Writing
Where is your Third Place?
Remember the show Cheers? Every person had his own seat at the bar. Each of them drank the same drink every day. Norm walked in and everyone said in unison “Norm!” You knew these folks were in a place of comfort and camaraderie. If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know I spend…
Read MoreThe Mistake So Many Self-Published Authors Make
I sat in the Opium Den this morning, studying the revision letter my editor sent me about my twenty-first novel, The Good Father, which will be published next spring. As usual, my editor had a bunch of suggestions and I could see that she was right on target on every point except one (and she…
Read MoreThe Agony and Ecstacy of Synopsis Writing
Remember my new idea? The one that came to me so perfectly formed that I knew the book would write itself? Well, it may be true that the book will write itself, but the synopsis is another matter altogether. A good synopsis is incredibly important. Even if you’ve already written your book, you will still…
Read MoreThe Wackiest Person You Know and Love–Story Weekend
We all have at least one of them in our lives–that person who marches to the beat of a different drummer but whom we love to pieces. Who’s the wackiest-but-lovable person in your life? If you’re new to Story Weekend, it’s an opportunity to share a tiny snippet of your life with my fellow blog readers.…
Read MoreFeels Like a Miracle
Thursday was a very good day. First of all, there was a bunch of good news coming out of the United Kingdom about The Midwife’s Confession, as the great TV ad aired for the first time and the book officially hit the stores. On the UK Amazon Kindle list, it broke into the top ten (and it’s…
Read MoreCheck Out the TV Ad for The Midwife's Confession
My publisher in the United Kingdom is pretty amazing. Here’s the TV ad they created, which will start running in the UK on June 23rd, the same day The Midwife’s Confession should show up in the grocery stores there. I just love it! The book cover proclaims a money back guarantee to readers in the UK and…
Read MoreI Feel Like I'm in a Time Machine…
. . . traveling back to the early eighties. I’ve started rereading my first novel, Private Relations, as I get it ready to publish as an ebook. It will join the five other out-of-print books I’ve turned into ebooks–Secret Lives, Reflection, The Escape Artist, Brass Ring and Fire and Rain. (Check them out here). I…
Read MoreI'm Taking an Actual Vacation!
Yes, I’m spending five blissful days in San Jose, visiting my stepdaughter and her husband and daughter. I’m not doing any work while I’m here! Friends, family and avid readers of my blog know how rare that is and I’m really getting into this whole relaxing thing. Of course I’m still keeping up with my…
Read MoreJoin Me for the First "Story Weekend"
I’m going to try something new. It will either flop or take off or land somewhere in between. Here’s my idea: Every Friday, I’ll post a topic and you can share something related to that topic from your own life (in the comment form). You don’t need to be a writer to participate. You don’t need…
Read MoreFrom Writers Block to Blended Families–an Interview with Me
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being interviewed on Topics Designs TV, a local internet station for an area that includes Topsail Island, where I’m staying this week. It was so nice to do an interview where I didn’t feel as though I had to cram everything in to a two minute spot! I thought Ashton Hasty came…
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