I did not know when I volunteered to pick up my recently deceased dad’s ashes that I would be driving through the fire to do so. When the plan was made, the Pacific Northwest had yet to go up in flames. Arrangements were made: my father’s wife would fly down from Seattle, Washington to Bend,… Read More Ashes to Ashes, or Dad’s Secret Lesbian Friends
At any author panel, in any interview with an author, someone inevitably asks the question. The framing always differs, the depth of responses might change, but at the core the question doesn’t vary. Plotter or panster? The plotters always speak in shades of insanity. There are authors with entire walls covered in color-coded sticky notes.… Read More Growed-up
On my way home from Cheltenham in August I took the advice of my AirBnB host and stopped off in the Worcestershire village of Broadway, a place I’d been wondering whether to visit since spotting its picture on an office calendar. Named for its wide main street, the village has a sweeping village green and… Read More The Village of Broadway and Its Tower
A reader’s perspective through Shari Baumer’s book skills There are so many wonderful authors out there providing all of us book-a-holics with reading material, and I know I am not the only one thankful for their story and writing talents. I wanted to share other reader’s perspectives on various topics that have been brought up,… Read More A Different Reader’s Perspective
One of the most satisfying, though not necessarily exciting things, for me is traveling to an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar customs and food (always the food) and creating a routine for myself. As I type this, my host is having her daily siesta and I hear conversation flowing from the windows of nearby apartments. My… Read More Ramblings under the Spanish Sun
It’s that time again! The Hootenanny is coming! Every year around this time, Andi and I go on a mad quest to host the most epic book giveaway event ever. It’s loud and a little messy, and the elves drink a little too much nog, but it’s also a lot of fun. If you’d like… Read More Hootenanny 2017!
Developing Rational Detachment Let’s look at recent events: total eclipse of the sun, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose, Hurricane Katia, 8.1 earthquake in Mexico, solar flares and for our friends in the Northwest, fire with raining ash. In addition to massive events like natural disasters we have the daily, bizarre, in your face, disturbing… Read More Ask the Pros by Angela Grace
