Month in Review - April 2020

Now that the weather has finally warmed up, I find myself spending more time outdoors. So, I wanted to recap last month before time runs away again. So now, without further ado, here's the list of the most popular blog posts for April 2020, chosen by you, the readers: 

1. Break Out the Champagne: It's Time for a Book Launch Celebration

Today I celebrate another significant milestone! Today, the fourth book in my Country Girl Empress series, EXCERPTS FROM THE IMPERIAL DIARY hits virtual bookshelves! I still can't quite believe it myself...this is so exciting. The book is centered around real historical figures such as Empress Elisabeth of Austria, her husband Emperor Franz Joseph I, and their children. Come join them as their story continues! Naturally, I fictionalized the story and filled it with page-turning adventures, some danger, and a hint of romance...

2. Book Review of A Promise of Fireflies by Susan Haught

A Promise of Fireflies is a vibrant, multi-layered story about a woman who confronts her past to find her way onward. Middle-aged Ryleigh Collins feels alone and abandoned after the death of her mother and the imminent dissolution of her marriage. But while sorting...

3. First Drafts Don't Have to be Perfect...

...They just have to be written  -Anonymous

I try hard to follow that motto. I cannot even begin to tell you how good it felt to be able to write the words 'The End' on the last page of my upcoming novel AT THE CASTLE OF DREAMS - A Country Girl Empress Novel (Book five of the Country Girl Empress series). The first thing I did was to perform my happy dance in the kitchen. Not counting research time, the manuscript took me a bit over a month to write. After I typed out the last few words, I sighed a deep breath of relief, and then I couldn't help but think...

4. My Musings on Writing Historical Fiction

When I began to write, I focused on non-fiction, military lifestyle, and canine health to be more precise. Four years into publishing, I added my debut novel IN THE SHADOW OF HER MAJESTY,  a Tudor whodunit, to my expanding collection of scribbles. Set in 16th century England, it seeks to solve the circumstances of Lady Amy Dudley's untimely death. What is it about historical fiction that makes it so charming? And what ensures its continuing popularity? I had, after all, up until just recently, written nothing but non-fiction.  I will gladly admit that I’ve always been a bit of a history buff and enjoy researching different eras and cultures. But my love of this genre goes well beyond that...

5. #WritersLife: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques to Overcome Writer's Block

I get this question frequently: What do you do when writer's block strikes and you don't know what to write?

Many writers define writer's block as their imaginary friends refusing to talk to them. Thankfully, mine haven't stopped talking to me for too long - knock on wood! Writer’s block can happen to any of us at any time, but usually, it strikes just as you sit down in front of the computer to type your epic masterpiece. It doesn’t matter if you are working on a short story, an essay or 400-page novel, the words you wish to put down simply won’t come together. That’s when it might be time to take a strategic look at how to overcome your writer’s block....

by A. Piper Burgi

Piper is the author of several non-fiction books, and recently added five historical fiction novels to her ever-expanding collection of published writings, In the Shadow of Her Majesty, The Country Girl Empress, A Life in the Shadow of the Crown, The Perpetual Traveler, and Excerpts from the Imperial Diary. When she isn't busy typing on her computer, she can be found chasing after her furry children or holding on tightly to a good cup of coffee. Follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Goodreads.

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PS: Join me next Sunday, as I take my newest book, EXCERPTS FROM THE IMPERIAL DIARY, book four of The Country Girl Empress series, on a blog tour.  Learn more about me and my newest historical fiction novel. My next stop will be author Christopher Bremicker's blog!