Love is worth the risk
I am embarrassed to admit it, but kind words from a reader put a boost in my step; they energize my writing. Because my virtual universe was buzzing that Dangerous Works was free all weekend, quite a number of lovely things were said. Hitting #1 on the free Kindle historical romances list didn’t hurt either. […]
It never rains but it pours. The old expression usually refers to an abundance of troubles, but sometimes blessings come as well. We’re having rain daily here in the urban wilds of Eastern Pennsylvania, and the garden loves it. Since it is mostly coming in the evening or overnight, there has been plenty of sunshine […]
One of the most satisfying things for a writer is typing The End on a rough draft. It isn’t the actual end of the process (layers of fixes, rewrites, comments from beta readers, editing, and formatting lie ahead), but it is the point at which the thing exists. I had a moment like that last […]
Did you miss me? Last week this time I was flying home from a lovely weekend with old friends (those are the best kind, no?). In addition to catching up, talking non-stop, and enjoying good food, we visited some lovely spots in Saint Louis; they even got me to the top of the Gateway Arch […]
I believe human beings are story tellers by nature. (Though I tell you with a blush, that may just be because I am at heart a storyteller, and I was raised by storytellers.) We relate our experiences. We relate our parents’ experiences. We relate our grandparents experiences. Some of us begin to relate the things […]
Highlighting Historical Romance with Caroline Clemmons and her look into rail travel in Texas When I start researching a book, I can easily fall down the rabbit hole. I see something interesting and—even though the information doesn’t pertain to my book—there I go. By the time I reached MONK’S BRIDE, book 5 in the Kincaid […]
Good Monday morning! Things remain at sixes and sevens here. The Big Kitchen Project is almost—but not quite—done. Here’s what I learned: It is hard to write when your office is turned into a field kitchen. It is hard to write when loud pounding ensues. It is hard to write when your brain is full […]
With apologies to Robert Burns, plans change. Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn—and so do the stories I write. The beginning and end of The Price of Glory have been clear to me, but the middle—as is often the case—has been murky. I woke up this past week with a harsh light shining on the […]
I’m hiding this morning. I’ve set up a writing cave in the upper reaches of the house hiding from the crew who are currently demolishing my kitchen. Yes folks, it is Day 1 of The Great Kitchen Project. My office, the wonderful space surrounded by windows has been called into service as a field kitchen […]
Swag. Odd word that. All that promotional material you get at conferences, races, fairs, trade shows, and business meetings—pens, magnets, sticky notes, calendars and so on—with your car dealer’s name, dentist’s address, or running show company’s logo is swag. Writers have to bring their swag as well. When asked to bring my swag, I know […]