Alice turns 150!

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On July 4, 1868, Charles Dodgson went on a river expedition with the three little Liddell sisters- Lorina, Edith and the youngest sister, Alice.  During their venture, Dodgson extemporaneously told a fantastic tale to the Liddells. Later that

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Indie Author Marketing: Grabbing Readers With Eye-Catching Covers

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An eye-catching cover is essential for grabbing readers’ attention. It’s important that the cover be catchy and appealing while not being too busy. A cluttered cover can interfere with the readability of the words on the page. Importantly,

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Pastina: traditional Italian food recipes from my new family drama book

Posted by in Recipes from "Olive Branches Don't Grow On Trees" | 0 comments

Right after publishing my debut novel, Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees, I began a blog with recipes from this book. I would now like to re-introduce these wonderful recipes in my new blog, with pastina being the first recipe. Pastina is

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Tips for Writing Fiction: Seeing through their Eyes

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Regardless of whether your story is told in first or third person point of view, the reader should be able to see the world of the story through the eyes of the protagonist.  The reader should also be able to hear, taste, smell and feel what the

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Tips for Writing Fiction: Smooth Transitions

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In order for a reader to get immersed in a novel, the story must flow as seamlessly as possible from beginning to end; chapter to chapter; scene to scene; paragraph to paragraph; sentence to sentence.  Before I began writing Olive Branches Don’t

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Tips for Writing Fiction: What Makes A Character A Person?

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I have read character descriptions that are very precise and detailed, but that lack the true essence of the character.  This essence is revealed through things like how a character moves through the world; how he eats his food; or how she plays

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Tips for Writing Fiction: The Divinity of Writing

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I didn’t know that Silvia was going to decide to pursue a career as an art teacher; or that Donna was going to change her mind about the family reunion; or that Cosmo was going to do a magic trick for Isabella at the party.  In

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Tips for Writing Fiction: Stories All Around Us

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There are stories everywhere around us and they are constantly happening.  Our job, as writers, is to look and listen for them, to take full advantage of our surroundings.  Every window of the apartment building across from my apartment building

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Tips for Writing Fiction: What Landscape Reveals About Character

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Landscape is the backdrop against which the story falls.  It can be both entertaining and informative for readers.  Most importantly, it reveals the internal state of the protagonist. The protagonist perceptions of reality change according to

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Tips for Writing Fiction: Reading for Writing

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I could not have developed my voice as a writer had I not read many other writers throughout my life.  Now I read only those writers whose style I like so that they can influence my own style.  Some of my favorites include Flannery O’Connor,

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