After a brief hiatus, Straitjackets Magazine has been restored. We're also in the process of transitioning Straitjackets AWAY from it's current hosting platform and into something that will be more economically feasible. One option is moving it into Wix, the same platform we host the DVWG site on. Another option is importing the content directly into the DVWG site, so the articles themselves could be linked directly to your Member Profile, which will further bolster the value of your guild membership.

Want to learn about the author's TEN (!) husbands? Similarities in mating habits of birds and humans? Techniques (traps, trickery) for getting your "Honey-Do" list done? Descriptions of an "Old Folks Date Night?" Reminders of the joys of growing old together? These clever poems and other short selections will bring smiles, laughs, knowing nods, and even a sentimental tear or two. Covering a wide variety of topics all about relationships, this book is filled with both humorous and touching, thought-provoking words to provide for discussions and warm memories.

In God We Trust Series--Book Two Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin is an exciting adventure in the ancient Roman Empire at the time of Christ. Eight-year-old Marcus and his father are on a mission for the emperor and visit a mine and a mint where coins are made. Marcus himself makes a denarius, a coin with the emperor’s image. Marcus goes to Jerusalem where he sees Jesus hold a denarius saying, “Give to the emperor the things are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” What will seeing Jesus mean for Marcus, and will he ever be the same again?

The Jessie Files Book 4 Jessie always manages to find a scoop―even when she's in the woods. When Jessie and her friends decide to go camping as part of the Weekend in the Woods event, it doesn't take long for them to start discovering strange clues that could have something to do with a hiker who went missing years ago. Soon after they begin their investigation, they start receiving threatening messages from someone who wants them out of the woods―immediately. Could someone be trying to cover up what really happened to the missing hiker? It's up to Jessie to dig up the truth.

Lana’s peaceful new life in Helena is shattered when, Jack, a dangerous man from her past finally tracks her down. She’s tempted to run again, but Tuper convinces her to stay and fight. Unfortunately, Jack knows Lana’s secrets—and weaknesses. When Jack kidnaps her dear friend Clarice, Lana feels like she has no choice but to use her hacking skills to help him commit devastating cybercrimes. Tuper has other plans though and calls his friends JP and Ron from San Diego to join the investigation. Using Lana as bait, they search for Clarice and hatch a plan to entrap Jack. But when the kidnapper is shot and killed, it leaves Clarice confined in an unknown location, and they discover Jack is not the only one stalking Lana. The crew races the clock—but can they find Clarice before it’s too late? And save Lana from her past—or will she have to keep running?

FINDING THEIR MISSING GRANDMA WILL BE NO SMALL FEAT! Rubi and her much more daring--and skateboard-obsessed--brother, Quinn, are visiting their grandmother on beautiful Vashon Island for the weekend. It's the first time they've taken the ferry from Seattle by themselves. But weirdly, when they arrive, Nana is nowhere to be found! Then their Uncle James lets them in on a little secret: Bigfoot may have been spotted! And their Nana isn't any old grandma--she's the most famous Bigfoot hunter around! Trouble is, Nana should've returned by now. And nobody in all of Puget Sound has seen her! At least . . . nobody human . Rubi and Quinn will have to follow the footprints (and scat!), crack the clues, and rely on each other to find their Nana and bring her home . . . that is, unless Bigfoot finds them first !!

Inspirational short stories.

Dreams of a lover from another time haunt her sleep.... A ghost? Reincarnation? Or was she losing her mind? Strange things happen when she sees the decaying house for the first time: she knows how the rooms are arranged, knows of a gazebo that hasn't existed for fifty years. Hints of Bay Rum aftershave follow her through the house. A stirring of air whispers, "Remember . . . remember."

Is your BACKSTORY relevant information or an Inconsequential Event? What should you include? And how much? At one point or another, most writers face that question. What is important to include in my characters' past and what should be left out? We all know too much backstory can be boring. Extremely boring, and it can cause readers to skim. Worse, they'll close the novel and never finish reading. So, as writers, how do we know? After all, we want our events to be exciting. We want our readers to keep turning those pages. We don't want to bore them into a coma. Let me help you. Let my years of experience as an editor, author, and writing coach help you write that pesky backstory.

What’s the most important chapter in your novel? Some say it’s the first, others argue it’s the last. They’re both right for different reasons. However, if your first chapter isn’t dynamite, no one will see that great last chapter. With all the hundreds, thousands of books offered today, what will keep a reader, agent, publisher turning the pages of your book? If you've received rejections, or if your book is simply not selling, chances are you haven't mastered the CRITICAL steps necessary to keep them reading or to even want to read more. This book will help you! Let my years of experience as an editor, author, and writing coach show you how to improve your opening pages.

A simple, step-by-step method for building a successful storyline/outline. A compact writing course, my ebook takes you from your idea to a solid storyline. Designed for the busy lifestyle, it's simple enough to read in one sitting, yet powerful enough to demonstrate the mysteries of the modern story structure. The Kindle version includes the material and the one-page chart templates I designed for the workbook. Learn how to keep the plot going through the "Middle Wasteland" and on to the ending. No more dull openings! No saggy middles. Learn from my mistakes. Read the section: "The Painful Lesson I Learned About Plotting." In my profession as a fiction editor, one of the main problems I've encountered in aspiring novelists' manuscripts is the lack of structure. Contrary to myth, a good skeleton does not inhibit a writer's imagination. Instead, a solid plot provides the exciting turning points which lead to story satisfaction: Which is what your audience expects. Today, readers are more sophisticated than ever before, and they instinctively expect certain things to happen in your story. If they do not, the readers may be dissatisfied and disappointed. Dull, they may think. Draggy. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! If you're learning how to write fiction, let me help you. I explain story structure and demonstrate plot points, although I call them Stepping Stones because, when used correctly, they guide you through the maze of modern story structure. If you're writing the modern novel, you must know what they are and how to use them. And, it's essential you understand where in the story they fall. Grab your copy today and learn how to plot with easy my chart templates!

What’s the deadly writing sin readers can’t forgive? If you’re a writer, if you’ve ever attempted to write a novel, even if you’re an avid reader, you must have seen reviewers tag a novel as ”Dull,” “Slow-Moving,” and/or “Boring.” That’s the worst of all. Readers can forgive most any writing sin – except for BORING. As writers, what descriptions do we long to see? “Tight Writing” “Fast-Paced” “Well-Plotted,” and the absolute best, “Page-Turner.” Except for “Well-Plotted,” everything else is controlled by understanding and correctly-writing a SCENE, followed by its SEQUEL. What are scenes & sequels, you ask? And how do you write them? Let me help you. Let my years of experience as an editor, author, and writing coach help you understand and write scenes and sequels to keep those readers turning pages.