Author: Yvonne Hertzberger

Yvonne Hertzberger is a native of the Netherlands who immigrated to Canada in 1950. She is an alumna of The University of Waterloo, with degrees in psychology and Sociology. Her Fantasy trilogy, ‘Earth’s Pendulum’ has been well received. Learn more about Yvonne at her blog and her Amazon author page.

Pablo Said So

Pablo Picasso said it well. “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

We have had a number of posts, and an almost equal number of opinions, on the rules of writing and whether we need to follow them. I am of the firm opinion that is essential, initially, to know what the rules are. Then we can break them with awareness and can explain why, at least to ourselves. Occasionally we may wish to explain to others as well, but that could be fodder for another whole post. Continue reading “Pablo Said So”

Kobo Revisited

On March 6, I was fortunate to be in the audience at the Stratford Public Library when Mark Lefebvre, the Director of Self Publishing and Author Relations at Kobo, spoke at a panel discussion on electronic publishing. Aware that he would be coming, I asked my Indie friends if they had any specific questions for him. Continue reading “Kobo Revisited”

Dream With Me

There is a store in Toronto Ontario. This store has been in business since 1972. What does it sell, you ask? Why, books of course. And not just any books. This very real, successful store sells only Science Fiction and Fantasy books. Don’t believe me? Check it out. It’s real. Its name is Bakka Phoenix. Google it. It’s moved locations a few times and now has a home near the University of Toronto. Continue reading “Dream With Me”

Writing Sex Scenes?

There has been some discussion lately about how to write sex scenes in effective ways. Perhaps Valentine’s Day got us thinking in that direction. In any case, it gave me pause for thought.

Recently I had the privilege of critiquing such a scene for a fellow writer. She’s amazing but has a very different style and writes in a different genre. The scene I read really got me … well … you know. Just as it was intended to. And she did it without graphic descriptions of body parts like heaving bosoms and … well, you get the idea. Continue reading “Writing Sex Scenes?”