Magical Musings

I recently started a new story adventure, and am always amazed at the perfect timing for that one. The most exciting part of story for me is getting a first draft done. I know there are those that might disagree, but getting it on the page in a fluid way is crucial for me. I [...]

The DARKLY LUMINOUS Haunted London Blog Tour! Day 4! I’m so glad to be back with the magic and the muses here at Magical Musings, thanks my friends! Just like last year’s Strangely Beautiful Haunted London Blog tour, we’re continuing with more real ghost stories I use in the Strangely Beautiful series, continuing with the [...]

I finished BRILLIANCE last week, my second contracted book. When I sent it to my agent, I was feeling relieved that it was done, and done in good time, happy that for two weeks or so I could just concentrate on renovating the house my husband and I have bought without feeling guilty I wasn’t [...]

In the last month or so, I’ve judged 14 contest entries. One entry started with a heroine-in-jeopardy action scene that was very well written. But I still had to give the beginning a low mark for one reason–I didn’t care about the heroine. At this point, she’s a stranger. She hasn’t won my interest, my [...]

This past weekend, I attended North Chicago’s Spring Fling. Got in around noon on Friday and was able to get checked in and unpacked. Registration was easy to find and the first workshop session was at 2:00. I sat in on the “Plot or Character” workshop with Patricia Rosemoor and Sherrill Bodine. It was a [...]

We’re thrilled to have bestselling author Leanna Renee Hieber back with us this Thursday, April 29th, on her Haunted London Blog Tour for her second Strangely Beautiful book, The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker. Leanna says “Giveaways are associated with each tour date so be sure to comment to enter to win!” I was [...]

In the Introduction, Louann Brizendine, the NY Times bestselling writer of The Female Brain, said as she “considered writing The Male Brain, nearly everyone I consulted made the same joke: ‘That will be a short book! Maybe a pamphlet.’” Oddly, I Twittered yesterday that I was reading the book, and a writer friend emailed me [...]

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~Mark Twain~ In the book, The Dolphin, Story of a Dreamer [...]

Heroes by Juliet Marillier Last week I sent a proposal for a new series to some writer buddies for critiquing, and one pointed out that the principal male character shares some qualities with a couple of my past male protagonists. That set me wondering how writers of romantic fiction go about creating a hero, and [...]

Oh. The sweet, sweet words. I hope to say them tonight, so this is going to be a very short post. Sorry! I just have 6 pages left to write of my second historical novel for Gallery Books, BRILLIANCE, but children to feed, bathe and put to bed as well (dh is away on business), [...]