THE WAR ON ALL FRONTS: One Year Later
May 7th marks the one year anniversary of the release of THE WAR ON ALL FRONTS. I’m so proud of this book. I’m proud of the research I did to tell as authentic story as possible even though I was writing outside of my lane in many ways. I’m proud of the story. I’m proud […]
A Creative Careers Expo Reflection
This past Saturday I was invited to the inaugural Creative Careers Expo hosted by District 155 in Crystal Lake, IL. There were about twenty-five tables featuring careers in fashion, make-up, photography, architecture, visual arts, music, dance, writing, and probably others I didn’t get a good look at. I sat behind a table and talked to […]
Book Events: the Good, the Bad, the Awesome
Book Events- The Good, the Bad, the Awesome Recently, a tweet from a debut author went viral when she expressed extreme disappointment that only two people went to a bookstore event for her novel. Many authors, debut and veterans, expressed solidarity. We’ve all been there and it sucks. It’s not limited to debut or relatively […]
Reviews Not on Amazon, Goodreads, or Any Major Marketing Publication
Getting a positive review from some of the big ones in the industry (Kirkus, Booklist, Children’s Bookshelf, SLJ) draws attention to a book. Online reviews are supposed to have a hand in a book getting more traction. While I am very well aware that saying “my mom says it’s really good” doesn’t mean a whole […]
Actual In Person Events: A Reflection
I had plans for book launch for my debut young adult novel, MAN UP, all set in stone in February, 2020. We all know what happened in March, 2020. Fast forward to April, 2020 and I scrambled to become savvier at Instagram, Facebook Live, and at being flexible and patient. Fast forward again to May, […]
Historical Archives. Who Knew?
One thing you quickly learn when setting out to write a historical fiction novel: there’s a lot that you just don’t know. Google is great but doesn’t have every detail you need. And even if Google does have the answer, sifting through every website is laborious and time consuming. So, when I needed some information […]
How About Them Apples?
I’ve mentioned several (or a hundred) times that THE THINGS THEY CARRIED is the first book I read that made me recognize GOOD writing. But, it wasn’t the thing that made me want to be a writer. I guess I’ve always written in some regard. I’ve kept a journal/diary since junior high. My third grade […]
What a Way to Spend a Day
Part of being an author is talking about your work. More specifically, going to an event of sorts to talk about your work. Almost two years after I was supposed to go to my first event as an AUTHOR, I finally got my chance two days ago when I went to Conant High School’s third […]
Another Inspirational Lady
Last week, I talked about how my mom indirectly provided me with inspiration for a key detail in THE WAR ON ALL FRONTS. This week, I’d like to talk about another lady who has crept into a short story, a whole screenplay I wrote in college, and then found her way in this book too. […]
Tomatoes, Lettuce, and Pickles Only
Inevitably, an author will get asked if something that happens in a book or if a character is real. In the case of THE WAR ON ALL FRONTS, I can safely say none of it is autobiographical having never been a gay young adult in the late 60’s. However little snippets of my life found […]