The Twelve Gifts of Christmas Giveaway
Just Christmas? My title may say Christmas, but last night was the first night of Hanukkah, so a very happy Hanukkah to all my readers who celebrate this festival of lights. Kwanzaa, which begins on December 26th is on its way, and the Winter Solstice, marking the calendar day with the longest night of the…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Make Yourself Miserable!
Last Sunday I shared with you some ideas on how to be happy, especially over the holidays. Today I want to suggest how you can make yourself miserable! Yes, miserable. Sometimes it helps to know what we shouldn’t do in order to know what we should do. Right? In an article in our local paper —…
Read MoreOldie But Goodie or Not? Revising Backlist Novels
Years ago when I began my writing career, I never guessed that one day my series romances would see the light of day again. In those days series romances were guaranteed at most 4-6 weeks at bookstores before covers were stripped and content discarded. Reissues were rare and highly prized. Yes, the sales were excellent…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Happiness Is
“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” -Jim Rohn So what do you want for Christmas? How about a big dose of happiness? But before we go for broke, let’s try asking ourselves the question, how happy are we? Tough one to answer, isn’t it.…
Read MorePlotting Your Novel: Heading Toward the Finish Line
With the exception of Thanksgiving week, I’ve spent November explaining how I plot my novels. I’ve really enjoyed creating these posts, especially when I’ve been privileged to read your ideas and incorporate them. Remember, this was a “practice” novel, inspired by a comment I overheard at breakfast one morning, and we’ve come a long way…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Thank You
Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen
Happy Thanksgiving! I’m taking a break from my mini-series on how I write a novel, to wish you a wonderful holiday–if you’re in the U.S.–and if you’re not, to wish you a wonderful autumn day filled with good food and good friends. I thought for fun I’d let O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) write my…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Be Kind
“Be kind whenever possible. It’s always possible.” – Dalai Lama Do you think that being kind to others is something special, something that we save up for? I get caught in that trap sometimes, forgetting that kindness is possible every minute of every day if we simply remember and pay attention–as well as swallow our first,…
Read MorePlotting: Scenes and Revelations
Welcome to round three of “How Emilie Plots Her Novels.” Note that I didn’t simplify that first sentence and call this series “How To Plot A Novel?” Remember, we’re exploring my way. If someone tells you their way is the right way? I’d take that with a block of salt. Some writers have no idea…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Thriving With Passion
“The best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving with passion and compassion and humor and style and generosity and kindness.” -Maya Angelou Maya Angelou has a way of going right to the heart of things, doesn’t she? This is one of our biggest challenges, isn’t it? To live fully and joyfully instead…
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