Author * Writer * Stoker of Flames
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Do you believe in true love?
Hmmm…true love?
Okay, we are going to have to slip into a few things before I explain why I find the term true love oxymoronic and somewhat hegemonic. That’s right, my other life is about to come through on this one.
Y’all ready? Continue reading “Nothing True About Love”
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What are some of your favorite lines from your books?
I love reading authors’ favorite lines from their books. Many authors take a lot of time and energy to draft particularly poignant prose (that alliteration is not an example), to grab readers’ attention and offer some inspiration, humor, humanity—a bunch of stuff.
I’m a little daunted to find some of my favorite lines from my book—singular…as in only one written so far—because I’ve spent so much time with my words. It’s difficult to step back and look at something I took so long to make cohesive and fluid as layers of individual components.
What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
Failure, or fear of it, is very effective at making both the timid and bold hesitant. Even just the thought that success won’t be achieved is enough to keep one stagnant. So, having the barrier produced by a fear of failure is refreshing and makes the mind run rampant. Mine has, and I shall now have at it.
As I went through school as a kid and during my college years, I encountered one disturbing constant. My education was always tainted by implicit and explicit bias and racism from either my fellow students, faculty or administration. Continue reading “Failsafe from Failing Students”
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When was the last time you did something for the first time?
People often romanticize the idea of the first time, which-ironically-I as a romance writer tend not to do.
Steeped in perfection-only the best parts about doing and/or experiencing something are brought to the front of our memories and shared. Even when the experience is not so fantastic, we tend to tell it as a form of comical relief. Not exclusively, but we frequently do sugar coat and look forward to doing or seeing things for the first time, despite the actual quality of the experience.
The first is not always a good or even the best time a person may experience. Let me see… Continue reading “First Time Unboxing”
If you had the option to know the date of your death, would you want to know?
Death is something that we as humans generally avoid like—well—death. We spend an incredible amount of time, energy and money during our waking hours keeping the Big Sleep at bay.
It motivates a lot of the things we do and buy. Billions are spent on pills, potions and procedures. Even after death, more money is dumped into preserving bodies from becoming rotting carcasses. It’s been that way for millennia. I’m looking at you, Egyptian Pharaohs.
Look at those big things, and what they did to the bodies *gag*. That’s how uncomfortable people generally are with the idea of dying. So why the heck would anyone want to know when they’re dying? Continue reading “Death on a Calendar”
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This week’s Open Book Blog Hop question is one I’ve asked so many authors—”What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a writer?”
Okay, now. It is a staple question on my and many interviewers’ list because it’s very important.
Writers make writers.
Well-written creations offer examples and inspiration for those seeking to make a mark in the world with ink—hence the adage “read good writing to become a good writer. There is also so much to learn from talented writers’ blood, sweat, tears (real ones-’cause writing is no joke) and experiences.
Like most writers and someone who’s been at various layers of the writing process (teacher, writer, editor, author, mentor, etc.), I have a lot of advice, but I think one of the most important things I can tell aspiring writers and authors doesn’t involve the craft—not directly. Continue reading “The World’s A Stage for Writers Too”
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What do you want people to remember about you?
From the time I was very young, I’ve heard people expressing a desire or encouraging others to “make a mark” in the world or “leave a legacy.” The notion is usually associated with doing something on a grand scale to ensure that one’s name is not forgotten. However, I think we get sidetracked by the “name” part of people remembering us. Continue reading “Things More Important than Names”
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Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
I’m assuming this week’s blog hop question refers to personal relationships. So, here we go.
When someone tells you who they are, believe them the first time.
Maya Angelou
We miss you Lady Maya!
The idea of second chances can fill people with a sense of hope. All doesn’t have to be a loss. As a romance author, I’m a huge fan of books with a second chance at love plot. Heck, a lot of my stories feature one or both protagonists stepping back up to the plate to give love another try.
And…cue in the crappy metaphor.
The thing is, those are made up people with characteristics that I design in them to ensure the required romance HEA (Happily-Ever-After). With real people, it’s much more of a gamble to trust again. Hence, Maya’s famous quote.
People rarely change and will adjust how they treat you even more infrequently. So, whenever someone screws up, there are a few things to consider before allowing them a second chance.
Continue reading “Precious Second Chances-Who Deserves one?”
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What do you think are the 5 most beautiful things in the world?
Beauty can be an abstract term. What may be considered beautiful to some may not be for others. Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, we all get it.
Despite the overwhelming amount of negative or “ugly” things we see every day in the news and on social media, I like to think there is equally as much if not more beauty in our lives. Things may be tough, but there’s no denying that if it wasn’t for the beautiful things, most of us would’ve thrown in our towels a long time ago.
The layers of work I do in cultural criticism, anti-racism advocacy and gender equity expose me to clashing visions of the world around me. Add being a mother of six to the mix, and it often becomes a challenge to appreciate the beauty that each has to offer.
