No one can hear “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” without remembering Judy Garland. “Stormy Weather” summons thoughts of Lena Horne. And “My Way” brings to mind Frank Sinatra. Professional singers tend to steer away from Signature songs. Who wants to pair off against a masterful performance? The same phenomenon occurs in motion pictures with roles like Yul Brynner’s … Continue reading Writing Fantasy Books In the Shadow of Tolkien and Lewis
I enjoyed teaching at this month’s NCWA meeting. Thanks for having me. NCWA members may download my slides for personal use only. They will be available to you for the next week. Please do not share them, as they are my copyrighted material. Thanks so much. Let me know if you have further questions. You … Continue reading How to Create Immediacy in Fiction
Broken dreams–I’ve suffered my share of them. Perhaps you have too. A conversation can turn a direction you never planned, which is what happened when I talked with Alison Treat, host of the Historical Fiction Unpacked podcast. That’s exactly like a story I’m writing might do. I’ve come to trust a story to unfold as … Continue reading Podcast Guest Appearance on Historical Fiction Unpacked!
I breathed a sigh and cradled my forehead in my hand. Attached to the email I’d just whisked into cyberspace were many late nights, bouts of insomnia, and months of stress. It was near dawn, and I’d yet to seek my pillow. I’d met my publisher’s deadline for The Promise Tree, the first installment in … Continue reading In Search of the Wild Wind
Due to the pandemic, I called off a trip to see my mother. Being in a high-risk category, she is, as she puts it, under “house arrest.” The cabin fever that immediately set in surprised me. When I am not traveling, I work from home. Life seems diametrically opposed to my spending time writing.
What a delight to finally offer Sojourner, Tales of Faeraven book 3, to epic fantasy readers. This book has been a long time coming. I didn’t plan to leave some readers hanging about what happened to Kai for so long. Others have expressed interest in the fate of Elcon’s baby. My lips are sealed. There … Continue reading Sojourner Launch Bonus Ebooks
As spring ushers in its share of cloudbursts, I find staying warm more challenging. This happens anytime the temperature fluctuates. I notice it also in autumn. Getting used to different temperatures challenging. This is true in seasons of life as well. I don’t want to be set in my ways, so rigid I can’t bend when … Continue reading Bending in the Winds of Change
The last thing a literary person wants to experience is trouble reading. That has been my unhappy situation far too often of late. Do you share this malady? Believe me, I understand the frustration. In this post, I explain what I discovered that helped me regain the ability to read. Contributing Factors Part of the … Continue reading Having Trouble Reading?
Whellein Hold, home of Shae, the heroine of DawnSinger, is entirely based upon Castle Conwy in Wales. The first image I saw of the castle blew me away with how small the cars in the parking lot looked in proportion to the building. It’s safe to say that I fell in love with Castle Conwy … Continue reading The Real Castle That Inspired Whellein Hold
