I crashed a book club last week, and oh what fun it was! I was supposed to Skype with this group of sweet gals at 7PM but since the hostess didn't live that far from me, I decided to surprise them instead. So I parked down the street and called in at 7PM as planned—as I was walking up the sidewalk to the house. The husband answered the door, and I put my hand over the phone and asked him … [Read more...]

Cover...right? But don't we do just that?  Of course we do. That's why publishers spend so much time and money attempting to design a cover that will grab the reader. That will entice us to pick up the book and take a look. I've got three books coming out this year. Two here in the U.S. and one in Germany. And one of them is a novella, which I really enjoyed writing. To Mend a Dream … [Read more...]

Think about one of your favorite moments from a movie, TV show, or novel. Got it? Hold onto it for just a second. Why is it a favorite, do you think? Most likely, it's because it's evocative. It makes you laugh. Or cry. Or recall a memorable event in your life. Or maybe someone special to you. These moments touch us because they tap into universal truths. A truth that applies to you no … [Read more...]

Does it ever amaze you how quickly and painlessly we take pictures these days?  Not that long ago it took fragile glass plates, tons of chemicals, and patience and courage galore just to capture one single photograph. I wrote about that painstaking process in From a Distance. And sometimes, when I’m snapping away with my phone, capturing pic after pic after pic with hardly a breath much less … [Read more...]