Find out about giveaways, be among the first to read new books ...
Hello! You’ll find posts here for readers, writers, and anyone interested in life. Check out the categories to the right for your favorite topics, or just start browsing. Sometimes I throw in a recipe or a poem, share my writer’s life, or tell you how I came up with one of your favorite characters. I’ll announce contests and share pics from events. Sometimes I delve into how to handle tough political, social or religious topics in your own books if you’re a writer, or share what I learn about the ever-evolving world of publishing. Whatever the topic, I promise to do my best not to waste your time. There’s enough clutter online without my adding to it.
I love to hear from readers, so feel free to comment on any post or write to me directly through the Contact page.
Writing About Love
ROMANCE NOVELS don't have a corner on love. In fact, most of them don't have anything to do with love; just the initial few weeks or months of hormonal infatuation. But love is a central theme of every book we write - no matter the genre - so it's good to get to know...
Oh My Bookness Blog Review
SHATTERED gets another 4 STAR review! Check out the newest book review of SHATTERED: Logan Book 1 by Brittany on her Oh My Bookness book blog. You can also find her review of SHATTERED on Amazon, GoodReads, Pinterest, and Google+. Click Here to Read to read the...
Finding & Interviewing Experts
MURDER MYSTERY WRITERS ARE NOT COPS, FIREMEN, OR MEDICAL EXAMINERS, but they fill our books. How can we make sure our murder and investigation scenes are accurate? Ask the experts, of course. Only someone who does one of those jobs for a living 365 days a year can...
Into the Woods
IF SHARON STONE doesn't show up to be your Muse and spirit you off the aquarium for inspiration, try INTO THE WOODS. Saw it with my husband last night and it definitely jolted me out of my holiday Cruise Control mode. I didn't know it was a musical. I'm not fond of...
Christmas Dinner
I NEED TWO OVENS! This annual complaint has echoed through my kitchen the last 6 years, since my immediate family tripled in size. John came with 4 children, boyfriends and girlfriends turned into spouses, and one has produced a grandchild to add to our happy jumble....
Movies to Inspire Your Writing
I need a jump start sometimes. Wild Mind will do it, but during the holidays, when screens large and small seem to be filled with too many chase scenes, exploding cars, and thin characters, I search for a good movie. Always on the lookout for one with multi-layered...
The Writer & Family Holidays
When I see 5 open days on my calendar - white space is lovely - I feel an immediate urge to drive to a remote cabin or beachfront cottage, armed with nothing but my laptop, an excellent pinot grigio, good cheese and apples. It's LOGAN TIME! But…I also want to enjoy...
Morning Meditation
Crows Thrive. That's the message I got this morning during my morning meditation. I say that like I regularly meditate every morning, which, of course, I do not. But still. I'm not sure why, but what calms me is listening to whatever messages nature feels like...
Discovering Book Blogs
When juggling your job, your writing, and your life, you learn to reduce clutter and focus your efforts. In the ever-evolving publishing world, marketing can be effective, or a black hole from which your time never returns! The old method of sending out Advanced...
On Writing…Steven King
Reading Steven King's book, ON WRITING: a Memoir of the Craft. Not a fan of horror, blood and guts, so didn't pick this one up for a while. Wish I'd read it earlier. You feel like you went on the journey with him, seeing what becoming a writer was like from inside his...
About Valerie
A self-admitted book addict, Valerie was the kid with the flashlight under her pillow. A life of travel with exposure to many different cultures led to a pervasive interest in people, with degrees & teaching credentials in Cultural Anthropology & English. Logan McKenna Series
