The night winds’ breath gained a sharp edge this week. The calendar tells me I’ve officially crossed into autumn. The world is going to sleep, or in darker terms, preparing to die. Yep, that’s seriously how I see it. Welcome to my dramatic mind. As someone who struggles with seasonal depression (I like to call myself a Light Addict), I fight to keep a bright spirit…
The big news this week is that James' and my marriage turned four years old! 1. Sometimes your little actions are big to someone else. I spent fifteen minutes this week making faces at my little cousins, pretending to talk on the phone with a calculator, and imitating animal sounds. Nothing fancy, but this meant a lot to these kids’ parents, who needed to get stuff…
I'm very pleased to introduce you today to my friend and fellow author Terry Persun. Terry and I met through our publisher, and I was instantly amazed by his kindness and thoughtfulness as we talked about writing and the emotional struggles that get tangled up in it. You might remember him as one of my interviewers during my Google + video interview. Terry's newly released book…
Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Father Brown...These are not the men I’d first approach at a cocktail party. At least that’s what I used to think. And yet, I love a story that begins with chilling horror, often the loss of human life, followed by a clue chase in the morbid, tragic, or haunting variety, ending with an accusation guilt. Why? I ask myself, does this have…
I was gone at a writing retreat last Friday, thus the missing of the Friday Five, but we’re back! This week, you’ll get three things I learned, a picture, and a bonus (because I’m excited to share it with you!) 1. If you’re someone who loves a schedule, make sure to let others know that you still love and respect them, even if they’re not as…
Step 1: Collect the following ingredients: 4-6 passionate friends who get along and want to develop their creative goals House, cabin, or hotel, preferably beautiful and cheap (Ask your friends if they know someone who will offer it for free) Edibles to cover three days of meals for all Miscellaneous clothes Writing essentials (Laptop, notebook, pens, playlists, headphones) Step 2: Carefully mix the above ingredients, then…
I'm excited today to introduce you to my friend Kevin. I know Kevin from mutual participation in several writers' groups. We've also played a version of "Props" from Whose Line Is It Anyway? as well as swing danced together. Kevin's a great guy. He and I usually write about very different subjects, but have found common ground in the way we build our characters and the…
The Phoenix is the stuff of dreams. Crimson and gold feathers that glint in the night, a five hundred year life span that ends with fiery immolation, a death that ushers forth new life… This is how I’d track down a Phoenix of my own. First, an airplane ticket to Egypt! Phoenix tales proliferate here and historic (See Ovid and Herodotus) accounts claim this country receives…
This week, I’ve been noticing a significant increase in my levels of joy and contentment. I sang Take it Easy by the Eagles to my husband this morning to wake him up while Spotify played a karaoke track for me in the background. Things are looking up! A few things that struck me this week: 1. Helping a friend, when it’s something I love to do…
Three Booktrope authors: Jesse James Freeman, Terry Persun, and Christina Esdon, and I put together an interview over Google+. We had a pretty darn good time talking to each other over our computer screens. They were nice enough to interview me about Moonlight and Oranges. The whole interview is about 8 min. Super short. Hope you like it!