Category: By the Pen

Publishing’s Artisan Era?

I knew I was onto something. Every so often I feel change in the air. Something shifts and, like a kaleidoscope, bits and pieces fall into a different configuration, a new pattern. No, I’m not seeing the future. It’s not like I see the winning lottery numbers. The ability must be more along the lines… Continue reading Publishing’s Artisan Era?

Book Cover Reveal

On Monday my second Olivia Lively, PI mystery book, NIGHT MOVES, went up for sale on some of the major retail sites. The title is ready for pre-order. Hooray! Book designer Deirdre Wait created yet another stand-out cover, and I think the purple and orange color and Liv’s big, yellow sunglasses will temp readers to… Continue reading Book Cover Reveal

Thursday Vibes

For two days now I’ve meant to post an entry in this writing journal. Instead I’ve been busy revising “Rosalie.” It’s a GOOD sign when I’m so engaged in the writing work, I forget the blogging. Oh, and I did get the Mailer Lite all authenticated and verified after a bit of back and forth… Continue reading Thursday Vibes

Monday Motivation: Distractions & Parrots

Mondays aren’t so horrible when you work for yourself. The challenge for me, always, is getting into and sticking with a routine that allows me to focus and be productive. Everything distracts me. Or I let everything distract me. If I’m feeling as if things are scattered and unfinished–my marketing plan for NIGHT MOVES this… Continue reading Monday Motivation: Distractions & Parrots

Monday Motivation: April 15, 2024

With spring in the air here in San Diego and a new book due out in August, I’m thinking about growth: What do we do when our attempts to grow don’t work? How important is growth, anyway? What if we have to pivot back to something we hoped to leave behind? How can we nurture… Continue reading Monday Motivation: April 15, 2024

Thursday, April 11

Here is maybe the best explanation of why so many people write these days. In fact, it may always have been so. Readers love stories. They love them so much that eventually they get the urge to write their own. It’s natural. Always has been. The only difference now is that technology has made PUBLISHING… Continue reading Thursday, April 11

Tuesday Trivia: Happy Birthday, Edith Wharton

On this day in 1862, Edith Newbold Jones was born in New York City. She published her first work at the age of 16, a book of poetry entitled Verses. Of course, we know Wharton by her later novels. She published The House of Mirth in 1905 and Ethan Frome in 1911. She lived for… Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: Happy Birthday, Edith Wharton