One of my favorite psychologists is Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. For one thing, there’s that wonderfully unpronounceable and unspellable Hungarian name. More importantly, though, he pioneered research on the concept of flow. Flow is the wonderful experience of becoming completely immersed in whatever you are doing. So much so that you temporarily lose your sense of self, …
Like many authors, when I write I try to give an authentic flavor of the location in which my story is set. For readers who are familiar with those locations, this makes a story feel more real. And for those who are unfamiliar, the details help them get a good sense of place. Sometimes I …
Today is the third installment in my series of interviews about Dreamspinner Press’s translations program. I am delighted to present to you Saura, who coordinates the Spanish translations. Si quieren leer la entrevista en español, pueden hacerlo aquí. Tell us a little about yourself. Hello! My name is Saura Underscore and I’m the Spanish Language coordinator …
As you might know, my book Brute came out in Italian this month. Although I unfortunately don’t speak Italian, this translation is especially exciting for me because my grandfather immigrated from Italy. So this week I have another special treat for you. When I was in Orlando last month, the lovely Emanuela Piasentini agreed …
I have a treat for you today! Ariel Tachna is Dreamspinner Press’s translations coordinator–and a lovely person besides. Ariel has kindly agreed to answer some questions about Dreamspinner’s translation process. You can see Espresso Translations if you need the best translation services. Tell us about yourself, please. I’m Ariel Tachna. I’m the translations coordinator at …
I’ve known my husband since I was 15 (which is terrifying, considering that my older daughter is now 15). He has completely surprised me only four times: 1. The summer after my freshman year in college he took me out to dinner at an Italian place. We rode on his motorcycle. And over the minestrone, …
There are some huge upsides to being an author. Sometimes people send me fan mail or write nice reviews telling me they enjoyed my stories–or were moved by them. And I’ll tell you, nothing improves a crappy day like reading those emails or reviews! Plus I get amazing cover art. And another perk is getting …
So if you want to know the truth, I’m way more of an ACLU type than an NRA type. Until last weekend, my entire experience with guns had been learning about some of the forensics aspects of them (for the Evil Day Job) or, once when I was in college, getting robbed at gunpoint. But …
I’ve always been a little fascinated by houseboats. If you’ve read Bone Dry, you know that a houseboat features in that book. But until last weekend, I’d never had a chance to sleep in one. My friends and I booked the Yellow Ferry for a girlfriends getaway. Now berthed in beautiful Suasalito, it’s the oldest surviving ferry …
There’s something fascinating about tattoos, isn’t there? I guess it’s the concept of using the body as canvas, of applying art permanently to skin. The fact that someone chooses to get a tat says something about that person–although the specific message changes with time and culture–and of course the chosen design also gives insight into …