BLOGGING THROUGH

Barbara Kingsolver once said that if she comes upon a fact that is not true, even in a fiction novel, she will not read another word.

Sometimes, In the middle of the night, magic happens.  Wide awake in the 2:00 AM darkness, my mind floats free and story scenes surface.  I see 18-year-old Ruth burdened by guilt because, more than anything, she wants to get away from her father’s ranch. She nurses a burning desire to see something of the world. Her desire is so consuming, she cannot reciprocate a good man’s love.

NEWS FLASH!  Bear Woman Rising, Two Women One Journey is available in audiobook.

Audiobooks are increasingly popular.  They allow busy book lovers to listen to stories on their commutes or in the comfort of their living rooms. For me, audiobooks bring back the radio programs that held me spellbound as a youngster. Decades later, I’m once again held spellbound whenever I listen to an audio- book bring a story to life. Determined to share that experience, I teamed up with stage and television actor Megan Cole and sound engineer Larry Schaeffer to produce an audiobook of Bear Woman Rising.

One year ago, August 20, 2020, my novel Bear Woman Rising was published by Inword Publishers. After more than a decade spent writing and rewriting my story, the first time I held a copy of Bear Woman Rising in my hands, I felt like a new mom, proud yet uncertain how to introduce my creation to the world.

When I confided to a fellow writer that my novel would soon be published, he told me, “You know, once your story goes public, it’s no longer yours.” I knew, on some level, that he was right. Still, I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to have the words I’d so carefully chosen, the characters I’d brought to life, and the scenes that sprang from my imagination interpreted differently than I’d intended.

March is officially International Women’s Month. We have 31 days to celebrate our contributions to medicine, science, music, literature, among the countless other arenas where we enhance our world. While one month designated to honor women is significant, we continue to persevere every day with little recognition and less pay than our male counterparts. Thank the Goddess, we do persevere and, this month, stand in the spotlight.

I invite you to check out an exciting virtual book festival featuring 100 Florida authors at www.sunshinestatebookfestival.com. This year’s festival includes author videos, links to their websites and previews of their books. I feel honored to have my novel, Bear Woman Rising, included in this year’s wide range of genres—sci-fi, romance, children’s lit, and mystery—to mention a few. This year, you can safely window shop from home in your pajamas, if you wish. I hope you will visit the Sunshine State Book Festival 2021. Simply ...

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Less is More—Words of Wisdom When You Must Cut Words

Whether or not to join a critique group is a big decision. Writing can be a lonely venture, especially for an extrovert like me. I was so tired of only hearing the drone of my own voice in my head, I became desperate to hear what other writers had to say about my work. So in 2001, I swallowed my fear of criticism and helped to create a five member critique group. At our first meeting I felt like I was about to toss my beloved manuscript into the proverbial lion’s den to be chewed to bits. That proved not to be true, largely because we adopted ground rules that we adhered to diligently. Rule 1:  Reviewers will point out a positive characteristic of any manuscript first. ...

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