Simply Inflatable – and other romance titles

“What’re you reading now?” my husband asks. “Buggered by the Butler?” Yeah, yeah. Everyone who reads romance knows the titles can earn them some raised eyebrows and a few sniggers. They don’t embarrass me, and I’m happy to see some of my favorite authors having fun with them too. Sound quality’s not great on this,… Continue reading Simply Inflatable – and other romance titles

Don’t bulldoze your writing distractions – win one of mine!

I’m not a natural motivator. I will never do an impersonation of an army drill instructor and yell at you to sit your butt in front of your computer or drop and give me twenty. Why not? Because that’s not me. I’m not interested in having people yell at me, even if it’s online where… Continue reading Don’t bulldoze your writing distractions – win one of mine!

Love for the downtrodden hero

This is cross-posted at The Season. A couple of months ago, I wrote about how I don’t always connect with kickass heroines. The women I empathize with the most in novels are inevitably ones more like me—people whose main fights have been to overcome internal barriers, like fear and low confidence after spending too much… Continue reading Love for the downtrodden hero

How do you know if you’re a good writer?

I remember very clearly the first time someone told me I was a good writer. I was nine or ten and had to write a biography about a person I admired. I chose my grandpa, a remarkable man in so many ways that would never earn him recognition outside his family. Loyal, kind, hard-working –… Continue reading How do you know if you’re a good writer?