Forget everything I said last week about life getting in the way of my writing. This week, I figured out why I’m really having so much trouble finishing the rewrites on The Suburbs Have Secrets. It’s fear. For nearly a decade, my books were insulated by a publisher’s seal of approval. No matter what the […]
Read More →This is the white board in the office I share with the Captain outlining my to-do list for the summer. I’m behind. I had such plans for the year. If you read my last blog, you know my ambition has returned post empty nest. 2017 was going to be the year I took control of […]
Read More →When I was young, I wasn’t what you’d call particularly ambitious. I was raised by a very traditional family. If my mom wanted more than to be a good wife and mother, she didn’t say so out loud. She considered work outside the home as something a woman did to help make ends meet. As […]
Read More →First the news. The Tuscan Vineyard continuity has a name! It’s called THE VINEYARDS OF CALANETTI. The eight book saga, which details love and adventure in the Tuscan village of Monte Calanetti kicks off July 1 with Susan Meier’s A BRIDE FOR THE ITALIAN BOSS followed by Jennifer Faye’s RETURN OF THE ITALIAN TYCOON. Other […]
Read More →Making a living as a writer means spending a lot of time by yourself in front of a computer. Some days, this is awesome, as you can distract yourself with email, Twitter and Internet surfing. Other days, it’s bad because you realize you’ve become utterly depended upon said emails, Twitter and ‘net surfing. Those are […]
Read More →One upon a time there was a place called Barb Town. I created it in our spare bedroom around seven or eight years ago when I decided I needed a place to work, and it was a pretty awesome place. It had a desk, a lap top and a pretty brown chaise lounge that I […]
Read More →Of all the writing tips and advice a writer will receive in his/her lifetime, this, in my opinion, is the most important: There is no one right way to writing a book. Some writers intricately plot their stories, some fly by the seat of their pants. Some interview characters; some do detailed charts about goal, motivation […]
Read More →Last week I mentioned that I was re-reading my copy of Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland as preparation for moving out of my comfort zone. This week, as I continue to circle page 1 of the super-seekrit project, I thought I’d share with you a few of my favorite quotes. If you […]
Read More →For a while now, I’ve advocated the turtle method of writing success. Slow and steady wins the race. It’s something I learned from listening to Brenda Novak speak: To make the best progress, keep your head down and focus on your own business. When you start worrying about the competition around you is when you […]
Read More →I finished Larissa’s story on Monday and sent it off to the lovely Flo (she who makes me look brilliant) for reviewing. Sadly, I’ve already dropped the ball on one of my 2014 goals which was to give her a clean, already revised manuscript. One of the things I hate is that she ends up […]
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