The Rift That Will Not Mend–When Adoptions Fail
This week the news networks were filled with stories of the “mother” who sent her adopted son back to Russia, unaccompanied by anybody except flight attendants and the child’s own distress and sense of failure. Her action was wrong, plain and simple. No child deserves that treatment. No flight attendant deserves or should accept that kind of responsibility. And…
Read MoreTrigger Unhappy–Avoiding Anger and Embracing Patience
There I was on the telephone with my county treasurer’s office, holding in my hand the threatening letter they’d sent because my annual application for a business license had been two days late, and, according to their records, my 10% fine had not yet been paid. I had paid it, of course, immediately after receiving the…
Read MoreDon’t Blink, It’s Spring And This Is The Moment To Say Ahh. . .
This morning we finally found time to visit the rebirth of cherry blossoms on the tidal basin near the Jefferson Memorial. My husband and I took care of all the morning’s business, planning as we cleared kitchen counters and put away the homemade muesli and sourdough bread. We debated taking the dog. We debated taking…
Read MoreTell No Lies: A Candid Interview with Julie Compton, Author of Rescuing Olivia
One of the real joys of my job is meeting other writers. Several years ago I had the opportunity to speak at a book festival in St. Louis, and Julie Compton, was on the same panel to promote Tell No Lies, her first novel. I liked her immediately. Beautiful, intelligent, witty and warm. Really, all in…
Read MorePlay It Again, Sam–When Word Processors Go Wrong
My friend Diane Chamberlain made a terrifying discovery this week. Somehow, through no fault of her own, one of her minor characters, Sam, began showing up in the strangest places in her novel. At the beginning of sentences instead of the word “but.” In scenes with other characters, when he suddenly played all the roles. …
Read MoreCan You Really Judge a Book By Its Cover? Covers, Reissues, and Giveaways
The cover to the left is the newest for my novel Rising Tides, originally released in 1997 and scheduled to be re-released in this lovely edition in November of 2010. Reissues can present both problems and possibilities for authors. On the possibility side, reissues give new readers a chance to enjoy novels we wrote before…
Read MoreBooksignings: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
I’ll begin with the truth. Writers love booksellers the way we love our first born sons. We love booksellers the way we love chocolate, lattes, spring after long winters and beaches at sunset. That said, we don’t always love booksignings. This past weekend I had the opportunity to be on a panel at the Virginia…
Read MoreDon’t Push The River; It Flows By Itself: Creativity and Deadlines
Sometimes, there are no words. It’s that simple. There are entire days, sometimes stretching to weeks, when putting together an intelligent sentence is a remarkable challenge. Most often these days occur when I’m writing a synopsis. A synopsis is a story summary. Picture me sitting down over coffee one morning to give you a blow by…
Read MoreHappy St. Patrick’s Day and an Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.May the wind always be at your back.May the sun shine warm upon your face,and rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,May God hold you in the palm of His hand Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Read MoreLook At Me, Look At Me–The Dangers of Too Much Promotion
Right now I’m listening to my favorite radio station. Our local public radio station has wonderful classical music, and very little talk. What talk they do have is insightful and interesting. Having said all that, do I help support their programming by becoming a member? Unfortunately, no. Instead I support a neighboring public radio station to…
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