You know when you find a frightened dog—maybe at a shelter, or maybe on the street—and you spend a long, slow time getting it to trust you? You have to crouch down and speak softly, holding out scraps of food while you pray in your head that it will give you its heart. You don’t […]
For Writers
A behind the scenes look at writing romance and getting published.
Happily Ever After
There are dozen of reasons to read romance novels. Maybe hundreds. Entertainment value, for one. Spicy love scenes, for another. They also show what a good relationship looks like, and tell us what we should demand of our lives and our partners. They teach us we need to love ourselves before we can love others, […]
I Like Big Words and I Cannot Lie
I love big words. Of course I do. I’m a writer, a one-time English major, and a rabid reader. Words are my thing. I’m a walking dictionary for my family, who actually laugh at me for the words I use. Often, I can’t think of a simple, everyday word and a multi-syllabic one leaps into […]
Novel Writing Boot Camp
On October 27th, I’ll be at the Cheyenne Barnes & Noble with some of my favorite published authors for “Novel Writing Boot Camp.” I hope you’ll attend!
“The End” is just the beginning…
There’s always a surge of excitement when I type “the end” on a manuscript. It’s a feeling of completion, plus pride in the ability to finish what I started. Those two little words mean a lot, because stick-to-it-iveness is a big factor in a writer’s success. So if you’re an aspiring writer who’s finished the […]
Career, Continued
Friends, publishing pros, and fellow writers are the best parts of being an author!
Decisions, Decisions.
The sausage-maker should never, ever think about how the sausage is made!
Still the One – out of 101!
“How to Handle a Cowboy” made Booklist’s 2017 “101 Best Romances of the Decade!”
Howdy, Pardner.
When I write fiction, I’m not the only one telling the story. I write in partnership with every reader, who interprets my words and brings them to vivid life in her mind.
Mary Finds a Cowboy
I found this at a thrift shop yesterday. Cowboy romance, circa 1960, in beautiful condition. I was so excited! I have no idea if it’s worth anything, but it’s a treasure for me – a great little piece of romance history. The central conflict seems a little wishy-washy by today’s standards – “My name is […]
A Writer’s Hideaway
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” –H.D. Thoreau
Plot Devices
For some reason, I can’t keep track of my plot without something physical to look at. Normally, it’s sticky notes, but since I moved out of our town house, where my attic office had a slanty ceiling, that doesn’t work too well. The walls here are textured. I tried index cards, but that seemed kind […]
Murder She Wrote
I murdered a nice old man today.
A Certain Slant of Light
Magic surrounds us, ephemeral and fleeting, alive for mere moments and too often thrown away.
Howdy, Pardner!
“Partner up, and everybody goes to work.” – rodeo photographer Dan Hubbell