Hi friends! This is kind of a summer reading challenge (for adults!), although it doesn’t have to be for summer—any time is a great time to read around the world. I got the idea for a global reading challenge when I was shelving fiction in our new place. I was noticing the books set in foreign countries, and thinking about
Category: Writing Matters
Hi, everyone! Wow, I didn’t have any blog posts since the last WIP Wednesday…and that almost never happens. Well, a lot has been going on. We made a move from our condo in Studio City to a rental house in North Hollywood, and we are still unpacking. I was heartbroken by the news and my thoughts have been preoccupied with
Hey friends! I just finished this scene one minute ago, and now I’m sharing it with you all…because this is WIP Wednesday, the first Wednesday of the month, when I share an excerpt from a work in progress and invite you to do the same in the comments section. Obviously, it’s okay if it’s rough! We only have a few
Hey friends! I often recommend setting up an author website, and I get a lot of questions from people who can’t figure out what to put on an author website if they had only published one book—or if they hadn’t published anything yet. The truth is, you could have one of the best author websites out there, even if you’re
Hi friends! A lot has changed in the world since our last WIP Wednesday. My niece in Chicago—the one I dedicated The Equinox Stone to, and the one I made plans with to go to a Supernatural convention this summer—has been sick and quarantined to her room with COVID-9 symptoms for two weeks now. I just want her to start
Hey, it’s been a while since I did a master list for writers! You love them, and I love them, too. So here’s a list of settings to help you in writing a cozy mystery novel! (Full disclosure: I’m an acquiring editor in the cozy mystery genre in my day job.) Sometimes the setting itself can inspire an intriguing plot
Hey friends! Last week, I shared a few of the worst romance tropes, in my opinion—but plenty of people love those tropes, so it wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously. This week, I’m sharing a list of romance cliches I love. Wait a minute, you might be saying. Aren’t cliches bad? Eh, not really. Readers can enjoy romantic tropes