on September 29, 2010
For the next three weeks, I’m going to be changing my blogging schedule, although it will serve much the same purpose. I’ll still talk about my writing life. But I’m going to be couching it in terms of the trip I’m on. I’m writing this from Matera Italy, where I’m attending the Women’s Fiction Festival…. Read More
on September 3, 2010
I hope J.K. Rowling makes more money than God. Not just because I thought the Harry Potter series was seriously brilliant, beautifully innovative and clever as hell. Because J.K. Rowling seduced generations of kids into reading. I admit. I came to Harry late. But then, my kids were already grown when he showed up. I… Read More
on August 27, 2010
People often ask me who my favorite characters are. After thirty-six books, I’ve had quite a few. But I’ll be honest with you. My favorite character is often one of the secondaries. The supporting players who fill out the story, but don’t make it. The reason for that is perfectly selfish. In any popular fiction… Read More
on August 20, 2010
One of the choices authors make as they write their books, is whether or not to write the story in its proper order. Some write back to front. Some write the scenes as they come to them, some the character scenes, the clue scenes, the action scenes, all in a bunch. Me? I’m a firm… Read More
on August 18, 2010
As I tootled along the back roads of England, I found myself obsessing over pubs. I photographed them, counted them, and wanted to sit in each and every one and have a drink. What is it about those places that draws me? It isn’t the drink. Believe it or not, I don’t drink beer in… Read More
on July 18, 2010
About a year ago, my husband and I got the chance to travel to India for a wedding. While there, I took the opportunity to do some research for my Drake’s Rakes series. So far Grace and Harry Lidge both lived there. So I hunted down the places they would have lived, and I interrogated… Read More
on July 7, 2010
Now, as anybody knows who either knows me or has been reading my travel blogs, I am not the kind of person who usually joins tours. I’m too impatient, and too impulsive. If I want to stop to take a picture(and I do. Often), I want to stop. Then and there. Not so possible on… Read More
on June 25, 2010
If you sit with me for more than ten minutes, you’ll figure out that my background is unapologetically Irish. My great-grandfather was a member of the Flying Brigades of the IRA in the 1870’s and, according to the family, escaped Ireland one step ahead of the law for blowing up a statue of King George… Read More
on June 11, 2010
When I first wrote for publication, I sucked at research. I admit it. I never really learned how to use a university library. I’m a nurse. Nurses didn’t really read extensively on a subject. We played with things. To make it worse, I’m a triage nurse. Kind of like a Jeopardy champion. We know a… Read More
on May 3, 2010
One of the fun things about traveling is bringing friends along. I love to show them new spots, share things I love, and discover things they love. Well, I’ve taken it to a new lever recently. One of my good friends died suddenly last year. I say he was a good friend; his wife is… Read More