I have the world’s best birthday. I was born on the Fourth of July. I’ve never known the dreaded combination Christmas/birthday gift or dual Thanksgiving/birthday celebration, or gone trick-or-treating on my birthday, as other holiday babies have. Instead, I have a day off from … [Read more...] about BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
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Beginning, Middle & End
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
