lower your ha...

One of the most common pieces of advice given to any new author is to "write about what you know." Creative work is going to be more genuine and credible when focused on a topic that is familiar. An author's mental energy is more likely to remain high if the story closely parallels a passion.

With this simple piece of advice planted in my mind, it was easy to develop the setting of the Prairie Winds Golf Course. My passion for golf sets the backdrop for a wide range of human emotions and cha...

As mentioned many times before on this site, my belief in the power of the social networking potential found on the Internet is strong. Twitter, Facebook and other such outlets have provided new friendships and valuable business connections. Other writers and a host of readers have offered tips about how to market my books. With that comes insight and firsthand experience as to what is effective.

One idea that has been mentioned is the idea of "personal branding." How does an author (or any...

There are great pilots who transport us safely to our intended destination even under the most challenging circumstances. A perfect example is Captain Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot for US Airways who famously landed a plane bound for Charlotte in the Hudson River after its engines had an encounter with a flock of geese and saved the lives of all 155 passengers onboard. Then, there is Captain Jer.

After I finished Lifetime Loser I wanted to integrate a few more regulars into the mix...

With three published novels to my credit—Lifetime Loser, Finish Line, and Tuey's Course—and a fourth book on its way towards release, I believe that I have learned some valuable lessons about the writing and publishing process. With each book, I have built on the experiences, both good and bad, that I had with the previous novels. In addition to my own time spent in trial and error, I also have learned so much from other authors I have had the opportunity to meet during this journey.

I spent...

You often hear the statement that one moment in time can change the course of a person's entire life. What if that drunk driver had not drifted over the double yellow line? What if I had decided to marry my high school sweetheart instead of leaving her to pursue what I thought were more important dreams? How would my life be different if I had not decided to put one more coin into that machine and then watch as the cherries lined up to make me a millionaire? I am sure that we all can point to...