Category: On Writing
Interview with Donna Spruijt-Metz, author of General Release from the Beginning of the World
In the life following the death of her father by suicide, Donna Spruijt-Metz has reinvented herself more times than Madonna. “I’m the girl in the commune, braless and sitting in at moratoriums against the Viet Nam war,” Spruijt-Metz writes in her latest for Sari Botton’s Oldster, “the dazed immigrant studying flute at the conservatory in […]
What I Want my Failures to say to my Children
In 2022, I finished writing a second novel. As with my first, I didn’t find an agent or a publisher and with my eighteen and twenty-year-old children watching me collect rejections, moving forward was proving difficult to do. I wanted to quit writing but imagined the word “hypocrite” emblazoned on my forehead. Whatever activity or […]
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT FROM THE WOMAN BEYOND THE SEA By Sarit Yishai-Levi
EXCERPT FROM THE WOMAN BEYOND THE SEA By Sarit Yishai-Levi (Amazon Crossing; March 21, 2023) THE WOMAN BEYOND THE SEA by renowned Israeli journalist Sarit Yishai-Levi, author of the #1 international bestseller-turned Netflix hit , The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, is a mesmerizing and immersive novel about three generations of women who have lost each […]
Humor and Heartbreak: an Unlikely Duo
Humor in novels which tackle difficult subjects? That doesn’t seem right. After all, there is nothing funny about death, divorce, crime or other serious topics. Still, the use of subtle humor within emotionally challenging story-lines can create a more satisfying book than lamentation alone. Why? First, humor helps balance out the hard parts of the […]
DAUGHTERS OF NANTUCKET: Exclusive Excerpt
We are delighted to feature this exclusive excerpt from Julia Gerstenblatt’s DAUGHTERS OF NANTUCKET! DAUGHTERS OF NANTUCKET “Gerstenblatt’s distinctive tale, a triumph in storytelling, celebrates the courage and tenacity of women.” —Booklist, starred review Set against Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846, this sweeping, emotional novel brings together three courageous women battling to save everything they hold […]
An Interview with Rosanna Patruno
Debut new adult author Rosanna Patruno’s first book in her enchanting new series, “The Hidden Heir” (March 14, 2023), which includes a mysterious, handsome aristocrat and forgotten family secrets. Perfect for adults who crave magical tuition stories (not written by J.K. Rowling) with a sexy twist, Patruno invites readers into the first of many stories […]
PLOTTING FROM THE GROUND UP: How to Use Architecture in World-Building By Christina Hamlett
PLOTTING FROM THE GROUND UP: How to Use Architecture in World-Building By Christina Hamlett Had I been encouraged at a young age to pursue my love of architecture, I’d likely have done so professionally and designed all manner of clever houses with secret rooms, trap doors, Escher staircases, stained glass windows, widows’ walks, labyrinth wine […]
Inspiration for THE GUIDANCE GROOVE
My inspiration for writing The Guidance Groove grew partially from my conversations with the undergraduate students I have the privilege of teaching and learning from as a conservation biology professor at the University of California, San Diego. The young people who attend UCSD are amazing—bright, motivated, hard-working, and the best of the best in a […]
Authors Interviewing Characters: Sarah Mitchell
About LETTERS TO A STRANGER England, 1940. Dearest Ruby, you must have heard the news by now. The very worst has happened. Our countries are at war. What can I do? How can I stop this nightmare from happening? One day soon we’ll be together again. I swear. I love you. E. x Present day. […]
Spark and Process, writing Abstraction
If I’m going to tell you about the spark and process of writing Abstraction a few words of backstory are needed. I’ve been a songwriter for nearly forty years. I have written songs, recorded many of them, performed many more of those songs, and even had a couple of them recorded by other musicians. One […]
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