Tag: featured
Women With Attitude: How ‘80s New Wave Music Fueled Feminism
By Suzanne Mattaboni When I set out to write my novel Once in a Lifetime, I wanted to focus on female friendships, and on a young woman’s struggle to find her place in the world. That said, I made the decision to set the story in the 1980s. Little did I know at the time […]
A Flash of Joy and a Little bit of Wonder
A few years ago while I was writing my first novel, on my way home from hot yoga, my husband informed me that he saw the purple flash during Shavasana. “It was incredible. Magical even, if you believe in that,” he said. “I was totally centered and grounded but felt this lightness of being.” He […]
Where Does Your Inspiration Come From?
I’m often asked where I get the ideas for my novels. It isn’t an easy question to answer because for most authors, me included, ideas come from the oddest places. Once, it was seeing an old, historic wall being repaired. The workers were sanding the brick and dust was swirling around them. I was taken […]
WAR AND ME: A Memoir by Faleeha Hassan: Excerpt
A nominee for both the Pulitzer and Pushcart Prizes, Faleeha Hassan is known the world over as “the Maya Angelou of Iraq” (Oprah.com), her poems having been translated into twenty-one languages. Through verse, she was able to process the horrors of life during wartime; she was able to give voice to her faith, family and […]
Meaningful Consent
Meaningful Consent “Is it okay if I include this in my book?” I asked Owen Rivers this question dozens of times during the two-and-a-half years it took me to write my book, “The Memory Thief and the Secrets Behind How We Remember – A Medical Mystery.” Of course, I asked everyone else I spoke with […]
When the Writing Itself is a Dialogue
When the Writing Itself is a Dialogue by Jan Cohen-Cruz and Rad Pereira Our collaboration as co-authors of Meeting the Moment: Socially Engaged Performance 1965–2020 By Those Who Lived It, across racial, age, gender-identity, and nationality—was a core aspect of the work of this book. As we observed a great many people retreating into the […]
My Journey Into Publishing by Laikyn Meng
My Journey Into Publishing Laikyn Meng I wrote my first book in the summer of 2010, about a teenage girl who loses her sister and finds a way to love through the pain. When I started writing, I didn’t know how to navigate or expand my world to learn the knowledge needed. I continued writing, […]
Authors Interviewing Characters: A.M. Linden interviews Herrwn
THE VALLEY, THE DRUID CHRONICLES Llwddawanden is a hidden sanctuary where remnants of a once-powerful pagan cult carry on their ancient ritual practices, supported by a small but faithful following of servants, craftsmen, and laborers. Cut off from the outside world by both geography and conviction, the Druids of Llwddawanden continue to venerate the Great […]
When Readers Don’t “Get” Your Book: On The Delicate Subject of Difficult Books
When Readers Don’t “Get” Your Book: On The Delicate Subject of Difficult Books By Lindsay Merbaum “I had to actually read every word of your book!” is a comment I’ve now heard a few times in response to my debut experimental queer feminist horror novel The Gold Persimmon, (is that enough of a mouthful for […]
On Research: When Enough Is Enough
Since my forthcoming book, My Secret to Keep, is historical, I thought writing an essay on when to stop researching would be fun. This is pretty bold of me since I’m still researching a book that was published two years ago. But here goes. When Enough Is Enough But before I start, I want to […]
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