411 on Books, Authors & Publishing

Every fiction writer knows the frustration: you’ve crafted a scene, written the conversation, but something feels off. The words sit flat on the page. The characters sound interchangeable. The tension deflates instead of building. You know there’s a problem but just can’t pinpoint what it is or how to fix it.

That’s where this book comes in. Written by an editor with over twenty years of experience working with writers from first-timers to New York Times bestsellers, Dialogue That Speaks teaches you to develop the same “editor’s ear” professionals use to identify—and fix—dialogue problems.

This isn’t another book of theory. It’s a working manual.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• How to make every character sound distinct without relying on accents or speech quirks
• Practical techniques for weaving backstory and exposition into conversations naturally
• Why “show, don’t tell” applies to dialogue too
• What on-the-nose dialogue is costing your story
• The rhythm and pacing secrets that keep readers turning pages
• How to handle the trickiest dialogue situations: group scenes, internal thoughts, and emotionally charged moments
• The seven-pass editing system that transforms revision from overwhelming to manageable

Each chapter includes diagnostic questions, before-and-after examples, and immediately applicable revision techniques. Plus, the comprehensive Toolkit section gives you checklists, templates, and reference materials to use with every manuscript you write.

Because here’s the truth: Good dialogue isn’t just about talent. It’s also about knowing what to listen for.

Write with intention. Revise with confidence. Grow with every book.

Grab your copy today!

Meet the Author

Debra L. Hartmann is a professional developmental editor, line editor, and proofreader who has spent over two decades helping fiction writers find their voice and sharpen their craft. As The Pro Book Editor, she’s worked with authors ranging from first-time novelists to New York Times bestselling writers across virtually every fiction genre.

Known for her practical, no-nonsense approach, Debra believes every writer deserves access to the same insights that traditionally only came from expensive professional editing. That philosophy drives The Pro Book Editor’s Toolkit Series—a collection of working manuals designed to help writers develop professional-level self-editing skills.

Dialogue That Speaks is the first book in the series. Upcoming titles include:

• Show, Don’t Tell: A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Crafting Movie Scenes
• Character Surgery: How to Fix Flat Characters and Create Unforgettable Protagonists
• Pacing Problems Solved: Why Your Novel Drags (And How to Fix It).

When she’s not editing manuscripts or writing craft guides, Debra lives in the mountains of North Carolina where she continues her mission of empowering writers one book at a time.

Connect with the Author

Website: theprobookeditor.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theprobookeditor/

About The Pro Book Editor’s Toolkit Series

Every title in this series is designed as a practical working manual—not another book of theory that sits on your shelf. Each volume tackles a specific craft challenge writers face, providing diagnostic tools, concrete examples, and systematic approaches to revision.

Book Details

Book Title: Dialogue That Speaks: Writing Conversations Readers Can Hear
Series: The Pro Book Editor’s Toolkit Series
Author: Debra L. Hartmann
Genre: Writing Craft & Technique
Publisher: True Haven Press (Asheville, NC)
Status: Available in eBook and Paperback

What happens when everything seems to be in motion and it becomes a matter of just holding on?
When jobs and relationships become uninspired?
When the joy and wonderment is gone?
When—oh yes—the house is overrun by snakes?

What happens when life’s seasons change seemingly without warning? From a snake infestation in the home, a job that no longer fit, a testosterone-filled teen, and a less than bright hue cast over the house, Author Staci McCormack takes us on an unforgettable journey. In this powerful, funny, soul-wrenching memoire, a woman, her son, and an otherworldly presence tackle life’s messy transitions.

While rummaging through old memories, purging toxicity, and mustering the courage to reinvent, personal evolution surfaced. With a delightful dash of humor, a sprinkling of Jesus and profound wisdom, the author shares her discovery that personal transcendence is about hopping off the treadmill of life, bringing the awe and wonder back into each day, and intentionally crafting a new way to live.

For anyone facing life’s evolution without the navigational know-how, this book offers a relatable, life-changing, step-by-step roadmap to reignite your passion and reconnect with your stinkin’ amazing self. Walk away with a set of tools you can use today to bring peace, love, and rock ’n’ roll into your new daily walk. You too can craft your new season of life with this easy-peasy roadmap. Grab the dog’s leash and take your first step toward embracing the powerful truth that our human lives mirror nature’s seasons and fighting this natural cycle only keeps us stuck.

