Dad and his new-fangled-gadget
My father got an ipod for his birthday. This is the conversation that followed: Dad: (examining ipod) It’s so small. How do I get my music on this thing? Me: You have to put your CDs on your computer,...
View ArticleFirst person or third person?
So, I’m working on my new work in progress. It’s young adult, of course, because I’m a “first love” addict and can’t get enough first kisses and first hand holding and oh! My heart beats faster just...
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To be like a shark
Before my husband was my husband, he used to have this little saying that went something like, “women are like sharks. They’re always moving forward.” Whatever. It was him being nervous-guy about not...
View ArticleHoly crap, I’m a 2012 Golden Heart® Finalist!
The following conversation took place on Monday, March 26th at 9:50 a.m.: The phone rings. I look at caller ID and see “Tucson, AZ.” Damn. It’s not from Houston (RWA headquarters), it must be a...
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Ode to a coffee table
This is possibly the worst poem I have ever written, but it is heartfelt. When giving in to the inevitable realities of “responsible parenthood,” don’t begrudge yourself a moment to mourn the passing...
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My meat computer is a Mac
Not too long ago, I wondered if maybe it was time to give this stupid dream of being a writer and go back to a snug, secure cubicle. I understand cubicles, having spent nine years in one. Rejection...
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Five words…
I was a graphic designer for nine years, and while I was decent at it, no one would ever call me brilliant. I wasn’t on the right path and I knew it, but without knowing where to go, I stayed the...
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My querying odyssey
When I began seriously pursuing publication, I decided then and there to aim impossibly high (because I’m just masochistic like that). I wanted the same thing that many (but not all!) writers want: a...
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The. Worst. Day. Ever.
Kali, "Wiggity-Wu" and "the girlie face" 9/11/01 ~ 1/5/13 When we went to bed that night, we didn’t know that would be the last night she would sleep at the foot of our bed. I guess that’s just the...
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Chasing the black moment
This is what happened. My agent sent me the list of editors we’re subbing my book to. My sweaty fingers made smudgy marks on my computer monitor as I read each editor’s name. Over and Over. Amazing...
View ArticleWords and Music
Some people can’t write with music on, but I find the right soundtrack can clear my head and put me deep in the scene I’m writing. It strengthens my point of view, blocks extraneous thoughts and...
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How to be an author.
The infectious Avery Flynn in action. This weekend I attended my Maine romance writers’ conference at the Senator Inn in Augusta. Honestly, I wasn’t ramped up to go. My book’s on submission, I’m torn...
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LOOK at this cover!
Isn’t it gorgeous? Of course it is. The cover gods were particularly benevolent with this one. I’m totally a little bias because this beauty is the literary fruit of my friend Romily Bernard. Remember...
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A Sunny Day
On a Saturday morning, this happened: I watched my husband start to order the clothes back on, but then he just closed his mouth with a sigh and a smile. We stood there, watching our two-year-old run...
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Whaaat?
I got this catalog in the mail a few days ago. I thought I read the title wrong. It seems cruel or a total joke to put, “Gear up for the best school year ever,” on the cover, followed by a reference to...
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Sold!
I’m happy to announce that I’ve sold my YA horror, The Black Bird of the Gallows to Egmont USA! I like so much about this publisher––and I know a great deal about them because I am very good at...
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How the deal went down
I said I’d give a more detailed account about how my publishing deal came about. Honestly, I couldn’t do it right away. It was one of the most intense things that’s ever happened to me. It was scary....
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Normal? Sorry, wrong number.
Yeah, so did I, Blake. So. Did. I. But no, the psychosis simply shifts from: No one is ever going to buy my book. I should quit. Clearly, I’m not a good enough writer. I saw Taco Bell is hiring. I’m...
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Short #1: The Edge of the Sea
So much life here, at the edge of the sea. I despise each footfall; the crunch of tiny things. Each footfall, destruction. And the wild sky shifts above. Ever moving, floating white and blue. And the...
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Short #2: Vandals
In the gray crease before the night, the man and I tossed milkweed seeds into the wind. We sent silent wishes, for patches of earth, space to grow. That we may one day see them tall and green. To know...
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