Love is worth the risk
Ours is a strange and wonderful relationship. I create stories out of my imagination, and, if I do my job well, they create images in yours. That’s the primary flow of communications. I’m thrilled to death, not to mention humbled and grateful, to have readers at all. Sometimes, though I wonder about some things. Where […]
Who reads my books, really? I’d like some demographic data. What is the best way to reach people who might like them? Sometimes I feel like I’m announcing in an echo chamber, or just talking with the same small group of people. What was it actually like to be a woman in 1835? I can […]
Thank goodness it’s Monday! I know Monday is the least loved day of the week, but why not? For starters today is my first day back to normal in three weeks, and it always feels good to get back to something resembling an organized life. I actually took two days last week to review all […]
Travel broadens. It always does. On the road in Ottawa, I’ve been sopping up information about Canadian government and history like a sponge. I had a lot of gaps to fill. I came in great part to see the places I had already researched while writing The Renegade Wife. The Rideau canal locks are every […]
That’s always a slippery question, especially when I’m on the road. The answer is complicated. As I type this, I’m at the Old Sturbridge Inn in Sturbridge Massachusetts—fairly plush digs and nice folks. I highly recommend it. But were am I? I’m off on a road trip. Later this week I plan to head north […]
Here I am, completely isolated in my boat studio, pouring over notes from my editor, and making changes—I wish! (Thank you Monet for the fantasy, however) It may as well be true because I’ve been completely absorbed in the task since Saturday and have lost all track time and day. I am posting my Monday […]
Sigh. You may have noticed I like to plan my life. I think I’m good at it, but I’m deluded. I try to plan, I really do, but there are reasons planning hasn’t worked this summer: Weather. Specifically, heat is disruptive. My glorious office with windows down three sides becomes a stifling greenhouse when the […]
Once you publish a book or, if you’re fortunate, books, you’re not just creating, you’re running a business. You find yourself with a full complement of tasks that have nothing to do with writing. The sales, customer service, and marketing departments of that business can easily swamp the creative and editorial departments, demanding and getting […]
After a week away visiting Greg’s large extended family and driving nine hours to get home, I awoke this morning someone fatigued and looked at my to-do list. Oh my. Do you have any idea what ten days worth of repeating daily and weekly tasks looks like? In addition this week and last I have […]
Well, who doesn’t? You would think someone who is retired would not distinguish between weekends and, well, Monday. As it turns out, old habits die hard, and, well the rest of the word still works weekdays. While there may have been some easing, Monday is still Monday. Why do I hate it? Plans and […]