Your Freedom Ends Where My Nose Begins
There’s a quote erroneously attributed to Oliver Wendell Holmes, “Your freedom ends where my nose begins.” For me, it used to, and still does, apply to toxic cigarette smoke, and the selfish misbehavior of smokers in public. During the COVID pandemic it’s been echoed in vile tirades of anti-maskers, folks demanding that their “liberty” trumps […]
A Highland Tryst, Without Leaving My Couch
Being Alien, fourth book in my Other Worldly series, is nearing completion, and it’s a bittersweet feeling. I’m not ready to leave Scotland. Drafting final chapters of a novel is like completing a puzzle, or packing to move. Making sure to include every last tidbit of text to wrap up the story, but in the […]
Write Truth, Because Polite Society Is Anything But
The truth is out there, and I often write about it. Some don’t like this and attempt to tell me and everyone else what not to write. And though my novels involve aliens of both the extraterrestrial and terrestrial kind, I’m not referring to government coverups or censure. I’m alluding to those who would build […]
Male Attempts to Control Women are Out of Control
When it comes to trying to control the universe by suppressing women, is the Taliban any different from American religious and political extremists? The fascist fundamentals are the same. Treating women as second-class citizens in order to wield power, to claim superiority. In the name of so-called religion and a conveniently proclaimed male god. A […]
Disbar Barr: Eroded Legal Professional Ethics
In my Other Worldly series, there’s a running thread regarding a dearth of legal ethics and the plague of corruption among lawyers, especially in the past presidential administration. In Alienable Rights, first book in the series, I touch upon issues associated with a former Nevada attorney general with a gun fetish and decided lack of […]
Audiobooks, Voice Acting and the Nuance of Noise
In February 2020, I treated myself to introductory classes at The Voice Actor’s Studio of Las Vegas to explore the craft and perhaps learn how to voice audiobooks—mine in particular, given I had just launched Alienable Rights, first book in my Other Worldly series. Despite not particularly liking tonal qualities of my voice, I do […]
Novel Conflict-Building vs. Tension Relief
Writing a novel requires creating conflict, keeping tension stretched between chapters to entice readers to turn those pages. Readers ultimately need to see protagonists overcoming obstacles, and triumphing in life’s tribulations. We all need to have hope on the horizon. Lately the real world projects so much conflict and tension, such seemingly endless tribulations, I’ve […]
Choosy Readers: How Much is Too Much in Books?
Did anyone else like writing book reports in grade school? I did. But only for books of my choosing. Perhaps having Dune forced upon me is why I’ve never been much of a traditional science fiction aficionada—and why I get defensive when folks assume my Other Worldly novels are sci-fi simply because they involve aliens. […]
Earth Day: Writing with Science & Social Consciousness
Today is Earth Day, which marks the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. And I might just be more cautiously hopeful for this day, and for our planet, than I’ve ever been. Because, in the Biden Administration, our new Interior Secretary is Deb Haaland. An indigenous woman. In charge of and overseeing Indian […]
Character Names: A Beginning, Middle and Pronunciation
When it came time to select the perfect protagonist name for my first novel, Alienable Rights, I gave Rowan a name traditionally spelled, and one that hopefully readers could pronounce. Not so with a few other character names in the Other Worldly series, which perhaps means it’s good I did not have children. Because names […]