As part of the work to prepare for the launch of the mystery/suspense novel The Clock Strikes Midnight that will happen this fall, I asked Sandy Weaver Carman to record the first two chapters on an MP3. Sandy is a professional reader of audiobooks and has a wonderful voice. She read the first two chapters with a […]
Yippee! The Clock Strikes Midnight will be Published!
After years of frustration and re-writing and re-framing and biting my fingernails and pulling out my hair, my first novel will hit the stores! This particular story was my favorite one. It’s about two sisters and their struggle after having experienced a rather dysfunctional childhood. There’s a lot more to it than that, but what […]
Why I Love Lee Smith
If you haven’t read Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith, you are in for a real treat. It is one of my all-time favorite books. Lee Smith is an incredible storyteller. She writes with the beauty of a poet. But, she creates memorable characters and a complete sense of place. In Fair and Tender […]
A Writer’s Dream
Last night I dreamed I was tucked away in the hills of Tuscany, far from Internet connections and traffic sounds. I looked out the window from the small tiled-roofed house where I sat amongst soft chairs and an ancient typewriter. Outside, I breathed in the smells of honeysuckle and lilac. Beautiful Bouganvilla draped over the […]
Sorry, but. . .This Isn’t for Us
Rejection. With trembling hands we open the email only to find the familiar words, “So sorry, but this isn’t for us.” What do you do next? When I began putting my words on paper, I was a young English student. I expected rejection and ridicule. I had no lofty belief that my English teacher would […]
Who are these People Who Award the Man Booker Prize?
Okay, so maybe I’m missing something here. But, I’ve read several finalists and winners of the Man Booker Award and have been profoundly disappointed. Apparently the award goes to the best fiction writers internationally, but I have to wonder what the judges are thinking. I recently finished Snowdrops by AD Miller. Let me tell you […]
Loneliness of Writing
How many of you who write feel that sense of loneliness? I realize that a lot of us write for the pleasure of being alone. For the opportunity to work at our computers without input or direction from others. That’s great. The flip-side comes with that feeling of floating out there without a paddle. Without […]
