Writing
Why 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 MoreStory Weekend: Dance!
I sit all day long when I’m writing, which is not good for the old bod. I used to set my alarm for every thirty minutes and when it buzzed, I’d get up and walk around the house before returning to my chair and the computer screen. When the new Springsteen Wrecking Ball album came…
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 MorePublication Day: The Good Father is Here!
My favorite day of the year! After twelve months of plotting, writing, rewriting, and rewriting again, here it is: The Good Father! Usually I feel some anxiety along with excitement as I wonder how my readers will respond to my new story, but the early reviews have been so enthusiastic that all I feel today…
Read MoreStory Weekend: A Fork in the Road
I can think of many times during my life where I reached a fork in the road, but some of those forks were more significant than others. What if I hadn’t decided to go to the party where I met my first husband? What if I’d remained a special ed major instead of switching to…
Read MoreWin a Copy of The Good Father
Guess what arrived today? That’s right—my author’s copies of The Good Father! My copies came a little late this year and I was getting nervous. I had to flip through the book to be sure all the pages were there, along with the discussion questions and the interview with me about the book. Everything is…
Read MoreStory Weekend: Boxes
Talk about an open-ended topic! I’m not going to start it off with my own story this week because I don’t want to influence you in one direction or another. I look forward to seeing what this theme brings up for you. If you’re new to Story Weekend, here’s how it works: I pick a…
Read MoreBuilding a Book
Why I don’t have time today to write a complete blog post: I’ve been restructuring Saving Ivy Hart for (what I hope is) the final time on the storyboard. Still haven’t quite figured out the ending, but I’m getting closer. Now I can take the storyboard down and it can return to its rightful place–…
Read MoreI'm in China! Or at Least The Midwife's Confession is.
I just received the authors’ copies of my first book to be published in Chinese. (at least I think this is Chinese! If I’m wrong, I hope someone will correct me!). Sorry the image is so odd. I snapped it on my kitchen counter as I was rushing out the door so you get the…
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