"Faint of heart": Is it a metaphor or a metonym? Or maybe an idiom? I don’t know, but now I’ve got enough material for my daughter’s next two ELA classes. Even though I’m a writer, I’m no expert in teaching figurative language (fortunately, the Internet is). But that's what homeschooling is all about. It all … Continue reading Homeschooling—Not for the Faint of Heart
Does Timber Howligan pass the Bechdel test?
I believe in equal opportunity reading. Having both a boy and a girl, I’ve seen some differences in their preferences for certain kinds of stories…they’re gender differences, but is that a bad thing? When my daughter wants to fill her shelves with Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious, I don’t make a big deal out of it. … Continue reading Does Timber Howligan pass the Bechdel test?
Timber Howligan First Month Update: Success!
Self-publishing is a business, so here’s the accounting: I promised to donate any proceeds to charity, the animal rescue organization Alley Cat Allies. Here’s what Timber earned in his first month out in the world: $4.07 from CreateSpace (11 copies) $11.87 from Draft2Digital (5 copies) $85.70 from paperbacks I sold directly (28 copies, including 12 … Continue reading Timber Howligan First Month Update: Success!
Day before publication
Yesterday my husband came up with a really good idea for marketing Timber Howligan. “You should partner with Animal Rescue Societies, and get them to sell the book to raise money.” What I should have said was, “That’s a great idea, honey. Thanks for thinking of ways to help out. In a few months, once … Continue reading Day before publication
With all these books, do we need one more? (Hint: We do)
Have you read every book in the library? Every one in Barnes & Nobles? Do you have any idea how many used book stores there are in the world? Even if the book industry collapsed today, we’d all still have plenty to read for the rest of our lives. But our kids especially want the … Continue reading With all these books, do we need one more? (Hint: We do)
Timber Howligan–The art is here!
The interior illustrations for Timber Howligan, Secret Agent Cat are done! Always trying to support local artists, I hired Wendy H. Wilkins, who is also a children's writer. Here's a sneak peek!
Syncing Your Reader’s Brain With Your Protagonist’s and Other Bits of Helpful Advice
Syncing Your Reader's Brain With Your Protagonist's and Other Bits of Helpful Advice If you're in the process of writing or editing a novel for the first time, this Writer Unboxed article by Lisa Kron may help you as much as it helped me. I mean, I know I have a lot to learn. I … Continue reading Syncing Your Reader’s Brain With Your Protagonist’s and Other Bits of Helpful Advice
