Vintage Romantic Author
On to the nuts and bolts of my personal editing process. The first layer of editing happens after I’ve stepped away from my stories for a while so I can read them with a fresh eye. It’s always obvious my sentences are too wordy. I cut a lot of words out or substitute others. This …
It’s hard to find a good editor. My first experience proved disappointing and I haven’t had much luck since. If any business person is unresponsive and untimely, I’m not interested in an ongoing venture. If an editor is more interested in telling me what they don’t do, I start to wonder what they will do. …
I’ve always been a collector. There’s something exhilarating about hunting and gathering. Maybe I have more in common with my cave woman ancestors than I ever imagined. As a child, I had a thing for glass animals. Doll clothes were a real obsession. One day, I’ll post some pictures of my vintage Barbie clothes—and I …
I must admit, it doesn’t take much for me to feel euphoric. I was anxious about a recent dental exam. Since I took a lot of antibiotics the first part of the year and wasn’t in great health, I imagined those months might have negatively impacted my teeth. Euphoria set in the moment the dentist …
Only rarely does a glib comment fall off my tongue. Recently, when a friend was having trouble finding the word she wanted to use, I explained that happens to me too. It’s why I’d rather write than talk! I understand a lot of people study for years before they attempt a novel. I know there …
There I sat with six “completed” novels and no idea how to proceed. A friend of mine told me about her old friend, a published author of six books, and offered to e-mail her on my behalf. I hoped she would agree to answer a few of my most important questions. Thankfully, she did. Author …
I remember the good old days when infrequent sightings of rabbits in our neighborhood seemed quite charming. Those days are gone. Those scrawny, timid rabbits are gone, too. They’ve been replaced with chubby, bold marauders—the bane of my existence. The first battle was over our lawns—both front and back. Between the rabbits and the drought, …
Gertie pushed her black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose as she peered at the cookies in the oven of the brand-new Garland gas range. Daddy always claimed having the latest household gadgets at home made him a better salesman at the mercantile, but Gert thought there was more to it than that. Gathering …
It must be time to write about Christmas decorations. I’ve been collecting since the first year I was married. I used to be able to recall every decoration, where and when I bought it, but no more. There are just too many. My mind has said goodbye to those particular memories, making room for more …
There is nothing quite like the smell of turkey roasting on Thanksgiving. Sage and onion scent the house while the oven provides warmth. It’s the essence of the holiday. I took a cooking class as an elective in high school. The teacher was a Doris Day look-a-like, a young mother and excellent teacher. I still …