Questions from readers
![](https://ckvandam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/notebooks-1024x525.jpg)
Readers ask great questions and have insights about the books I didn’t even consider. Here are a few:
Book Event Season is here
![Book Event Season is here by CK Van Dam](https://ckvandam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/worthington-book-fair-1024x680.jpg)
We’re moving into “Book Event Season,” when authors meet with readers at book fairs and speaking events. You can find me at the following events.
For the love of herding dogs
![For the love of herding dogs by CK Van Dam](https://ckvandam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/270679825_10227550918978982_8728585800863072472_n.jpg)
All three of my novels include pets as part of the story. There’s Sunny in Proving Her Claim and Maddie in Lone Tree Claim. I had intended to switch it up in the third book and put a cat into the story. And I did.
Perfect or imperfect characters?
![Character Flaws: Perfect or imperfect characters? by CK Van Dam](https://ckvandam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Blog-header-author-talk-copy-1024x577.png)
Character flaws are part of an engaging arc, and they come in a variety of flavors.
Sequel or Series?
![Sequel or Series? by CK Van Dam](https://ckvandam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Book-Series-1024x577.png)
I didn’t t write a Sequel: a “what happened next” book with the same characters. Instead, I wrote a story with new characters: Katie and Jake. So, I’m writing a Series.
Top Ten Books for 2023
![Top Ten Books for 2023 by CK Van Dam](https://ckvandam.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Blog-header-author-talk-1024x577.png)
It’s the time of year when Top Ten Lists start popping up, so I decided to look through my GoodReads list for 2023 and see which books I rated the highest. Interestingly, my list contained a good mix of fiction and non-fiction books
Acronyms for authors
![Acronyms for authors by CK Van Dam](https://ckvandam.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Blog-header-author-talk-1640-x-624-px-1024x390.png)
Every industry has jargon and acronyms. The writing and publishing industry is no different. Even after publishing two books, I still find myself Googling some of these codewords.
What I learned that helped me write book #2
![What I learned that helped me write book #2 by CK Van Dam](https://ckvandam.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Royal_typewriter-1024x576.png)
This time around, I had a better idea of how to structure the plot, how to develop the characters, and how to manage that pesky Point of View issue.
Literature connects us
![Literature connects us by CK Van Dam](https://ckvandam.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Giants-Causeway-Ireland-1-1024x478.jpg)
The Outlander series describes a period of time that is foreign to most of us. It’s the literature that connects us to the events of that time.