In 2006, we were staying with my parents in Chattanooga for a couple of months. My husband went for a walk to the library and when he came back, Buster had followed him home. We tried to find his owners. He had a collar, but the d-ring was open and no tags. He hadn’t been […]
Hurrah! I became a Level 49 Human today and I’m in Chattanooga to celebrate my birthday with my parents. Mom is leveling up to 80 this weekend so we have a shindig planned. Meanwhile! I have a party favor for you. There’s a short story, “The Worshipful Society of Glovers” that came out last year
I am 49 today! Have a story and my process as a party favor. Read More »
I’m sitting in an airport. Ursula Le Guin is dead. Several years ago, I recorded some memories to be banked by NPR in case they needed an obituary. This is apparently standard and the way such things are done with Notable Figures. I was assured that she was in good health. That it was just
2018 will be our sixth Writing Excuses Retreat: Join us for a cruise in the Caribbean, September 22-30th 2018! Registration is now open! The full details are available on the registration page, but here’s a quick overview: We will board in Galveston, TX, and spend a week at sea, stopping for excursions in Honduras, Belize, and Mexico.
Writing Excuses Retreat 2018 Read More »
If you’d like to gift my books this holiday season (perhaps even to yourself!) you can order signed copies from Volumes Bookcafe and they will be shipped right to you! This is actually true all year long, this is just a reminder for the holidays. I’m also happy to personalize them, but you’ll need to
Gift my books – personalization deadline is 12/16! Read More »
Since I was little, this is the cake I request for my birthday. Mom mails one to me every year. We requested it for our wedding cake. This is the ur cake. This is the platonic ideal of cake. 2 sticks butter 3 c. sugar 3 c. plain flour 1 c. sour cream 1/4 tsp.
Mom’s Sour Cream Poundcake recipe Read More »
Character driven stories are a journey of self-discovery. They begin when a character is dissatisfied with an aspect of self and end when the character solidifies their self-definition. This can end in a positive or negative state. Either the character achieves the self-definition they were going for, or they recognize that they never will. Basically,
Character and Self-Definition Read More »
When people ask you to “raise the stakes” for a character, they aren’t asking for more explosions. They are asking for a reason to care.
Raising the Stakes Read More »
It’s that time of year, when I once again participate in NaNoWriMo. For those of you who don’t know this, I’ve written all of my novels either during NaNo or using the NaNoWriMo model in another month. This year, I’m writing a project for fun. It’s called The Dragon Question, and I’ve been describing it as “Alfred Hitchcock presents the Dragonriders of Pern.”
THE DRAGON QUESTION and my annual call for NaNoWriMo beta readers Read More »
My new novels have covers! Look! Look at the link and then come back and I’ll explain why I’m so excited by these. Have you looked? Okay. Amazing, right? Irene Gallo, art director at Tor, has knocked this out of the park. Those cover designs by Jamie Stafford-Hill, with silhouettes by Greg Manchess is so
Why I’m so excited by the covers for my new SF novels Read More »
This is draft five of this @#$!! story. I’d forgotten what it was like to not outline first. Blargh. Anyway, I’ve done a heavy rewrite of Ina’s Spark, which involves a new scene and a totally different ending. IF you were in one of the earlier rounds of readers and are curious, it is at
Looking for beta readers for 12k fantasy story. Read More »
This dough was shockingly pliable. It was also tender, flaky and tasted like a damn fine pie crust. 1 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1) 4 tablespoons butter (frozen. I just keep butter in the freezer for this.) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum* 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 3
HA! I have cracked the gluten free pie crust. Read More »
Somehow with all the travel I’ve been doing, I finished a 12,500 word fantasy story. I’m looking for five to ten beta readers. Just comment on my site to raise your hand. Here’s the teaser. # Ina’s Spark If Evina waited much longer it would be full dark, and the tavern would almost certainly have
Beta readers for 12k fantasy story? Read More »
I wrote this way back in 2005 and it was published in 2007 in All Possible Worlds. It was science-fiction. But today… NPR just published a story about scientists doing pretty much this exact thing. Some Other Day by Mary Robinette Kowal Josie Langdon leaned back from her microscope and rolled her neck to ease
Short Story: Some Other Day Read More »
Michael F. Haspil is joining us today with his novel Graveyard Shift. Here’s the publisher’s description: Alex Menkaure, former pharaoh and mummy, and his vampire partner, Marcus, born in ancient Rome, are vice cops in a special Miami police unit. They fight to keep the streets safe from criminal vampires, shape-shifters, bootleg blood-dealers, and anti-vampire vigilantes.
My Favorite Bit: Michael F. Haspil talks about GRAVEYARD SHIFT Read More »