paranormal

Shared Stories

on September 22, 2011

We’ve often heard the phrase, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” While I do believe there is a final resting place, I also know that the road leading there can be rocky and smooth, curvy and straight, treacherous and safe. No two paths are the same, even if we share the road from time to time with others. It’s sometimes too easy to look at someone else and think their path is smoother or rougher than it really is. And even if we share the journey for a few miles, the way we view the terrain is filtered through… Read More


Our Own Jennifer Lyon!

on March 17, 2011

Ever have one of those days when you thought you did something, but didn’t, and it nagged you all night in your sleep until you wake up thinking, “What did I forget to do?” Well, for me it was posting this blog last night! Then the kids did NOT cooperate this morning and I didn’t have five minutes to sit down until now. BUT you are in for a treat, because I interviewed our own JENNIFER LYON! (cheers, whistles, applause.) Jennifer Lyon, aka Jennifer Apodaca, (hmm, that sounds like she’s a criminal and I’m about to put an APB out… Read More


Afterward: Thrillerfest

on July 15, 2010

The International Thriller Writers (ITW) hosts Thrillerfest in NYC the second week of every July. On Sunday, I returned from the Thrillerfest V, elated and excited and a bit apprehensive. First, a little about the organization. ITW was originally for published thriller writers of all sub-genres, as well as the lofty goal of being a “readers” group. I think the organization has moved solidly into the thriller writers camp, but with one big exception: the organization makes a concerted effort to reach readers, librarians, booksellers and other industry folks and does an amazing job promoting not only thriller writers, but… Read More


Kill Your Darlings . . .

on June 17, 2010

. . . I’m not talking about your children! There’s a phrase writers use in the revision process: Kill Your Darlings. That a descriptive paragraph or scene, no matter how well-written or poignant or suspenseful or romantic or just plain stunning . . . if it doesn’t fit in the story . . . if it can be taken out without changing anything . . . has to go. Kill it. It’s the hardest thing a writer can do. Because killing your darlings goes well beyond a well-turned phrase that may be repetitive, or a scene that is unnecessary. Sometimes… Read More


So, it's time for a rant or two . . .

on April 8, 2010

I rarely comment about reviews I receive for my books because reviews are generally one person’s opinion. I can take the bad reviews with the good, and while I don’t like to get a bad review, I just suck it up and repeat what Stephanie Laurens said at the Orange County Romance Writers meeting a couple years ago: “They’re just having a bad reading day.” There are a few things that irritate me about reviews, however–good and bad. The first and foremost is spoilers. I’ve had good reviews where the reader obviously loved the book and wants to talk about… Read More


So, it’s time for a rant or two . . .

on April 8, 2010

I rarely comment about reviews I receive for my books because reviews are generally one person’s opinion. I can take the bad reviews with the good, and while I don’t like to get a bad review, I just suck it up and repeat what Stephanie Laurens said at the Orange County Romance Writers meeting a couple years ago: “They’re just having a bad reading day.” There are a few things that irritate me about reviews, however–good and bad. The first and foremost is spoilers. I’ve had good reviews where the reader obviously loved the book and wants to talk about… Read More


All About Me

on January 14, 2010

So much is going on right now, I barely have time to breathe let alone think about a blog topic! And to follow our new additions, Lori, Laura and Sophie? Wowza! Aren’t they terrific? When I sat down tonight to write my blog, I knew in the far depths of my brain that I had a topic . . . somewhere . . . but it disappeared. I’m not surprised. My oldest daughter turned 16 yesterday. I’m very happy–she’s a great person, strong, resourceful, grounded, and a leader. But I don’t feel old enough to have a 16 year old…. Read More


Genre Blending Redux

on December 31, 2009

Here’s one of my favorite posts of the year . . . well, last year. I wrote this at the end of 2008, but I’m posting it again because it’s relevant to publishing today and me specifically. Today is the last day of 2009. My career has been arguably successful. I can support my family with my writing, but I’m not at the point where I feel any sense of job security. That I’m writing something different from my first twelve books is thrilling–it’s exactly what I want to write. But it’s also scary–what if my readers don’t follow me?… Read More


I don't plot. Really.

on June 18, 2009

My good friend Alexandra Sokoloff, who blogged here the other week, commented once over at Murderati that everyone plotted to a certain degree, and that my first drafts were actually a detailed outline. Right. All 80,000 words of my first draft in a book that usually ends up around 105,000 words. At first, I was willing to concede the point, but recently I was struck by the fact that I really don’t plot my books. It’s not a method of writing I recommend or don’t recommend. It’s simply the way it is. I give a workshop called NO PLOTTERS ALLOWED… Read More


I don’t plot. Really.

on June 18, 2009

My good friend Alexandra Sokoloff, who blogged here the other week, commented once over at Murderati that everyone plotted to a certain degree, and that my first drafts were actually a detailed outline. Right. All 80,000 words of my first draft in a book that usually ends up around 105,000 words. At first, I was willing to concede the point, but recently I was struck by the fact that I really don’t plot my books. It’s not a method of writing I recommend or don’t recommend. It’s simply the way it is. I give a workshop called NO PLOTTERS ALLOWED… Read More