Walk into any bookstore, and you’ll find rows of thrillers promising twists and adrenaline. Yet only a handful move beyond the usual to challenge what genre can mean for readers and the society at large. J.D. Barker, a New York Times bestselling author, is at the forefront of this change, not just giving the mechanics of the thriller a new name but also adding human experience and emotional truth to every plot twist. More…
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Jan152026
Rolling Stone – The Scene That Changed Everything: How To Write a Turning Point That Actually Turns
Every novel. Every script. Every story of substance. Somewhere in its middle, there’s a moment. A choice. A fracture. A truth. It might be small: a whispered confession. Or it could be huge: the shot rings out, the body hits the ground, the spaceship launches. But it’s the scene that changes the story. The turning point. More…
Dec202025
Rolling Stone – Unskippable: Drag Your Readers Past the First Chapter
You get one shot. That’s it. One chapter. One page. Sometimes just one sentence. If your reader isn’t hooked, they’re not turning to the next page. They’re closing the book, backing out of the Kindle sample or walking away from the shelf. More…
Dec52025
Rolling Stone – Authors: 5 Ways to Build Villains That Are Real Monsters
If you want your book to stick with readers long after they’ve finished it, don’t just build a stock antagonist. Build someone that readers can’t stop thinking about. More…