Splinters of Light by Rachael Herron This book is a heart-breaker, make no mistake. There’s absolutely nothing good about the main dilemma here–Nora, a single mother in her early 40s being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. It’s a horrible subject, a miserable, tragic, awful thing … which is why I hesitated…
Review: The English Tenses
Once past the very basics for beginners, ESL students probably use the same grammar guides as the rest of us–even though that isn’t ideal. It’s one thing to clarify the use of a present past participle to someone who’s heard it used their whole lives; it’s another to explain it from scratch.
A Visit with Author Jodi Compton
Okay, folks, I’ve got something different for you today. Not only is it an interview, but … the author interviewed herself! Our mutual friend, Sara J. Henry, asked me if I’d be willing to host Jodi Compton to help her promote her new book, “Thieves Get Rich, Saints Get Shot.”…
The Art and Craft of Fiction
“Those of us who have been writing fiction for a long time know how easy it is to get caught up in the act of writing, in the characterizations, structure, descriptions, dialog, polishing of language, and—that most hair-rending of all issues—whether or not it’s ever okay to use words ending…
Do You Write With Conviction?
It’s hard to be a writer. You spend your day staring at a blank computer screen searching for the words to fill it. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a novel, poetry, an article for a magazine, a webpage, advertising copy, white pages … all writing is a risk. A…
Review: Writer Mama
Title: Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids Author: Christina Katz Publisher: Writers Digest Books, 2009 I’ve had a copy of this book sitting next to my computer for months now because I wanted to write a review for you, but ironically, I’ve been too busy…
Tour Stop with Quinn Cummings
You may remember Quinn Cummings from when she was a child star, paired up with Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason in Goodbye Girl, or starring on Family . But these days, I know her best from her blog, The QC Report, which is funny and insightful, and always entertaining. I…
We’re All Travelling Together
I have a book called Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy by Stephen L. Carter. It talks about the collapse of basic manners, how they have “become a casualty of our postmodern culture.” You already know that this is one of my favorite themes, and, in fact, I…
Non-Professional Copy-Editing
Dear Bloomsbury USA, I’m just writing to tell you how disappointed I am in your copyediting and cover-design departments. I picked up a copy of your “How I Learned to Cook” by Kimberly Witherspoon and Peter Meehan at the bookstore the other day. The book itself looks interesting, though I…
Strunk and White
I doubt I’m the only person who has a collection of books on grammar and word usage, and I certainly hope I’m not the only one who reads them for pleasure. There are a huge number out there and, of course, some are better than others. Some are more accessible,…