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But it would be a good keynote address

June 19, 2013

I’m giving two keynote addresses in upcoming writing conferences. The problem is, I keep thinking of the really motivational keynote address James Owen gave at the ANWA conference. I won’t ever be able to give such a moving talk unless I…

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The graduation blues

June 4, 2013

It’s my least favorite time of year. That time when  retailers feel the need to herald the end of another school year with Congratulations Graduates of 2013 plates, cups, napkins, and balloons. I’ve been a parent for the last 25…

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The best group of losers

May 14, 2013

I’ve been at the LDStorymaker’s conference this week. It’s always super fun because I get to see so many writing friends and because people at Storymaker’s actually think I’m cool. (My children refuse to believe this fact, but it’s true.)…

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• Slayers

research, sky-diving style

May 6, 2013

I hate getting details wrong in my books. This may not be entirely apparent since I have more than once gotten details wrong in my books, but I really do a ton of research.  In Slayers: Friends and Traitors (due…

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The Cruising Life, part two

April 30, 2013

For those of you who have never been on a cruise, the experience is pretty much like being aboard a floating buffet. Seriously, the ship had 24 hour pizza and ice cream. Which means that at some point, you feel…

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Things that don’t mix with chocolate

April 23, 2013

I just got home from a cruise, which means I have a mountain of laundry, a thousand unanswered emails, and no one to shape my hand towels into cute little animal figures. I had one of those Janette Rallison moments…

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• Slayers

April 14, 2013

As you may remember from your high school English class (you kept all of your notes on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, didn’t you?) Shakespeare invented around 1700 words in his plays and poems. Frankly, I think I should be allowed…

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• Slayers

April 13, 2013

As you may remember from your high school English class (youkept all of your notes on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, didn’t you?) Shakespeare inventedaround 1700 words in his plays and poems. Frankly, I think I should be allowed the same…

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Why I don’t swear in my books

April 8, 2013

I don’t swear in real life. Seriously. Well, okay, there was this one time when my 18-month-old daughter was seriously hurt, and we had to take her to the ER and I was frantic. We had to get our oldest…

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Things in real life I would never believe in fiction

March 24, 2013

As a fiction writer, I have to follow rules of believability. My plot and characters’ motivations have to make sense. I can’t yank the reader out of the story by making him stop, pause, and think, “That would never happen in real…

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Tucson Book Festival update

March 17, 2013

Despite just experiencing a bumpy airplane ride, I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I haven’t blogged this week because I’ve been busy with school visits, conferences and such. I know you’re all wondering how the Tucson…

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You know you want to come to Tucson–and a true story

March 8, 2013

I’ll be there this Saturday, March 9, and would love to see you. Really. I’m not just saying that because I want something from you. I’m not like those other love-em-and-leave-em authors that have done you wrong so many times.…