The third of my guest blogs on 49 Writers, No Moose in June — I’m writing an historical novel set in the 14th century, and for a long time I obsessed over how to avoid anachronism, particularly in dialogue. [Example: Marco Polo’s granddaughter, Johanna, going to the stables to discover BFF Jaufre fighting off the…
Second of the guest blogs I wrote for 49 Writers, No Moose in June. — The absolute best part of a writer’s life is the research. I’ve written two thrillers, Blindfold Game and Prepared for Rage. For both novels I went on patrol with the US Coast Guard, first on Alex Haley for 16 days…
Reprinted from last month’s guest blog on 49 Writers, No Moose. I was invited to write anything I wanted, about writing or not, so I did. I’ll be posting them here for the next four Fridays. — For years I tried to get an agent because “everybody” told me that the way the publishing game…
I’m blogging on 49 Writers, No Moose every Monday this month. It’s a great website about all things Alaskan and literary, written by Alaskan writers Deb Vanasse and Andromeda Romano-Lax. I’ll post links here as each goes up. June 8 – Living Alaskan June 15 – Loving Coasties June 22 – Writing History June 29…
SPOILER ALERT. Do not read this if you haven’t seen Star Trek. I have seen it SPOILER and I’m going to SPOILER talk about what I saw SPOILER. So if you haven’t seen it yet and you don’t want to be SPOILED go away and come back when you have. And feel free to leave…
[fifth in the MIC blogs] I love reading series. It’s like dropping in on friends uninvited and being made welcome anyway. How much trouble is Falco’s dad going to get them all into this time? What’s up with Joe and Jim on the Rez? What the hell, Vic’s doing time? What’s that about? One of…
[fourth of MIC blogs] I once wrote that when you put four Alaskans in a room, you have five marriages, six divorces, and seven political parties. Just because I was making a joke doesn’t mean I wasn’t telling the truth, too. Alaska embraces contradiction as a way of life. For example. We pride ourselves on…
[third of the MIC blogs] —– My two first published novels were science fiction, Second Star and A Handful of Stars, about Star Svensdotter, an off-Earther building a habitat at Ellfive and a mining colony in the Asteroid Belt. I had a third novel planned for the series but I was exhausted from the research…
Second of the Minotaur Moments in Crime blogs, published a month ago. —– Excuse me, according to no less an authority than the bellhop at the Vintage Hotel in Portland, Oregon, whose acquaintance I made in the elevator during my first book tour, if you are published, you’re not a writer, you’re an author. Okay.…
My publisher wanted me to do a brief q&a for their website, so I decided to have a little fun with it. Where do you get all your ideas? The idea fairy. What are your absolutely essential, can’t-do-without writing aids? 1.) A telescoping backscratcher, for those itches I can’t reach mid-chapter. 2.) Peppermints, for that…
