Some thoughts on The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

I just finished reading The Awakening, by Kate Chopin. In its brief pages, the story comforts me in a way many may find disagreeable. No matter, it is as true today as it was when written at the end of the 19th century. *If you have not read the novel, the following contains spoiler alerts.…

Did reading bring you joy this year?

I was thinking today about how people react differently to a year's end, and I decided most of us fall into one of two groups – those who are scrambling to make resolutions of what they’re going to achieve next year, and those who spend the end of the year reflecting on what has passed…

Planner or Pantser?

Depends on the medium. I will always be a planner when it comes to my novels, and unfortunately I have no wiggle room in this belief. I usually hate when people can't see both sides of something, but this is one topic on which I can't see myself budging. Be assured, it comes from a good place! First…

Official Book Cover Unveiling!

I'm excited today to unveil my cover for Oldsters! Wow - what a feeling it is to see this book through to completion. I can't wait for everyone to head down Route 66 with Eddie and his friends...and I invite you to watch out for the official upcoming book release date.

2016 Goodreads Reading Challenge

I have been so lost in reading, my time spent here has been minimal...blame my competitiveness - not with anyone else, just myself. The first year I did the Goodreads Reading Challenge, I rashly set myself up to read 50 books. I failed. Even as an avid reader, meeting that goal was difficult - especially…

A Spark Ignites: A New Novel & Finding My Writer’s Voice

I stumbled upon my writer's voice this week. You may assume that if one is a writer, then they must certainly know what their voice is. That couldn't be further from the truth. Even after finishing my first novel, I couldn't have told you what my voice was as a writer. What is a writer's voice?…

The Right Side of Things

Just an update on all things in my world of words... What I'm reading: I continue to alternate going down the list of Pulitzer Prize winners and something from my Goodreads list. I just finished The Keepers of the House, which won in 1965. Currently I'm reading Someone, by Alice McDermott. What I'm Writing: In regards…

The Waiting Game

It's been three weeks since I sent out my first five agent queries for Oldsters. After hitting send on those emails, I've put that process out of my mind for now. I left Eddie and his friends at the end of the story and hope that my first attempt at a query letter will garnish some kind…

Scene-Building: Beginnings

Scenes are the core building blocks of my fiction writing style. I don't think in chapters at all anymore, except as a big-picture timeline of the story. It is the individual scene where I can meet my characters head on and discover what they have to say at any given time during the tale. Don't…

2009 Pulitzer Prize Winner: Simplicity @ its Best!

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout My rating: 5 of 5 stars As a writer, the most sought-after praise I would want is for my work to be called 'clever' - and Olive Kitteridge is exactly that - CLEVER! A collection of short stories that looks no further than in the windows (sometimes pulling aside the…