Travel
Story Weekend: Foreign Language
John and I plan to travel to Tuscany with some friends in the spring. I grew up with an Italian surname (Lopresti) but my Italian immigrant grandparents wanted their children to be American through and through, so no Italian was spoken in their home and my father had none of the language to share with…
Read MoreSigning Books at Quarter Moon Books and Gifts!
How I love Quarter Moon Books! Every year, owner Lori Fisher has tweaked her wonderful Topsail Beach store in some exciting new way. This year, she added a patio out front where people can enjoy a smoothie or sip wine from the new wine bar. I love signing books at QMB because, in addition to…
Read MoreWhy We Get So Much Done on Writing Retreats
I can tell you why in seven words: There is no Internet in our rooms. I’m with my usual writing friends (Mary Kay Andrews, Margaret Maron, Katy Munger, Sarah Shaber, Alexandra Sokoloff and Brenda Witchger) at our usual writing retreat locale (the Weymouth Center for the Arts) and we’re getting tons done. Every morning, Mary…
Read MoreEntering the Crazy Time
I’m in the final three-month stretch to my deadline, which means little sleep and an excuse to eat badly. I was one of those people who loved cramming for exams. So exciting! What makes it even crazier and more fun is having a new book, The Good Father, out at the same time. So I’m…
Read MoreSome Pictures from the Launch at Quail Ridge Books
Thanks to everyone who joined me last night at Quail Ridge Books! It was so much fun for me. Here are some of the pictures John took. I’m in love with the cake! The three women in the shot below are my neighbors, Amy, Kathy W. and Kathy C. (Kathy W. is also…
Read MoreWhat Would You Pack?
I’m rushing around the house today as I try to get organized for a quick getaway to my little place at the beach where a couple of appliances are in need of replacing. Let’s see: I’ve had my beach place two years and this will make three major appliances I’ve had to replace. Oh, and…
Read MoreDo You Have a Favorite Indie Bookstore?
I’m lucky to be surrounded by talented writers here in North Carolina and to count so many of them as my friends. I’d like you to meet one of them, Anne Clinard Barnhill. Anne writes historical fiction and her latest novel is At the Mercy of the Queen, the story of Anne Boleyn’s cousin, Madge. I…
Read MoreWhat's on Your Creativity Agenda This Week?
We’re at the beach for a few days of writing and photography. Here’s the sunset view from my deck captured with my iPad (clearly I’m not the photographer!). I’ll be writing with pen on paper tomorrow, as I like to do every once in a while to tap into a different part of my brain,…
Read MoreStory Weekend Returns! This Weekend's Theme: Turtles
I was amazed by all the email asking what happened to Story Weekend last week. It’s nice to know you look forward to it as much as I do. I’ve been at the beach for two glorious weeks and somehow last weekend just slipped away, so we’ll make up for it now. I’m on Topsail…
Read MoreSearching for Shark Teeth
Okay, so this ocean pic is mine. You can tell by how crooked it is, if nothing else. Doesn’t matter. I love this morning view from our deck, where I’ve set up my computer to work. The other thing I love is looking for sharks’ teeth. When we started coming to Topsail Island a few…
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