I’ve just recovered from a recent virus that laid me flat for over two weeks. In addition to a wicked sore throat, unstoppable cough, and absolutely no energy, I walked around in a brain fog. When I felt well enough to be vertical, I did jigsaw puzzles in spurts throughout the day. This is what this virus and my jigsaw puzzles taught me about writing. Sometimes Pieces Just Come Along and Fit I finished three puzzles in the course of the two weeks. The first one went together in my usual process: complete as much of the outside frame as Read More
Tag: muse
3 Inspirations that Did Not Lead to a Sparkly Vampire
Don’t you wonder how Stephenie Meyer came up with the idea of a sparkly vampire? How did Diana Gabaldon decide on a portal in a standing stone that whisked Claire off to a Highlander hunk named Jamie? And Hobbits? Really? Where do authors get their ideas? Well, I can only speak to what’s worked for me with Love’s Courage: a word, a photo, and a visit. A Word Rich and I are word nerds. Okay, I’m a word nerd and Rich indulges me. Every morning at breakfast, we look up Merriam Webster’s Word of the Day. On Feb. 26, 2016, Read More
When Did You Know You Were a Writer?
At a recent book signing, I was asked, “When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?” I was stumped, as I am whenever I’m asked that question. Other authors seem to know, almost to the exact moment, saying “Oh, I was riding my tricycle, and the plot for my first piece of literary fiction fell from the sky into the basket on my handlebars.” I never seemed able to pinpoint my moment of divine revelation. Until a memory surfaced from out of the blue. I was only four years old when my muse, Boris, first inspired me. Read More
Researching 1968 Brings Me Hope in 2016
You’re probably wondering why I’m writing about 1968. I’m reflecting on that year because I set both The Cavanaugh House and Buried Secrets in 1968. Why? For two reasons. First, I remember 1968 and they say, “Write what you know.” I loved living in that era. Who wouldn’t, what with the Beatles and protest marches and hippies and flowers in your hair? The second reason is because of the lack of cell phone technology. I wanted Jesse to be on her own in dangerous situations. No texting or calling for help. In Read More
I Returned to the Scene of the Crime…and it was Magic
The most amazing thing happened to me the other day. I returned to the “scene of the crime”—the Cavanaugh House—and my characters showed up. While visiting my family in upstate New York, my husband Rich and I drove to the house that, for me, is the Cavanaugh House. There it stood, looking more forlorn than ever. The weirdest thing happened as I stood in the yard looking at it. I could feel Jesse Graham, my protagonist, there. Scenes from The Cavanaugh House floated before me as I stood and watched: Joe swinging the scythe while Jesse pushed the lawn mower; Read More