‘Reading Proust on My Cellphone’ No, not me! It was Sarah Boxer and she writes about the experience in The Atlantic: “When I tell people this, they look at me…Continue readingYou read it WHERE?
Several years ago I wrote ‘The Secrets of Jin-shei‘, a novel about sisterhood that was embraced by readers all over the world and received some astonishing critical attention. “Combine ‘The…Continue readingSisterhood
A New Zealand friend just sent me a note: I thought I should tell you, I finally talked my youngest into reading ‘Random’ last night. This morning – at 6.45…Continue readingA reader demands action!
Alma’s Bookshelf: “The Secrets of Jin-shei” One of a series of essays on writing referencing my own books for examples — I spend half my life living in dreams, in…Continue readingALL fiction is fantasy
I’ve done my share of dedications. Some of them are obvious, if a little sentimental and whimsical: To the REAL Spanish Gardens, now long vanished. Thank you for the Irish…Continue readingThank you for the Irish Coffees
If you are writing a novel about historical events, how do you talk about it? Is it: Historical Fantasy? Alternative History? Fictionalisation? Reinvention? When it comes to this particular literary…Continue readingWhat the hell do you call it?
Most Western readers have a peculiar blind spot in the historical tapestry of European history. The Empire of Byzantium. There’s the Glory Of Rome, and then there’s the Middle Ages.…Continue readingA love story retold
Yes there are dozens of things you can throw at writers. They’ll always find a use for notebooks, they’ll love a fancy pen (even if many don’t write with one…Continue reading5 Gifts for a writer
We all have our favorite bookstores, Mental Floss says and asked a number of authors to talk about theirs. (Story and link below) And because I know that my blog…Continue readingFavorite bookstore?
Lithub has come up with a sadly commonplace story idea: 10 Great Books by Women Overlooked in 2015 Of their selections, one caught my eye particularly – “Bohemian Gospel.” It’s…Continue readingOverlooked, again!