I often wear a T-shirt sold by D.A.R.A. (Dallas Area Romance Authors) that reads “Write Brained.” I adore it, and it’s so apropos. Writers will understand me when I say I write all the time, even when I’m not at the keyboard typing. My work-in-progress (AKA “w-i-p”) is on my mind whether I’m cooking, exercising, [...]
October is National Reading Group Month sponsored by the Women’s National Book Association.
Reading groups are a great way for people (yes, mostly women) to get together to share their love of reading. It’s a time to socialize, catch up, and discuss some really great books. Today, book clubs have expanded from mommy groups that [...]
This month marks the release of my romantic suspense RECLAIM MY LIFE, but I wrote the story two years ago. Three actual events from 2007 made it into the book and my fictional town of Drake Springs. First, a drought. The Suwannee River valley area had below-average rainfall and dry conditions. The area’s dirt roads [...]
David A. Kessler, a physician, lawyer, and former commissioner of the U.S.F.D.A., has written a new book titled THE END OF OVEREATING: TAKING CONTROL OF THE INSATIABLE AMERICAN APPETITE. Since I’m a classic overeater, I needed to read this book. You may be interested, too. If you’re like me, however, you aren’t going to like [...]
A rash of table flipping across the country has major restaurants in a panic. The cost of damages alone is running into the tens of thousands. Woman of all ages are taking their aggressions out on tables in public places, specifically, in major food establishments. The finer the restaurant, the more the table flipping.
“It a [...]
Have you ever purchased a DVD of a popular movie and seen “Director’s Cut” on the menu screen? Usually, this is an opportunity to watch the movie as the director intended, not as the marketing gurus who test the film on audiences have it edited for theatrical release (read: Shortened. Audiences as a whole seem [...]
A couple of weeks ago, I was in the Micanopy area and dropped by the home of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. I’ve been a fan of MKR since 7th grade when I first read The Yearling. But did you know she also authored a cookbook? Right there in her kitchen is a first [...]
You may not know this, but March 4 is National Grammar Day, sponsored by SPOGG, the society for the promotion of good grammar. I’m a member of spogg. I can’t help it. I’m not a perfectionist, but I appreciate proper usage. A misplaced modifier makes me giggle, while a misused apostrophe makes me cringe. I [...]
I’ve just finished this novel set in 1948 postwar Louisianna. Ms. Leigh’s powerful handling of such an emotionally charged set of issues is nothing short of masterful. She captured the torment and terror and courage of the breast cancer survivor, but maybe just as importantly, she also painted a captivating picture of those people who [...]
I write romance novels, so you probably expect me to blog about chocolates, conversation heart candy, and flowers, right? But I write romantic suspense, which means I add a murder mystery to my romances. So in honor of tomorrow’s holiday, I’m revisiting one of the most famous true crime cases from eighty years ago, the [...]