Novelista

The Long Lonely Road Tips and tricks learned from our recent two week road trip. 1.       Be Organized This applies to both before and during the trip.  Plan where you’re going, how long it will take to get there, how much time will be spent at each place.  I kept a spreadsheet to calculate a budget that included gas, tolls, entry fees, food, hotels, etc. During the trip, I carried a piece of paper with the name, address, and phone number of each hotel booked as well as what type of room, final price, confirmation number, and credit card used.  It was easy to plug the address into Google Maps for directions for each leg.  I also wrote down the wifi password and lockbox combination of the AirBnB we stayed in for a few days.  So handy. A place for everything and everything in its place .  A saying to live by when packing both luggage and the car.  Helped get in and out of hotels quick, painless, and...

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas It’s the third day of my American Southwest Adventure and I’ve done a lot of writing in my mind. That’s a fancy way of saying I’ve written jack squat. However, there was plenty that sparked my imagination. Tonight, I’m staying in New Mexico and the landscape and dry heat is extremely New Mexico. It is exactly how I pictured or believed New Mexico should be. My mind’s eye could see the man on his horse, surveying the land while the wind whipped, not moving him, try as it might. Texas surprised me and did not disappoint. Mind you, I’ve only seen Texas via I-40. My first impression of this part of Texas was: Those who write post-apocalyptic stories probably have traveled through here. Amarillo sprawled. The half hour ride to Palo Duro Canyon excited. Then, there was Palo Duro itself. What a gem. Every turn held more and more beauty. Oklahoma should be five states for how different it is. The Osarks in NE OK...

Going on vacation doesn’t have to mean taking a vacation from writing.   I am going on a road trip to the American Southwest soon.   Between the Grand Canyon and staying with my husband’s family, I can’t promise that I’ll get any writing done.   But leaving it at home guarantees no writing. Two weeks.   One car.   Four thousand plus miles.   What is the best way to pack the writing? Unless I’m writing a blog post or other short piece, I write the old way.   Pen and paper. I can see it now.   Leaves of ink scribbles blowing across the plateaus until being impaled on cacti needles.   So not happening. What stays at home: Original manuscript papers Notes Story folders Hard electronic files (such as on a laptop) Flash drives What comes: Messenger bag/zipped tote To contain all the writing materials.   Must have a good shoulder strap that can go across my body.   I’ll probably take the one I use ...

On the docket for the New Year: Dreamweaver (The World In-between, 6) Truth be told, I didn’t get much series writing done last year.  This year is already different, writerly speaking.  Not to mention, book 7 wants to get on the page. Cross Country Road Trip Off to see America, or part of it anyway.  While journeying to family, hubby and I plan to visit some of the ancient and early American sites.  Mounds, glyphs, ruins, and nature.  It’s going to be great. More Flash Fiction My writers’ group regularly displays themed flash fiction and poetry in the local library.  I’ll be posting them here as well. I anticipate a year full of writing, laughter, and adventure.  Happy New Year!

What exactly is a Wood Listener? Beyond being able to communicate with the trees, no one seems to be able to tell Hope what a Wood Listener does, nor can anyone tell her why someone wants to steal her Listener magic and leave her for dead. The fifth book in the epic fantasy series shifts the focus from Berty to his niece, seventeen year old Hope, as she comes into her own, magically speaking. Since she first crossed the portal ten years ago, Hope learned to straddle two worlds—the mundane modern world and the magical world in-between the portals.  As the only Wood Listener in centuries, she struggles to find her place in life.  Unbeknownst to her uncle, her parents, and her innocent friend trailing her, Hope stoles into the magical side only to find her place fraught with danger. Hope (The World In-between, 5) now has a paperback edition available (in addition to the hardcover and ebook editions) where they sell paperbacks ( Amazon and Barnes & Noble...

One ship, a small band of Pirates, and an entire Galaxy in pursuit Where Pirates Go to Die The Chase Begins The elusive and calculating Pirate known as Naria escapes from Torquor Prison, throwing the Galaxy into a panic.  Dignitaries of the Milky Way Circle employ any means necessary to recover what Naria stole.  After the pursuit across the Galaxy, will justice finally be served? The space opera is available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Apple iTunes , Google Play , Kobo , and Smashwords .