To Blog, or Not to Blog
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June 7, 2022

Six or seven years ago my advice to aspiring authors of nonfiction books was to build an audience platform by blogging. An example of how critical blogging could be to securing a publishing contract can be found in the case of Ann Marie Ackermann, author of Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee. After an… [Read More]

From Book to Script to Film – What I’ve Learned by Working with a Professional Movie Director
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March 10, 2020

By Ann Marie Ackermann When the director pointed out a plot hole in my movie script, I winced. We were walking through the old section of a German town, scouting possible shooting locations, and she was trying to imagine the film, scene for scene. “If you don’t put the murderer and victim together right away,” she said, “the audience won’t figure out their connection. We… [Read More]

Tod eines Mörders
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August 20, 2019

Congratulations to Ann Marie Ackermann! The German translation of her book Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee will be published in September by the Silberburg-Verlag publishing house. Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior will sponsor her launch party as one of 16 nationwide events as part of their promotion of regional literature. The launch… [Read More]

Copyrights, Permissions, and Liability Lightning Rods — by Ann Marie Ackermann
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March 26, 2019

Ann Marie Ackermann, author of Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee, will be at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, on April 9. She will give a book talk with the Tippecanoe Civil War Roundtable. This is her third trip from Germany to the U.S. to promote her book since it was released by… [Read More]

The Case That Spanned an Ocean – An Interview with Ann Marie Ackermann
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April 17, 2018

If you’re a history lover or a fan of good mysteries, then Ann Marie Ackermann’s novel Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee is the book for you. This historical true crime novel details the story of a case that breaks several records, including coldest case ever solved, and intertwines both German and American history…. [Read More]

Fox Cities Book Festival October 9-15
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September 12, 2017

Connecting writers and readers for ten years, the Fox Cities Book Festival celebrates books, ideas, stories, and community in the Fox River Valley this October. In January 2017 I joined the board and have been excited about this year’s new developments. This is the first year the festival will be held in the fall instead of the spring. The Fox Cities Reads program—one book one… [Read More]

Author Shelfies
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June 27, 2017

Good writers don’t happen by chance. Chances are they draw from their favorite books to craft their own. What’s on your shelf? We encourage you to post your shelfie in the comments below and on Instagram. Six of our authors with forthcoming or new releases shared what is on their bookshelves, giving you an inside look at the books they’ve been reading. Check out their… [Read More]

Books to Look Forward to Reading in 2017
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January 3, 2017

Swenson Book Development LLC is thrilled to see four new books by its clients scheduled for publication in 2017. If you’re interested in history, science, or economics, you’ll want to put these books on your To-Be-Read list for this year.   Congratulations to Carolyn Porter, Linda J. Spielman, Saadia Zahidi and Ann Marie Ackermann.   CAROLYN PORTER, Marcel’s Letters: The Moving Story of A Font… [Read More]

Gratitude for Great Works
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November 29, 2016

As the year begins to come to a close, the Thanksgiving holiday reminds me of how much light there is in my life. I live in a community that reads, celebrates books, and supports literary artists and libraries. Books are something I feel passionately about and I’m grateful to have made them my calling, my livelihood, in this chapter of my life. For her skills… [Read More]

Podcasts for True Crime Writers
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October 18, 2016

Perhaps you got hooked on podcasts last year by listening to Serial. From the creators of This American Life, produced by WBEZ Chicago, and hosted by Sarah Koenig, Serial offered listeners a true story told over the course of a season with weekly episodes. The first season focused on the disappearance in 1999 of Hae Min Lee in Baltimore and the conviction of her boyfriend,… [Read More]