Drumroll, please. Book #2 cover is here!

I am so excited to share the cover for book #2! The release date for Cherry Blossoms is October 30. It will come out as a hardcover, paperback, and e-book on the same day so you can take your pick. Here’s the official synopsis (I consider it “official” when it’s on Amazon): From the author — Read More

When the muse drops by and you’re like, “I’m busy”

Most creative types know that a visit from the ever-elusive muse is a welcome and wonderful thing. You can’t always control when inspiration strikes. It comes and you take advantage of it because you don’t know when it will come again. Unless you’re busy. Then it might not be realistic to strike while the proverbial — Read More

Women writing men

My next novel, Cherry Blossoms, has a male narrator. I didn’t plan to write a story with a man’s voice; it just came to me that way. This story, like most of my stories, started with one line: “I have eight months to live.” And the character saying that line in my head just happened — Read More

Book #2 is coming!

I am excited to announce that my second novel will be published by Turner Publishing around this time next year! The book is titled Cherry Blossoms. I started it back in 2009, abandoned it for years, and finished it as part of my 100-day writing challenge a few months ago. I have always loved this story — Read More

A chat with Steven Rowley

I was lucky enough to have Steven Rowley at my lunch table at Literary Orange in April. I asked him the title of his book and he said, “Lily and the Octopus” and I said, “That’s in my Amazon cart!” And he said, “Well, buy it already!” I do well with direct orders. I bought — Read More

A chat with Tracy Barone

In April, I was lucky enough to be on a panel at Literary Orange, one of the biggest book events in Southern California. I was also lucky enough to meet Tracy Barone. We were both attempting to find the green room. Nothing bonds people better than being lost together. Her panel was right before mine, — Read More

A chat with Suzanne Redfearn

One word I really hate: Networking. It gives me chills in that nails-on-a-chalkboard kind of way. When you’re trying to make it as a writer, people will tell you to “network.” For years, I resisted this, and then I realized that I didn’t have to “network”; I could just talk with fellow writers, like group — Read More

An interview with my husband

When my book was released back in May, I was on a local radio show (full broadcast here) and my husband Chris tagged along for support. At one point in the interview, the host directed a question at Chris: “What’s it like being married to a writer?” Chris was not expecting any questions at all, — Read More

Writing without a goal

People told me that once I published a book, I’d have to be careful not to let “the industry” distract me from my love of writing for the sake of writing. I didn’t think this would be a problem for me, but it has been. Before publishing a book, I wrote the stories I wanted to — Read More

What it’s really like to publish your first book

It’s weird. Let me start there. It’s very weird. The thing is, I’ve dreamed of publishing a novel since I was a little kid. It was the quintessential pie in the sky. My first attempts at making the dream a reality began in my early twenties. The rejection (from agents and publishers alike) made me — Read More