I’ve been in Iowa City to attend the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. I’ve had a wonderful time with a couple of workshops–and come up with some plot bunnies I’m really excited about. Which makes sense, given the number of rabbits hopping around this city’s lawns. That’s the old capitol (from before Iowans decided to legislate …
I fall in love with all my characters–even the villains. But some have a special place in my heart. Brute is one of those. He was created a bit by accident. I’d begun with the idea of a blind prisoner who dreamed people’s deaths. Then I began to imagine what sort of man might serve …
In my novella Speechless, Travis has a cat named Elwood. The two have a lot in common. They’re both half-blind, they both had kind of tough beginnings before they found each other, and neither is a sensitive type, at least on the surface. And eventually they both fall for Drew. Elwood was inspired by a …
One of the things I enjoy when I write is including little details that set the mood or place, or that tell us something about the characters. Many of these details are inspired by things I happen to come across. A good example of this is doughnuts. In both Good Bones and Buried Bones, the …
In my new novel Buried Bones, an important scene occurs at a rodeo. That scene was inspired by my first visit to a rodeo. Last July, I got to go to the St. Paul Rodeo. It’s a really big one, and it occurs on the 4th of July. I’ve lived most of my life in …
Congratulations to KimberlyFDR and Sherry, who were randomly chosen as winners in my HAHAT giveaway! I’ve email you both, but please contact me if you didn’t receive the email. And thanks to all of you for stopping by and commenting!!
My newest novel Buried Bones releases today! It’s the sequel to Good Bones, and as in the first book, much of the action takes place on a farm in Oregon. Dylan’s farm is imaginary. But it was inspired by a very real place: the farm my brother and sister-in-law own in Oregon. The real place …
I think the moment when I first felt like a Genuine Author was the first time someone asked me, “Where do you get your ideas?” From what I gather, authors get asked this a lot. It’s kind of a strange question from my viewpoint, because the truth is I get ideas from everywhere. Might be …
Today is the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, and I’m participating in this blog hop. You know the It Gets Better campaign? Well, it does. It has. In the past years, attitudes towards LGBT people have made enormous improvements. We can see this in legislation. More states now include sexual orientation and gender identity …
I am a terrible artist. If you’ve watched the student bloopers movie I posted recently, you saw some drawings done by my daughters. My 10-year-old does a much better job than I could. But now I need something that’s a bit too mature for her, and I’m calling on you for help. I need someone …