To be fair, I was predisposed to like this book. A lot. After all, I love just about any and all retellings of the ancient myths and legends. So, when I heard the premise of Tracy Barrett’s, KING OF ITHAKA, I was already sold. The story of Odysseus’ return told through his son, Telemachus? … [Read more...] about Book Review: KING OF ITHAKA
Make ‘Em Laugh!
Last weekend, I gave a workshop on integrating humor into your writing at the Southern Breeze/SCBWI fall conference.I opened my talk by reading funny lines from bestselling books. “Can you identify where they came from?” I asked. The lines that stumped the most people included:“I have been dropped like a hot Pop-Tart on a cold kitchen floor."“Student divided by confusion … [Read more...] about Make ‘Em Laugh!
Cleopatra Musings: Was Antony Hot?
A Fayum portrait of an unknown man.Let’s be honest. The enduring fascination with Cleopatra centers around her supposed beauty. After all, the thinking goes, she “snagged” two of the most powerful men of her era—Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She HAD to be beautiful, right? Yet, as I’ve explained in previous posts, the busts and coins bearing her image show her as attractive … [Read more...] about Cleopatra Musings: Was Antony Hot?
We Have a Winner! (Actually, Three)
Thanks to all of you who participated in my Cleopatra Rules Giveaway contest! Sixty-five posters left comments which made me very happy. Of course, we all know that the contest was a shameless bit of self-promotion but I will continue to pretend that my dignity is intact and that I actually have readers (It turns out I have a very active fantasy life!).On to the … [Read more...] about We Have a Winner! (Actually, Three)
The Singular Satisfaction of RIPPING Notes off a Manuscript
So, I posted earlier in the week about receiving the typeset "First Pass Pages" of my 2011 YA novel Cleopatra's Moon. As you can see from the photo on the left, it looked, basically, like someone with a Post-It Note obsession forgot to take their meds that day. In reality, it was all the work of my brilliant editor … [Read more...] about The Singular Satisfaction of RIPPING Notes off a Manuscript