Every year on Black Friday, while others are out hunting for bargains, we put up our Christmas tree. We fetch the boxes from the basement, and I carefully unwrap hundreds of ornaments that have been packed in tissue paper since last January.When looking for ornaments, one of my favorite places to visit is the Orchard […]
Every August for the past decade, my writer’s critique group and friends have gathered for our annual writer’s retreat. This tradition started back in 2011, when we sought a weekend away from our daily responsibilities to create space for writing. There are no programs during this weekend, no speakers, no schedule. It is simply time […]
My August started off with a bang, as I attended the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Summer Virtual Conference. This weekend-long writer’s conference featured keynote addresses by stellar children’s authors and illustrators, panel sessions on the state of the children’s book publishing industry, and a slew of breakout workshops. Pre-pandemic, this annual […]
Today I welcome YA suspense author Jill Hedgecock to my blog. The third and final installment in Jill’s Shadow the Doberman Series, In Shadow’s Reflection, released last November. This standalone sequel continues the trials of orphaned teen Sarah Whitman and her ghost-seeing Doberman, Shadow. An earthquake releases the psychopathic Dr. Griffin from jail, thrusting Sarah […]
Pantser or plotter? This common question among authors reveals their dominant writing process. A “pantser”, as in “flying by the seat of your pants,” is someone who lets the story evolve organically as they write with little advance planning. In contrast, a “plotter” has a plan mapped and outlined from the start.By temperament, I’m more […]
My debut novel, Bedlam Bewitched, is coming out later this year. To reach this milestone, I took a twisty writing journey full of obstacles, starts, and stops.I conceived of this novel more than a decade and a half ago, and completed my first draft back in 2008. Over the next year, I workshopped and revised […]
When I was a child, I would have told you that I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. Although I didn’t end up pursuing art as a career, it was always somewhere in the mix. While studying computer science at Union College, a liberal arts and engineering school in upstate New York, […]
The following are a few of my favorite fantasy reads: • The Hobbit (and The Lord of the Rings) by J.R.R. TolkienMy long-time favorite and the one that started it all for me • Which Witch? by Eva IbbotsonA fun tale about a good witch trying so hard to be bad • The Thirteen Clocks […]
