-
National Novel Writing Month Kick-off Next Week
Writers get excited about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) like kids get excited about gifts at the holidays. It’s fun, it’s fulfilling, and it can be frenetic. Why? Because you’re trying to write a novel during the month of November. That’s 30 days, people. And if you can’t finish it, you can at least make some progress toward it. Novels such as The Night Circus and Water for Elephants were started during NaNoWriMo, so if that doesn’t motivate you to begin that work you’ve been thinking about for a while, nothing will. In conjunction with the Stevenson University Library and the communication club on campus, 47 House, I’ll be kicking…
-
Book Club Babes & The Night Circus
Back in November, I attended a book club meeting in Severna Park, my new-old hometown, where I was the guest author. These women were so wonderful and supportive of “Beneath the Mimosa Tree,” and our hostess that evening, Molly, along with her cousin, Liane (who grew up in the same neighborhood I grew up in and knew my brother), couldn’t have been more welcoming. Sure, I love to talk about writing and being an independent author, but I made some friends that night, and they very graciously invited me to permanently join their book club entitled The Book Club Babes. These women are serious readers . . . I couldn’t…
-
If You’re a Reader, Sign Up and Participate on Goodreads.
I’m so glad for summertime and the always entertaining chit chat we participate in poolside. If it weren’t for those talks, I may never have signed up for Goodreads. Goodreads is an excellent way to share what you’re reading with friends and acquaintances alike. Whether you’re a voracious, serious reader, or a casual reader, Goodreads is a site that will help you find out what other folks are reading and liking. Why? Because people can rate and comment on the books. For those of you who’ve been on Goodreads for a while, you’re ahead of me. I decided to write about it because when I’ve attended book club meetings to…
-
A Quick Book Review: The Night Circus’s Magic
Last week I finished reading Erin Morgenstern’s first novel entitled THE NIGHT CIRUCS. I’m still thinking about it. So, if you’ve already read BENEATH THE MIMOSA TREE (wink wink, with a hint hint), you can move on to this one. It’s worth reading if you like dark magic and mystical settings. I’ve never been a reader of the fantasy genre. But it all may turn around for me now thanks to THE NIGHT CIRCUS. The story revolves around a circus that appears in the middle of the night, but it’s not your average circus. It is filled with magic, illusionists, and contortionists. It’s dark and lovely at the same time.…
-
On Writing Utter Crap
Last week I wrote a post about struggling with writer’s block. I’ve come to the conclusion that one only has writer’s block when one is writing crap. If the story were good and moving along and the characters had depth and juice, it would be difficult to blame the pause in writing on the story and the characters. It’s when one is writing garbage that it becomes difficult. Ironically, last week I also finished reading THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern. Although I didn’t give it the full 5 Stars (it was amazing), and only 4 (I really liked it) on GOODREADS, that book has stuck with me for the…
