I am slow to post about this, but I AM really excited to tell you that Marcel Admiraal has published my short story, “Tourist Trap” on his cool blog, Floating Robes. His generous introduction claims that I dabble in horror… MOI??? I hope you go read the story and let me us know what you think! And thanks so much to Marcel! Have a spoooOOoooOOooky holiday!

“We’re not here to chat. We’re here to say something, to communicate character and tone of voice and information. We’re here to write good dialogue.” – Gary Provost I quote from Mr. Provost often, don’t I? As you might have guessed, I like what he had to say and how he said it. His books and articles make writing very doable, in my opinion, as well as being chock full of humor, so it is likely that I shall continue to quote him.  In this round, we’re going to be talking about how the characters say what they say. Some writers, […]

Who would have thought that being kidnapped entailed sleeping in and watching a movie — until after normal people eat lunch? Fortunately, my captor fed me enough to keep me alive. I was forced to nibble on Dove’s Dark Chocolate Promises until he relented and took me to a grocery store. He generously allowed me to choose my own repast, then we picnicked I was tortured in a pretty little park. From there we set out on a hike. About the same time, the sun decided to come out from behind a nice, cooling cloud cover. The hike was miles […]

Alack and alas, the Ostrich Medallions were not available. Which is to say that the restaurant was not actually available, at least on our schedule. They advertised that they were open at 5PM, but when Hubby called to see if the Ostriches would gallop onto our plates, no one answered the phone. Timing was an issue; we didn’t want to waste it driving over to the Anasazi Grill if 1) they weren’t open and 2) they had no bird. So… we opted for sushi. Now, I am no sushi expert, but the little I’ve had, I like. Our waitress was […]

I’ve been kidnapped. By an alien. Wait! It looks like my husband! Six-ish hours of driving made me really sleepy, but I perked up at a dining selection that offers Ostrich Medallions. Has anyone ever had those? Are they tasty, or will my children forever castigate me for chowing down on a cute (however large) birdie? I could just as easily go for sushi, then it turns out we’re going to a show at Tuacahn. Stay tuned for more exciting updates…

I’m having a bad, bad dayIt’s about time that I get my waySteam rolling whatever I seeHuh. Despicable me…      [“Despicable Me” Lyrics,  Pharrell Williams] The other day I listened to a woman humbly apologizing for her grumpiness — grumpiness that had led her to scolding her husband for a fairly minor offense. She spoke about how kind her husband was and how much help he has been to her, particularly since she has become ill. Immediately afterward, another woman made the comment that it was okay to be grumpy, and that there was no need to apologize. She […]

The other day I told you that I’d had the opportunity to design a cover for an upcoming ebook. I am so excited to share with you a terrific little story by a terrific young lady! Princesses, a dragon, knights, and daddy/daughter adorableness – What’s not to like? Please go and download her free e-story from Smashwords.com and be sure to leave a comment for her.

Today I want to tell you about Murphy. Murphy has been our resident spirit for a number of years now, and he (or maybe she?) likes to do funky things, particularly to electronics, though the shenanigans are certainly not limited to gadgets with microchips, transistors, and the like. I believe the relationship started with the stereo. One of my daughters was reading quietly in the chair next to the stereo when the thing suddenly went on and nearly BLASTED her out of her seat, it was so loud. We jumped. We laughed. We passed it off as a glitch. But […]

Shopping is not just a job, it’s an adventure! I’ve spent an unconscionable amount of time trying to find new window-coverings for my bedroom. Not only is everything that I actually like extremely pricey, but I’m trying to pull together this nebulous “offbeat traditional” thing we (sorta) have going in the rest of the house. Buying new curtains is going to require painting, as well, and that’s actually work! I have come across some lovely ideas for massively huge and insanely expensive rooms. I take comfort in the fact that my room is small and will therefore require much less […]

“You’re late,” Sara said. “I’m sorry,” Mark said. “I had to stay at work longer than I expected.” “You have been very busy there,” she said. “Hot and cold running water aren’t that important.” “Did you stop at the store for some milk?” Here we have some dialogue between two people, but what can you tell from this exchange? What sort of emotions can you recognize? Nothing? Without emotion there’s no tension, and the dialogue serves no purpose. Think of your story as a stage play. “Sara, darling! You’re angry at Mark. Growl at him! Slam doors! Make me believe […]