Lately, every time I get going on my writing I kill the buzz by thinking about what I’m doing wrong. When I wrote my first novel I plowed ahead blindly, but now I have a serious case of [...]
Two of my favorite YA novels, The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp and the Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, are written by men about boys in trouble. I feel guilty admitting this given [...]
I recently got laid off from an IT job I’d held for 35 years (I really did stay at an insurance company that long) and became a debut author. This has been, without a doubt, an exciting [...]
When I discover that one or both parents are dead in a YA novel, I don’t feel sad. I think, oh no, here we go again. As 10 Worn-out Cliches in YA states, “The death toll of parents in [...]
Full disclosure: I swear a lot. When my kids were little they learned some real doozies from me (that I can’t quote here), and made up a few good ones of their own. My personal favorite was [...]
I’m not good at keeping New Year’s resolutions, especially if they involve cutting down on bourbon or chocolate or getting more exercise, so this year I’m trying something new. [...]
Over the holidays I watched Mad Max Fury Road. I’m not usually a fan of action adventure but this movie hooked me from the first giant tire tread through the desert. It was one long [...]
This is the only time of year when I try to be normal and spend a lot of time at the mall. I think of it as my mall pilgrimage and this year my pilgrimage didn’t totally suck. There were [...]
‘Tis the season of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. But did you know it’s also the season of Ashura, an optional fast day for Muslims, Bodhi Day when Buddhists recall that Siddhartha [...]
I spend a lot of time gazing longingly at photos of delicious dishes to make for Thanksgiving: Brussels sprouts with cranberries and hazelnuts, maple custard, something with figs or chestnuts. [...]
