Music in life and stories

Confession. I’ve listened to a lot of songs by The Partridge Family lately. Along with ABBA, Jace Everett, Dean Brody, Bruce Springsteen, Sam Hunt and a Mozart flute concerto.Why such an eclectic mix?Like many authors, I have a playlist for each book I write....

Ten things I wish I’d known about the writing life

A friend working on her first fiction manuscript emailed me this week to ask if I had “any words of wisdom” to share. I answered her privately, but her questions made me think about the things I wish I’d known when I started writing in pursuit of...

We can (not) do it all

As a teenager, I had an image of my adult self. I wanted a job where I carried a briefcase and wore a suit. The message I’d received was girls could do it all – have a successful career, happy family life and an immaculate home too. I was reminded recently of the...

Making memories at the RNA conference 2014

Last weekend, I attended the conference of the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) held on the beautiful, rural campus of Harper Adams University near Telford, England.  Learning about craft From sessions on taking control of plot and using setting more effectively,...