Tag: writing process

Victoria Woodhull as Muse

Hillary Clinton’s historic turn as first woman presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party has sparked renewed interest in Victoria Claflin Woodhull. Victoria who? Back in 1872, when Victoria Woodhull became the first woman to run for President of the United States, nobody would have asked that question. Considered a visionary by some, a…


#Notwriting

I’m just back from a few weeks away from writing. I needed the break. There were so many household projects glaring at me that I felt guilty every time I did anything else. Besides that, my manuscript wasn’t gelling as it should, and I couldn’t figure out why. It was time for the sort of…


Overload

I’ve been on something of a vacation, although not the traveling kind. Mine was more of a stay-inside trip … stay way inside, because the “vacation” I took was away from the internet. I don’t hate the internet, but neither do I believe it’s particularly good for me. If I’m on it for too long, I…


The Real Liriodendron

I’ve enjoyed meeting readers through various interviews and book events these past two weeks. Having the opportunity to discuss NEWPORT is a real perk. Often, readers point out aspects of the novel that I’d never considered, and it’s fun to realize that they’re absolutely right. I’ve been asked one particular question several times now, and…


Hello and Goodbye

Happy Launch Day to me, Happy Launch Day to me … sung to the tune of … well, you can guess. Think cake. Think candles. Think best wishes for this next year, because as of today, Newport is officially out there in the world, figuratively “born.” But, wait. What’s that other piece of music I hear swelling…


Ooops!

Back in fourth grade, I was fascinated by the 19th century westward expansion of the United States. The stories I wrote reflected that. Research? Nah. I just wrote. This probably explains how I found myself writing a scene set in a one-room prairie schoolhouse where a bunch of students expressed their boredom by throwing paper…


My History with Historical Fiction

There are only two weeks before Newport‘s official publication date, so please excuse me if this post is a little scattered and self-indulgent. Really, it’s better to let me get it out of my system now so that I can start being more interesting as quickly as possible. I’ve been thinking about my love affair with…


Why Newport, anyway?

I grew up in Annapolis, MD. Maybe that statement feels like a non sequitur following the title of this post, but bear with me. When I began thinking about the novel that would become NEWPORT, location images floated across my mind. They looked like Annapolis. There was a picturesque historic district dotted with homes and buildings…


I Join the 21st Century: or, Audiobooks

NEWPORT will be released as an audiobook on July 7th, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I do, however, have a confession to make: as excited as I am about my novel’s audio release, I’ve never actually listened to an audiobook. I know. What rock have I been living under? Because now that my own…


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