If these walls could talk what would they say? What does your goldfish think about that? The eyes through which we see a story can change the story that we see. Writers often sink into POV comfort zones, but every once in a while changing up a POV choice can be a fun exercise or literary choice. Here are some fun new ways to switch up your perspective while writing.
Success In the Press: Dirty Suburbia by Sara Hosey
“Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.” - Kirkus Reviews
★
“Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.” - Kirkus Reviews ★
From the Author: Dirty suburbias are working-class neighborhoods in which girls who are left to fend for themselves sometimes become predators, as well as affluent communities in which women discover that money is no protection against sexism, both their own and others'.
One young woman sets up her abusive, cheating boyfriend, hoping he'll get arrested so that she can rescue him and win him back. A teenager arranges to meet up with an older man she's met online playing video games; she brings a knife with her, just in case. A middle-aged divorcee attempts to rekindle a romantic relationship with her high school English teacher, who happens to be a former nun. A struggling academic falls in love with a Henry David Thoreau impersonator, and a well-adjusted grad student goes home for Christmas only to be repulsed by her family's casual cruelty.
Despite the ugliness and injustice, they face, as well as the failures of their families and communities, these characters often find relief in friendship and connection, and sometimes, even discover meaning and cause for hope.
““Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.””
Our Take: Gritty, intimate, and unflinching, Dirty Suburbia is a collection that lingers. These stories examine the quiet violence and fierce resilience of girls and women navigating spaces that should protect them—but often don’t. Sara Hosey writes with empathy and edge, offering a mirror to suburbia that’s cracked but deeply reflective. It’s a bold, clear-eyed exploration of power, survival, and the complicated ways women come of ageand come undone. Perfect for readers who love short fiction that’s sharp and bracingly real.
From a Reader: “The characters are devastating and wonderful and so familiar. […] The writing is mesmerizing, poetic, and gritty. It’s literary without ever being boring. Every story in this collection stomped on my heart and then picked it up and handed it back to me.”
Success In the Press: Article 9 by Daniel Holub
Featured in CALIFORNIA BOOKWATCH June 2025 & MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS
★
Featured in CALIFORNIA BOOKWATCH June 2025 & MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS ★
From the Author: On Thanksgiving, the first high-profile abduction and assassination by ISIS operatives is broadcast online. As the world watches in horror, American agencies struggle to respond. The best intelligence organizations cannot predict (much less protect) the next victim.
Deep in the heart of Texas, Brooks Davis is thrust into this drama. He started the day at a construction site, then is drugged and trafficked across the Mexican border. Brooks must battle his way across the Mexican wilderness, determined to reach the demarcation line between life and death. As he uses his wits to evade Mexican cartels and military forces, Brooks’ wife, Molly, and their sons are coping with FBI surveillance and protection.
From the Oval Office to the Mexican presidential palace, a battle is unfolding over Article 9 in the US/Mexican extradition treaty. Geopolitics weave a new net that threatens to ensnare him. How can Brooks escape and atone for the harm he has done to the love of his life?
Our Take: Fast-paced and high-stakes, Article 9 is part survival thriller and part geopolitical drama, with a strong sense of place and immediacy. The novel moves quickly from borderland violence to international tension, blending action sequences with questions of policy, loyalty, and personal redemption. For readers drawn to modern-day thrillers with a patriotic edge, this one reads like a movie—gritty, tense, and unrelenting.
From a Reader:
"An extraordinary tale of the new west in which mortal peril is met with fearless resolve. The book's opening paragraph grabs your attention and doesn't relinquish it until the end. It is an intense and gripping hybrid of physical courage and political intrigue."
"Holub's debut novel grabs you from the beginning, shakes you in the middle, and doesn't let go. This political thriller is a fast-paced, character-driven saga you'll want to finish in one sitting. Hold on and buckle your seat belt for a supersonic ride that will not disappoint."
Smells of the Lamp: Debloating Your Writing
Success In the Press: Hate Follow by Erin Quinn-Kong
2022 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Rising Star Awards Finalist ★ 2021 Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest Finalist
★
2022 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Rising Star Awards Finalist ★ 2021 Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest Finalist ★
From the Author: Influencer Whitney Golden has it all: beautiful, photogenic children, a handsome new boyfriend, a gorgeous house, and designer clothes and beauty products that arrive on her doorstep every day. After spending years building her brand as a widowed mother of four (including twins!) to over a million followers, the thirty-seven-year-old is at the peak of her career.
It all comes to a screeching halt when Mia, her teenaged daughter, announces she’s tired of the social media life. She wants nothing more to do with her mother’s online brand—and demands that not just she, but her siblings and their deceased father be removed from Whitney’s Instagram, blog, and just about everywhere else on the internet.
When Whitney doesn’t agree, Mia does the unthinkable: She sues her mother. What started as a family spat turns into a monumental case about child privacy, individual agency, and modern parenting that shatters Mia and Whitney’s relationship and wreaks havoc on both their lives. As the case ignites a media firestorm and unrelenting online bashing from a Greek chorus of internet snarkers, Whitney has to decide whether she’s willing to risk everything she’s built to win back her daughter.
““...a sharp and satirical novel that explores the complexities of social media, online personas and real-world relationships, as a woman navigates the consequences of a viral feud and the blurred lines between public and private lives.””
Our Take: A sharp, timely novel about the blurred lines between family and followers, Hate Follow explores the dark side of influencer culture with wit, heart, and just the right amount of chaos. At the center is a mother-daughter conflict that spirals into a legal and emotional storm, raising big questions about privacy, parenting, and identity in the digital age. This one’s for readers who love drama with depth—especially when it unfolds under a ring light.
From a Reader:
“Erin Quinn-Kong reminds us there are two sides to every story with this powerful, vivid, and relatable page-turner that's nearly impossible to put down.”
Bragging Rights:
2021 Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest Finalist
2022 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Rising Star Awards Finalist
Excellent review from the New York Post!