Today I was sitting with my daughter, desperately looking for coffee, when she asked me a question I thought was relevant. “Mom, why do you write kissy books?” By kissy books she means romance, obviously. She’s eight and a half, and as far as she’s concerned anything related to romance or kissing is purely anathema. …
Category: WRiting
The Rising Tide
My friend Scott has a new book out. It comes out today and it looks amazing! I’m super excited to pick it up, and I’m pretty sure all my science fiction (and science!) loving friends will be too. It’s called The Rising Tide, and here are all the details you need: Scott is giving away two…
Identity: Who Are You?
Once upon a time, not long after the War to End All Wars and the great influenza pandemic combined to take millions of lives around the world, a man left Warsaw maybe half a step ahead of the authorities. The authorities were looking for a Jewish man, but this man (Martin) could pass for Polish…
Consent and Fiction
When I was a kid, the narrative around sexual assault, rape, and consent was very different than what it is today. It was better than it had been in my mother’s generation, when it generally wasn’t talked about at all, but it still wasn’t talked about the way it should have been. Sexual assault, abuse,…
Emotional Seepage – Productivity Killer
How often do you find one specific incident – say, an incident with a co-worker – coloring your whole day? I caught myself letting it happen yesterday, and I’ll be the first to admit I’m ashamed of myself. I’d been having a good, productive day before that. Then I got a message from someone that…
Intersectionality and Criticism
This article is from Bitch. I want to preface it with the caveat that I haven’t seen To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, nor do I have plans to do so. High school sucked enough the first time around, I don’t need to rehash it. I have seen a lot of criticism of the…
Whirlwind Playlist
I just got back from a fantastic conference (FictionFest, hosted by the CTRWA, if you’re curious. I always enjoy this conference. It’s a fun time, and the drive is long enough for me to get some uninterrupted music time without getting bored or uncomfortable. Almost all of my work is inspired by music. Even Whirlwind,…
Quick Link: On Singular “They/Them”
Hey, this is just a quick note to recommend everyone go check out this post on the use of the singular “they/them” in the English language. It’s by Jeanne G’Fellers, the author of Cleaning House, which I have not yet read. The post relates to important issues of identity, linguistic history, and basic manners. It also…
Harriet Tubman House
I went back to my hometown to visit family, which I do on a fairly regular basis. I come from Syracuse, New York, which for those of you who think the entirety of New York State is paved is the “Canada” part of New York State. We’ve got a lot to be proud of up…
Editors – A Matter Of Trust
My whole life, it seems, is writing. I write books under my own name. Like most writers, I have a day job too. That day job is ghost writing. My biggest client recently employed a new editor, and I love having someone else go through my work. I’ll be the first to admit I never…