John A. Heldt

The first draft, I wrote a year ago, is the easy one. It's the "rough, unpolished blob a writer pushes out in a manic frenzy."...

As characters go, they are easy to spot. Though they vary in age, vocation, temperament, and even role within a series, they all have one th...

I don't upgrade covers often. In fact, since publishing my first book in 2012, I have replaced an original image with something signific...

For the first time in more than a year, I've added an audiobook to my growing library. Thanks to talented narrator Todd Menesses, The La...

As one who often writes about the things I've done and places I've visited, I rarely let an experience go to waste. Even when I can...

To many novelists, World War II is like catnip. With endless themes, storylines, and possibilities, it is a subject they can’t resist. I k...

The book has aged well. Even four decades after its initial release, it remains the definitive work on a defining American moment. That wa...

The question is as old as fiction itself. In a novel and other works of literature, which is more important? Writing or story? Depending o...

As book venues go, Coronado, California, is one that never gets old. Brimming with beaches, boats, shops, charming houses, funky trees, and...

The slogan, popular on motivational posters, tee shirts, and coffee mugs, has been at the forefront of my mind for weeks. "Three mont...