About the author

Staci McCormack has lived and in that living has gathered wisdom from mentors, nature, colleagues, students, animals, literature, relationships and the daily walk. It’s true. Staci has played many professional roles in her life to include: waitress, public school teacher / counselor / principal. Staci earned her MS and served for 30+ years in the field of education. Additionally, she has served as burger flipper, executive, preacher’s kid, author and national retreat leader. Each role was as equally important and life-propelling as the other.

She has grown, been stagnant and evolved. She accepts the adversity life occasionally brings and takes responsibility to be joyfully challenged as she walks upon life’s path. It’s a reality-based, soulful, humorous approach she takes into her days and she wildly celebrates the smallest of triumph.

She considers herself a member of earth, a seasoned soul and a woman of wise and humble ancestors. She feels blessed to have celebrated many years. She considers herself to be an evolved grown girl who has lived seasons, storms and brilliant sunlight.

Staci is a resilient truth seeker who understands that the answers, calm, connectedness, peace, love, joy, warmth and the purpose are found only within and in the midst of wise, grace-filled spaces where words are friends.

Staci has fulfilled many personal roles in her life to include: mom, best friend, neighbor, partner, pet-sitter, hippie, dreamer, and planner. Today, she spends time transitioning into new feet that stroll upon a path where she can write, serve, heal, evolve, stretch, explore, be still, be wild and be who she was made to be. Her bio continues and sometimes, the greatest thing that shines in a bio is the journey.

What Readers are saying:

5 STARS
A book for every women and any stage of life
“I am a mother, a daughter, a wife, and a full-time worker. While there is overwhelming joy in those roles, it is sometimes hard to see past all the ‘stuff’ that comes with them as well. Where Lost Is Found made me feel like I had a guide through the stuff. She helped me to see that I needed to drop the ‘dimes’ that were weighing me down and see the beauty in the everyday. I highly recommend getting the companion book because it helped me apply what I was taking from Where Lost Is Found to my own life.”

5 STARS
Honest reflection of life’s transitions
“A soulful and honest reflection on life’s transitions. … It’s a vulnerable and authentic offering that many will find relatable in their own seasons of change.”

5 STARS
An Inspiring Read – Highly Recommend!
“Where Lost Is Found Is a book worth reading if you enjoy true stories about interesting people who have lived many different versions of themselves, or if you are going through your own life transitions and difficult changes and want someone to hold your hand and tell you it’s going to be okay.”

Grab your copy on Amazon today – CLICK HERE!

Keep up with Staci and learn more on her website: https://www.sacredwalkllc.com/

Dark Horizon: Rise of the Blue Eminence published on Friday, February 21. Available wherever you get your books!

Book description:

In this epically hysterical space opera, Captain Niomi Athena is the quick-witted and fearless leader of a crew of eccentric merchants famed throughout the Quadrant for accepting missions no other crew would dare contemplate. In their most dangerous gamble yet, the traders agree to travel through a wormhole and explore the dangerous depths of uncharted space known as the Dark Zone. The only catch is that explorers have been entering the wormhole for over a century, but none have ever come back alive.

No merchant vessel in their right mind would accept this suicide mission, but for this quirky band of traders, they have a habit of accepting missions no one else will. Advising Captain Athena are her two senior officers; Lieutenant Sulibar, a well-mannered super intelligent lizard who prefers a high protein diet of living flesh; and Chief of Security Ronan, a loveable blue coward with a genetic odor so powerful it is perhaps the crew’s most fearsome weapon.

After traveling through the singularity, the traders discover a Quadrant of relatively primitive worlds and societies lacking interstellar travel but fanatically devoted to the same pantheon of gods and goddesses. As more disturbing events unfold, the traders begin to wonder if these deities are more than just myths. Captain Athena and her crew of misfits have the chance to make history at the risk of becoming another forgotten memory. Will they survive the darkness of the unknown and discover the true power in the Galaxy?

Grab your copy on Amazon today!

Keep up with Dan at danyoungkinauthor.com and @danyoungkinauthor on Instagram.