“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” ~ Anna Quindlen
Thought for the Day: "When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done." ~ Stephen King ~ Gifts for… Continue reading HOW THE GHOST ARMY HOODWINKED HITLER — Review
Thought for the Day: "There are a million talented writers who are unpublished only because they stop writing when it gets hard." ~ Gillian Flynn ~ Gifts for My Writer Friends: Becca Puglisi has a wonderful post HERE on Writers in the Storm for those who choose to write from more than one viewpoint. I can't… Continue reading LOST EVANGELINE — Review & Giveaway
Thought for the Day: "I'm always aware of writing around things I can't do, and I've come to think that that's actually what 'style' is - an avoidance of your deficiencies." ~ George Saunders ~ Gifts for My Writer Friends: More on comp titles, this time from Phoebe Morgan at the Honest Editor. HERE you can… Continue reading SECRETS OF THE DEAD — Review
Thought for the Day: "After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world." ~ Philip Pullman ~ Gifts for My Writer Friends: Dialogue, when written well, adds much to our stories. It's so important to make it clear who is speaking without littering our writing with he said she… Continue reading A World of Dogs: A Celebration of Fascinating Facts and Amazing Real-Life Stories for Dog Lovers — Review
Thought for the Day: "I write not only what I want to read… I write all the things I should have been able to read.” ~ Alice Walker ~ Gifts for My Writer Friends: We all know that a character arc is important in our novels, but how do we show the character's growth? HERE… Continue reading A KID’S GUIDE TO PLANTS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: with Cool Facts, Activities and Recipes — Review
Thought for the Day: "We are lonesome animals. We spend all our life trying to be less lonesome. One of our ancient methods is to tell a story begging the listener to say — and to feel — 'Yes, that’s the way it is, or at least that’s the way I feel it. You're not… Continue reading FROM PYRAMIDS TO PALACES: Architecture around the World — Review
Thought for the Day: “A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader and from the reader the writer learns.”~ P.L. Travers ~ Gifts for My Writer Friends: The Institute for Literature publishes a lot of good articles for writers. HERE is Susan Ludwig’s excellent take on Creating Character… Continue reading THE SECRET LIFE OF THE FOREST — Review
Thought for the Day: "If I can get a 'happy' ending - which is when for the characters I'm writing about, something happens that they move from wherever they are in the beginning to knowledge or wisdom, they know something they never would have acknowledged or realized if it hadn't been for my book --… Continue reading EXTINCTOPEDIA: Discover what we have lost, what is at risk, and how we can preserve the diversity of our fragile planet — REVIEW
Thought for the Day: “Most of my work consisted of crossing out. Crossing out is the secret of all good writing.~ Mark Haddon ~ Gifts for My Writer Friends: Cutting is always something I should do more of in my writing. I'm not good at it. I love my words! HERE Janice Hardy has a… Continue reading BE A SCRIBE! Working for a Better Life in Ancient Egypt — Review
Thought for the Day: “When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest.” ~ Stephen King ~ Gifts for My Writer Friends: If you want to get geeky about grammar, Tiffany Yates Martin might be the go-to gal… Continue reading MUMMIES UNWRAPPED — Review
Rosi Hollinbeck 