For a while it felt like A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD was stalking me. My writing exchange partner, Gudrun Cram-Drach, kept on referencing it in different emails and comments before just flat out saying I should read it. Then I had brunch with Ryan Dixon, and he mentioned that someone who we both think [...]

So we’re taking a trip to Las Vegas, b/c long story short: my GIL and Aunt-in-law were living there, we booked a hotel, but then they moved back to California, but we still have to go, b/c we’ve already booked a hotel. However, now that we’ve no one to visit, we have no idea what [...]

My friend Kalimba showed up to the co-ed wedding shower that she, another friend, and I were throwing for our friend, Delia in a fabulous dress. “I love your dress,” I told her before I had even hugged her hello. “Thanks,” she said. “I wore it to your wedding.” And a memory of a younger [...]

So we’re rolling out the retooled 32 CANDLES website next week, and I’m currently putting together a marketing plan for the paperback, which we’ll need to sell in the manner of hotcakes, so that I can get another book deal and continue to justify paying someone to take care of my daughter while I write [...]

Hello Darlings, I’m interrupting my normal belly-gazing schedule  to tell you Los Angeles memoirists and non-fiction writers that there’s something your project is missing —  fiction. To that end, I’m teaching a STRANGER THAN FICTION class this Saturday, April 23rd at Writing Pad in Downtown Los Angeles, and there’s only a couple of spots left. Click [...]

So a lot of people ask me how I avoid the pits of procrastination. Well, here are all of my current trade secrets. 1. I use StayFocused. Now back before we moved, CH came up with the idea of turning off my internet when he left for work. Though, I got more writing work done, [...]

I really loved this “Dispelling Ten Myths About Introverts” list at Shrinking Violet Promotions. As someone who struggles with her own offline introversion, I really related to most of the mythbusters. However, though, the posts attempts to completely separate introversion from the myths about introversion I have to say that in my case, at least, it’s [...]

I’m often asked how I come up with new material for my daily blog posts. I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve gotten from FaN bloggers saying, “I have no idea what to write about this week. I don’t know how you do it.” I’ll admit that for maybe the first year and a [...]

After reading this wonderful post by Emily Hauser about how hard it is to squeeze in time for reading after motherhood, I got to thinking about the THE POISONWOOD BIBLE by Barbara Kingsolver. TPB is Barbara Kingsolver’s bestselling book to date. It got all kinds of critical raves. People who I really respect LOVED this [...]

“You look like you’re from New York!” a saleslady said to me as I walked home on Monday in yellow sweatshirt, covered by my flowered blazer and on top of my head, my hat with fur-lined floppy ears, from which white earphones blasting rap music streamed out. I have recently committed to at least wearing jeans [...]