I did it. I finished my historical novel! 87,026 words. 214 pages (1.5 spaced). Thousands of hours of writing and research. I began it during the school year a couple of years ago, working from 5:15-6:15 AM most days of the week. Then I put it aside for awhile to work on other projects, but […]
characters
Sing You Home
Last week, my late-night reading was very enjoyable. I could hardly put this book down to go to sleep: Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult. I’ve always loved Jodi Picoult. She tackles sensitive, controversial subjects- abortion, euthanasia and child molestation, to name a few- and sets them in a narrative with very real characters representing […]
The Castaways
Over the weekend, I devoured this excellent summer read, The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand: My ONLY objection to this book was the title. When I read the cover, and saw that it was about a couple who are lost at sea, I assumed “the castaways” referred to them, and that they would eventually be discovered […]
Rescue: A Puzzle
I love Anita Shreve. She writes the way I want to write: with simple language but poignant description, themes of family and relationships, and a tug-at-your-heartstrings quality. Rescue, the most recent of her books, had all of these things, and yet I found something lacking. The story follows Peter Webster, known only as Webster, from his […]
The Boleyn Inheritance
I love historical fiction, but it has been difficult for me to find good writers in that genre. I often find that either the historical details are accurate, but the story is dull or hokey, or that the story is interesting, but poorly rooted in the setting. One author I love is Philippa Gregory. She […]
Sense and Sensibility: Jane Austen
When I was in high school, a friend and I read all of Jane Austen’s books together, from Sense and Sensibility (1811) to Persuasion (1817). That experience was enough to certify me as an Austen lover for life; however, since then, I’ve only re-read Pride and Prejudice about once a year, and haven’t touched the other […]