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Book Review: ONE MORE SUMMER by Liz Flaherty
I come from a family of voracious readers. I started reading at age four, thanks to my sisters who were both in school. They played “school” after school each day and I was their student, so learning to read early was the natural result of that. Also, Mom read aloud to us constantly and was a big reader herself. Honestly, only my sister PJ rivals Mom’s ability to be so completely absorbed in a book that she can read anywhere, anytime, while anything at all is going on around her. I once saw PJ read a book in the middle of a chaotic, crowded airport with Kate and I on…
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Welcome, Lani & Alastair, Creators of StoryWonk.Com
Today, I’m excited to welcome Lani Diane Rich and Alastair Stephens to the blog. They are the creators of StoryWonk— a daily podcast for people who are passionate about writing and storytelling. Introductions are their own words: Lani is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nine novels. Currently, she’s writing romantic fantasy for St. Martin’s Press as Lucy March; her first novel, A Little Night Magic, will be released in February 2012. She has been teaching writing workshops across the country since 2004, and has been an adjunct professor at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School for Public Communications, teaching introductory television writing and production. Alastair is a…
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My first guest blog of 2012…
…is at the Bettyverse today! Come on over! We’re talking about movies and how lines from movies have become a part of our culture’s vernacular. Do you love movies? Do you quote lines from your favorite films? Talk to us!
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Champagne and Fireworks…
…not so much. I celebrated the birth of 2012 with a couple of glasses of Layer Cake Pinot Noir (which was fabulous), shrimp, and another viewing of the movie I found in my Christmas stocking. Midnight In Paris has officially knocked Independence Day off the pedestal as my favorite movie. I just realized that means that I haven’t truly loved a film since 1996. I’m not sure what that says about me. Or what the fact that I’ve graduated from a sci-fi apocalyptic story to Hemingway’s Paris says about me either. Maybe that I’ve grown up just a little? I’d like to think so. I hope growing up means I’ll…
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Great Expectations
2011 is almost over and it was an exciting and fascinating year for me, but Son and DIL brought the best news to us this holiday season. We’re going to be grandparents. Now, I’ve always maintained that whether or not they chose to make us grandparents was something I wasn’t going to be pushy about. They’ve been married almost ten years and both Son and DIL are very career-oriented. Both are highly successful in their chosen fields. Their life is full of adventure and friends and joy in one another. Nothing has ever seemed to be “missing” to me. They’ve talked about children, and in their typical fashion, discussed and…
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How Do We Define Accomplishment?
The publication of my novel, Rule Number One, is moving ahead. Contracts are signed, cover questionnaire is sent in, blurbs are done, and today I’m working on my bio for BookStrand’s website and the back cover of my book. Soon, they’ll send me the cover art to approve and I can post it here, and in February, I can put up a link for folks to order the book. Whew! This is really happening. When we went to the lake last weekend for a holiday celebration with our new friends up there, several people congratulated me on the book, which I so appreciated. The hostess introduced me to new guests…
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Somebody Smack Me
Okay, so yes, I’m a world-class worrier. But I only worry about important stuff, like whether or not the voices in my head who become novels might suddenly stop talking to me or that no one will buy my book when it launches in February or that they will buy it, but think it’s truly stupid or that I’m going to have heart attack while I’m driving…see? Only really important stuff. The book fears are more real right now because I signed my contract with the publisher on Tuesday. So, now it’s really gonna happen–I’m going to be published. So now, I get to perseverate over copyedits, launch, promotion, sales…a…
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At the Bettyverse
I’m guest blogging at the Bettyverse today, folks. We’re talking about my scary trip to the ER and why it’s probably better to listen to your body (and a good friend who realized things aren’t right with you), rather than run to the Internet when things feel “off.” Come on by, talk to me.
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Guest Blogging…
…at Chick Lit Writers today. CLW is the special-interest online chapter of Romance Writers of America–a group of writers from around the world who love–and write–chick lit. Come by and talk to me about your synopsis-writing experience. For me, it’s rather arduous. How about you?
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Thanks, Charlie!
So guess what. I have atrial fibrillation. Who knew? Not me. But, Tuesday was an interesting day. Started out very normal with a swim in the morning, then home for a shower and quick cruise through the house picking up and putting away. Then I started baking–cookies and fudge to send to my clients and croissants for my chapter RWA meeting on Saturday. Nothing unusual, except that as I bustled about the kitchen setting rolls to rise, mixing up cookie dough, stirring fudge, I kept having heart palpitations. Now, I’ve had heart palpitations for several years and have always believed they were part of that syndrome whose name must not…