What’s the one thing all novels have in common? A beginning, middle, and end. The differences lie in the details. Some books are like fireworks: a dazzling beginning that builds, only to fizzle at the end. Some books start strong but sag in the middle like an old mattress. The … [Read more...] about Beginning, Middle & End
CONFESSIONS OF A HOMEBODY
Hello. I’m Eileen. I’m a homebody. There I said it. For years I faked it, pretending to be an easy, breezy traveler. I’d sign on for weekend jaunts. I’d go on trips to far-flung places, never letting on that I was missing the creature comforts of home: my bed, my favorite pair of … [Read more...] about CONFESSIONS OF A HOMEBODY
Steamy Sex Scenes vs. Fade to Beach
Sex scenes are like politics: Everyone has an opinion about them. And there’s nothing like a steamy sex scene in a novel for stirring controversy. Some readers object to anything beyond the ubiquitous dot-dot-dot of novels published in earlier eras (the equivalent of the kissing … [Read more...] about Steamy Sex Scenes vs. Fade to Beach
The Second Silence
Slices of My Life
Last week the pizza king Dom DeMarco of Di Fara Pizza died at the age of 85. Maybe you never heard of him, but here in NYC he was a legend, his Brooklyn pizzeria consistently ranked among the best, if not the best in the New York City area. I knew Dom. His was the first pizza I … [Read more...] about Slices of My Life