When I became pregnant with my second child, the obstetrician asked me how my first delivery went. I said, “Frankly, I found it to be one of life’s more horrifying experiences.” His face dropped, and he cleared his throat. I’m quite sure he didn’t like my answer. But what he didn’t ask me was how I…
Read MoreDon’t get me wrong. I would never choose not to have gone to see my amazing NYC grandkids, followed by a Boston reunion with my super sisters. Getting to hug the people I love felt like such a gift after this year of not being able to be with them face-to-face. But like anyone who’s…
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I’m thrilled to feature bestselling mystery author Victoria Thompson as my special guest today. Vicki is not only a terrific writer but a master teacher whose workshops on mystery writing have inspired me and countless other Seton Hill MFA students. Below are her responses to my questions, followed by her bio and a description of…
Read MoreThe year my younger son was born, my sister Marty came for a visit. She reported to our mom: “Lynn nurses the baby, and Alan does everything else.” I hate to admit it, but that’s a great summary of my husband’s and my relationship—only now nursing the baby has been replaced by birthing manuscripts in…
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I’m so delighted to have Mary Popham as my featured guest author today. Mary is a remarkable writer whose novels sweep you into a whole other world, early twentieth century rural Kentucky. We are both members of North End Writers, a critique group, and I always look forward to Mary’s submissions. She is a treasure!…
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On the long drive to see my New York City grandkids for the first time in more than a year, I felt both excited and nervous. I’d been summoned two days early to cover for the much loved nanny who needed to attend a family funeral. I knew my six-year-old grandson was old enough to…
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I’m so delighted to feature best-selling author Lee Tobin McClain as my guest today. Lee was one of my mentors in grad school. She is not only a multi-published successful author but a superb teacher and an inspiring role model for her students– including me! Below are her responses to my interview questions followed by…
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Years ago during my dance days, I auditioned for a company in another state. In the post-audition interview, the artistic director said nice things about my dancing and concluded by telling me: “You’re such a finished dancer.” I thanked her for her kind words, but I knew this last statement was dead wrong. There is…
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I’m so delighted to host Ellen Birkett Morris. I first met Ellen when a dear writer friend invited me to her writer’s group. “These women are serious writers,” she told me, “and they’re really good.” That turned out to be an understatement! Ellen was the group’s unofficial leader, and it didn’t take me long to…
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I’ve been doing lots of reading about writing young adult fiction in connection with a talk I’m giving next week to my local Sisters in Crime chapter. Not surprisingly, one of the biggest pieces of advice is to avoid writing stereotypical, flat characters—the nerdy geek, the shallow blonde cheerleader, the macho jock, etc. For one…
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