Books that fit into a genre usually attract more readers.  Mystery? Romance? Paranormal romance? Paranormal teen romance? Or steampunk, perhaps.  Genres have lots of subgenres.  From Urban Dictionary:  "Steampunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting…."  Which is cutting it pretty fine, in my view. […] Read More

Discovered this morning in a 2010 issue of the magazine Science of Mind: A Guide for Spiritual Living.   "God is good. So am I. All is well. Thanks. Goodbye."   A silent repetition of this could create a fresh start to one's day.     Read More

 This wise young writer, Alec Greven, finished his book at the age of eight.  Hit national TV with it at nine.  And what he says makes good sense, for any age or gender.  Also, he seems to be unspoiled by success.    [youtube yzouzhXSRzY nolink]   Read More

Surely everyone who writes has had images of their perfect dust jacket photo: a candid shot, perhaps, showing a face that is artlessly come-hither, effortlessly intelligent and profound.  With ocean or Irish mist or some other nature-y thing in the background.  An ego reward off in the distance for finishing the damn book. And yet some of these same people […] Read More

Tomorrow the East Coast launch of novel Cobalt Blue and of The Crazy Ladies Book Tour with sister novelist Carrie Knowles.  My assignment is to bring to the bookstore (Quail Ridge in Raleigh, NC) a vat of cobalt blue punch. Probably a vat will not be needed, since it's going to look like Windex. Yesterday […] Read More

Today was the day I was (maybe) going to wear the cobalt blue sequinned one-shoulder very short outrageous dress, the cobalt blue cape, and the star-shaped blue sunglasses. Today was my panel at this huge L.A. book fair to talk about my novel Cobalt Blue. But getting ready to go to the USC campus, my nerve wobbled.  I had already […] Read More

I refer of course to L.A. and the L.A. Times Festival of Books which I'm in the midst of.  My end-of-day weariness called to mind that hip hop song that won an Oscar 6 or so years ago, titled "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."  I think it was Jon Stewart who remarked that […] Read More

I always watch the Oscars, never before went to any book awards.  So attending the 33rd Annual LA Times Book Prizes tonight, I was interested in the differences.  Most notable:  the thank you acceptance speeches from the writers were infinitely more interesting, witty, surprising.  Also, much less emoting.  No tears at all.  And no one was […] Read More

  Metro Magazine has just come out with a story of mine on how going to sea has helped me both directly and  seemingly magically with both writing and publishing.  I gave a very brief account of this phenomenon here last summer.  In this Metro piece is the whole experience: complete with the particular mists […] Read More

Ever heard the word? Ever had a kundalini experience? A kundalini transformation? It's not exactly a household word in this culture.  Though most of us have likely heard of kundalini yoga, I wonder how many people know what the word means.  And who has felt and been altered by "kundalini rising." I take an intense […] Read More