If there’s anyone left following my blog, you may have noticed that I haven’t been exactly . . . prolific in my posting this year. I could go into the why, but frankly a lot of it’s personal, some of it’s non-writing related busy-ness, and some of it’s sheer laziness-none of which makes for scintillating blogging. So I think I’m just going to say ( Read more... )

Just a note to say that I’ll be at the Association of Writers and Writing Program’s Annual Conference in Boston next week. (And I’m super excited because, while AWP isn’t huge for genre or YA authors, Jane Yolen will be there, too. I love her writing, and am frankly still basking from the moment when, during her trip to Tulsa to hand out the Tulsa ( Read more... )

For the last three years (partially for my own amusement and partially for, hopefully, the greater cause of foisting books upon others), I’ve been tracking the number and types of books that I made it through during the last year. I’m a little later than usual, but it’s once again time for my Annual Reading Report and Best Books of 2012! (And, ( Read more... )

It’s been a while since I posted an update on my two mascot dogs, Nemo and Zuul. And since they’ve had ACTUAL EXPLOITS in recent days, I thought I’d share ( Read more... )

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I have a conundrum. On December 14th, I’ll join in the solidarity of nerddom and plunk down my $9.00 to see the opening installment of The Hobbit. There’s no question about this-I’ll be there opening day (or if I’m being honest, maybe the day after, cause I’m really just not sure I can deal with the midnight opening hordes anymore, or that my body ( Read more... )

I was once part of a conference where we were hosting one-on-one editing sessions: blocks of time where the editors had done critiques on short stories and novel sections and then sat down to talk to the writers about them. As one of the editors, I was talking to a woman about the manuscript she had turned in. Sadly, her story wasn’t very good-tons ( Read more... )

Last year, I made my " radio debut" in my friend Tony Frazier's Halloween Podcast. Tony is a great writer (he's recently finished up his serialized superhero novel, Run Digger Run, on his website), and he's also a big old-time-radio fan.  Last year's project was hugely fun, and I've been itching for another chance to try my hand--or voice--in ( Read more... )

I’ve talked before about some of the main resources I use to make up character names. But sometimes I still need a little help, particularly if I’m looking for names that evoke a particular “feel.” Such as, for instance, Regency names, which usually have a particular flavor to them ( Read more... )

First off, thanks to everyone who entered my False Princess paperback celebration giveaway! And the winners are . . .

Mary_Gresh

and

K!

If you two would please email me with your contact info and mailing addresses, I'll get the books out to you! (And please let me know how you would like the book personalized ( Read more... )