Many thanks to friend and fellow writer Ellen Harger for including my thoughts on book clubs at her lovely blog! The following post was first published there on July 27 of this year. Here, I’ll suggest some answers to the perennial question, “What makes a great read?” I’m always looking for a book that people will love to […]
A Hint of the Paranormal in a Realistic World
I’m grateful to friend and author Marnie Cate for inspiring this post and hosting it on her lovely website a few weeks ago. When I first visited Marnie’s site, I noticed that her work concerns magic and the paranormal. I had to admit off the bat that, by contrast, I am primarily drawn to realism. However, […]
MUSIC — The ULTIMATE INSPIRATION
Many thanks to Dawn Brazil, an author and all-round great person, who not only provided the inspiration for this post but also shared it first on her blog, Dawn Brazil’s Brilliant Babbles about Books — When I first visited Dawn’s website several weeks ago, I was impressed with her use of music: music video clips, […]
Mistakes to Avoid in Short Story Writing
This post by friend and author Anne Leigh Parrish first appeared on Women Writers, Women’s Books on December 15, 2014. Thanks for sharing, Anne! As the fiction editor for Eclectica Magazine, it’s been both a privilege and pleasure to read story submissions. Finding the handful of pieces that take my breath away is what it’s […]
Career or Calling? Thoughts on the Writing Life
A long-awaited milestone, such as the publication of a novel, brings both joy and reflection. Mine, Our Orbit, was published last month by Booktrope of Seattle after years of work and (often frustrated) hope. Questions come to mind, some my own and others posed by friends or fellow writers: What do we accomplish by writing books […]