Today I bring you a laugh at my expense. Normally our life is boring. Writing Maggie is very consuming, and having a set routine really helps. I'm not going to bore you with our daily schedule. Most of it revolves around writing the sequel to This Kingdom and signing the tip sheets. The
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The Moment Everything Changed: Part 1
Every writer has a moment when the world shifted. For me, it happened when I was 14 years old. Once the Iron Curtain fell, Russia was flooded with bootleg translations. I had plenty of exposure to hard science fiction, but what I got after Perestroika was fantasy, sword and sorcery, sword and
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Turkey, Cooking, and BDH questions
There will not be a traditional Thanksgiving post this year, because I'm not hosting a Thanksgiving. Instead, Kid 1 will be stepping in and hosting at her house, because her boyfriend's family will be joining us, and their house is a convenient midway point for everyone. This is, however, your
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Entomologist/Biologist
Thank you, expert found! Dear BDH, I'm looking for an insect expert for some brainstorming regarding research for the book involving imaginary oversized insect monsters. If you are reading this and happen to be an entomologist who doesn't mind answering a few questions, please email me at
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Characters: Stories and Descriptions
You do such a wonderful job describing people so that we can almost visually see them, the little details that just make a person come alive in our imaginations. How do you keep from everyone blending together? Do you search for images? Do you just imagine that person? Do you
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Friday Snippet
It's Friday. How did that happen? We haven't had a snippet for a bit, so here is Augustine being impersonating an impressive business owner. Augustine’s office lay on the seventeenth floor. He’d chosen that location precisely because it was just under the top two floors. The eighteenth
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Trad Publishing: Editing and Production Glossary
I heavily debated posting this. I might still take it down, because I've long ago decided that the internet doesn't need my "wisdom." Also, I am bitter and jaded. However, we keep getting repeated questions and there is some weird erroneous stuff floating out there. With that caveat, here is the
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Cover Sensibilities
It is Monday, and I'm armed with Russian Country tea and a list of BDH questions. The process of creating the Maggie cover through traditional publishing. How did everyone decide on the theme, covers, etc? Were there other drafts or ideas? Why is the UK cover slightly different in color? We
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Reestablishing Homeostasis
It's Saturday, and I've had my tea (Harney & Sons Vanilla) and my breakfast shake. Sookie, the old bulldog, is snoring on the pillow behind me. Tuna is asleep next to her, Tubby is sacked out on the floor with his ball, and Nykie is having a cat moment. Perhaps because she is part dachshund or
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The Audiobook of The Inheritance Is Live On Audible
Audible: We will notify you once your title has passed Quality Assurance checks, and we begin distribution. This will usually be within 10 business days, provided there are no issues with the production. Also Audible: Here it is on sale less than 24 hours from the upload. Surprise! Buy here:
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A Mug, Appearance, Math, and a Snippet
And it's Monday again. My adventure in seeing clearly continues. Except that I can't see the texts on my phone with the eye that was operated on. This caused some concern, so I bought reading glasses, although today I was able to read a text, kind of. My biggest issue is remembering eye drops. I
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The Two Sides of the Reading Coin
Thank you for all the blog prompts. I wanted to answer this one sent to us by an aspiring author: Since I started writing, I hate everything I read. Reading used to be an escape. It makes me feel like I’ve lost a part of myself. I think I've talked about it before, but coincidentally, Grace
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