Fiction For Now
You know the scene in adventure movies where the protagonist, digging feverishly where the "X" on the map has led, hits metal in the mud? That was me last weekend, only I wasn't excavating earth, just the closet in my home office. And the telltale clunk wasn't a spade striking a strongbox, but an heavy... Continue Reading →
My Sunday long runs often take me past the local Little Free Library (LFL), and I can never resist a peek inside the charming hutch. Two new additions the other weekend immediately caught my eye. Once was a phased-out library hardcover of Douglas Adams’ sci-fi classic The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, which I immediately snatched... Continue Reading →
“You know why your books don’t sell?” asked my Laddie, scrolling idly through the Kindle sale page. Suggestive covers whizzed by on the computer screen. “No sex scenes.” I wrinkled my nose. “The protagonists in my last series were fifteen.” “Teenagers have sex.” “Not when they’re preoccupied with survival.” While adolescent sexual experiences may be... Continue Reading →
It’s that time of year again. The crisp rustle of (page) leaves, the chill in the air (at the thought of writing a novel in a month)…it’s not just autumn, it’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), that magical/maddening season when aspiring authors around the world sprint toward a 50,000-word draft. I participated last year and won.... Continue Reading →
Indie authorship seems to have exacerbated my penchant for masochism: I can't help looking at the bestseller lists, even though it only leaves me sad that my books aren't on them! Browsing the top titles a few weeks ago, the blurb for Dan Brown's latest novel Origin caught my eye. After reconnecting with one of... Continue Reading →
If you've been following my book reviews, you know how much I enjoyed the Insurrection science fiction serial by my indie author pal Anela Deen. So when she invited me to do a guest post on writing novella series, I was both excited and anxious. What could I possibly say on the topic to someone... Continue Reading →
"I never saw that coming!" more than one reader has exclaimed about the plot twists that characterize my books. But for someone obsessed with placing unexpected obstacles in her stories, I struggle mightily with them in real life. This weekend I visited family out of town this weekend and had a lovely time…until I went to... Continue Reading →
Biting her lip, the detective sat shakily on the couch across from her would-be partner. “…I’ll tell you everything.” The screen faded to black and my cackles spun out with the end credits. “Ah, this gag never gets old. The next episode will be all about how she hooked up with her partner.” My Laddie... Continue Reading →
The graphic says it all: I won my first National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge, hitting the 50,000-word goal on Thanksgiving Day. It's a giddy accomplishment...especially since that wasn't my primary NaNoWriMo goal. Rewards of completion aside, my biggest motivation for participating this year was to explore my writing process and conduct a time-limited experiment... Continue Reading →
