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A Little Cabin Fever Can’t Really Compare
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how fortunate I am to be an older working writer. Sure, I’ve suffered from a little cabin fever. Presentations and writing conferences have been put on hold, as has my singing group, volunteer work as a comprehensive sexuality educator, and trips to my favorite hangouts—the library and my neighborhood bookstore.…
Read MoreWhen It’s Hard to Sound Upbeat about “The New Normal”
Okay. I’d planned to write an upbeat blog about practicing gratitude. I made up a whole list of things I was grateful for during this crazy time: The courageous medical personnel risking their lives to care for us My amazing husband who still holds my hand when we take our daily walks Thanks to technology,…
Read MoreIn Praise of SWAN (SUPPORT WOMEN ARTISTS NOW)
A couple of years ago, I was honored to be chosen as a participating artist in SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day, an annual international celebration of “women’s creativity and gender parity activism” held on the fourth Saturday in March. Louisville’s celebration began in 2008, thanks to the dedication and commitment of playwright Nancy Gall-Clayton…
Read MoreNo Sooner Had I Written This Blog Than…
I’m starting to think it’s dangerous for me to write glowing blogs. No sooner has the ink dried on the page than I feel like retracting whatever I’ve just written. Take my blog in December about “Why I Love the Holidays.” A few days after I posted it, my mom died. Suddenly, in the midst…
Read MoreOne of Those “A-Ha” Moments
I don ‘t often speak publicly about my faith journey. But recently, my Unitarian Church began including a new component in our Sunday services called “Sharing Our Stories” where we speak about how we found our way to Unitarianism and what it’s meant to us. Recently, it was my turn to speak. The comments below…
Read MoreBook Shopping for the Teens On Your Holiday List
Did you know that more than 30,000 books for young adults are published annually? I sure didn’t, and I write for this age group! There are so many good novels out there in every possible genre and combination of genres: contemporary realistic, fantasy and adventure, historical fiction, science fiction, sports novels, mystery and…
Read MoreThe "Who" in Whodunits Can Be Tricky
My mom used to complain that she’d figured out the identity of the bad guy in books by Mary Higgins Clark way before the big reveal. Honestly, that never bothered me. I’ve always loved Clark’s storytelling ability, and even when I correctly suspected who the villain was, I kept right on turning the pages. Still,…
Read MoreKiller Nashville's Distinctive Brand
Every professional author on the planet hears the consistent message that publishing has changed. Gone are the days when we can spend all our time doing that writing thing. Nope, we have to get out there and market our babies. Promote, promote, promote! A big part of that is creating and publicizing what makes…
Read MoreFamily History: Not What I Expected
Until my sister Lucretia began digging into genealogical research, it never occurred to me that my family had anything to do with the abomination of slavery. My mother’s California family was one of modest means, while our Texas-born dad grew up in abject poverty. So, imagine our surprise when we discovered that we were direct…
Read MoreHating the Endings of Otherwise Wonderful Books
This past week, I read two beautifully written young adult novels. Both feature a Romeo and Juliet trope which I also explore in my third YA novel, Leisha’s Song. Interestingly, both books star Hasidic heroines who live in Crown Heights, New York. In Like No Other by Una LaMarche, Devorah, described as “a consummate good…
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