Nothing is as it seems….

Temptation landed at Special Agent Larry Newman’s feet—literally. Charlene Smith captured his heart after he rescued her from terrorists two months ago. A failed relationship and being an abused child have turned him into a loner and workaholic. The scars weigh heavy on him and keep him from pursuing her. So what’s a guy to do when the woman he pines for passes out in front of him while working a case?

Battling psychological wounds from abduction is easier than coming face to face with the sexy FBI agent she’s fantasized about for months. A single mother, avoiding the drama that dating would bring to her son’s life, she allows Larry close only in her dreams. Now, she's second-guessing her decision. Should she have a relationship with this man who makes her feel alive just by being close?

In the beginning, in a land far, far away, there was a writer who was introduced to the concept of show and tell. No, it didn’t involve me bringing a toy and you bringing yours, nor did it cover me showing you mine, and you showing me yours. (winks)

Show and tell, all jokes aside, is nothing to laugh about. It’s the heartache of authors who don’t understand the difference. If you ask ten writers just what show and tell is, you’ll get ten different answers. In that group, you might even get one or two who don’t know what it is, and you’ll always get one that gets it completely wrong.

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty—and yes, I will try to explain this like I’d tell my six-year old.

Recently I had the pleasure of reading Jill Shalvis' ARC, Merry Christmas, Baby. It's a novella in the the Lucky Harbor series, and it gives the readers so much more than a short story. 

About the book: Wild child Chloe Thompson can't believe how much things have changed. She still can't get enough of her sexy husband Sawyer, but he seems to prefer working to impending fatherhood. So tonight, a very pregnant Chloe is escaping her troubles at the town Christmas party. 
Sheriff Sawyer Thompson hopes surprising Chloe at the party will give him a chance to set things right. But as the snow begins to fall and the wind rages, he wonders whether he can make it back in time. While mother nature conspires to keep Sawyer and Chloe apart, an unexpected arrival will require them to kiss and make up . . . and ring in the happiest holiday Lucky Harbor has ever seen.

Some are probably scratching their heads trying to make the connection between DC and Mac. I’m sure there’s more questions in there, but the history behind Mac’s Pearls deals with the earlier days of me writing and trying to come up with a pen name. Mac was short for Mackenzie, yet everyone I met online called me Mac. I used to try to help other writers understand different techniques in writing, as there are many, and while I may not be an expert in writing, I have a good understanding of the “rules.” We’ll get back to why that’s in quotation marks later.

I do need to give a full disclosure before I go any further… I do not have a degree in English or any sort of certificate in creative writing. I’ve learned the art of creative writing by asking questions, doing research, through dedication, and trials and errors. There may be some things I get wrong, and there is plenty I’m still learning, but I hope to help those who may have questions, and Mac’s Pearls is being brought to this blog by popular demand.

I’m going to kick this new series of posts off with the topic of research.

What is research and how does it apply to a writer?

Well, unless you are creating a world that is fantasy or paranormal, or work in a field surrounding something specific you want one of your characters to do—research is a must.