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Diving in and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
While waiting for the right time to begin that novel you’ve been thinking about, or to take that trip or write that song, the days march on. We give our precious time to obligations that have nothing at all to … Continue reading
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The best headstrong young women, and Walt Whitman
Like the heroine of Alchemy’s Daughter, I have occasionally been described as “headstrong” by those closest to me. I take this as a compliment, despite the negative connotations of the word. Without a degree of willfulness, how else is a … Continue reading
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Harper Lee, the sadness of Go Set a Watchman, and virtual tours
With the release of Go Set a Watchman, I have been thinking of the beloved author Harper Lee and wondering, like many of her fans, if she ever really intended for this book to be published. Something is not quite … Continue reading
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Alchemy’s Daughter Italy book tour and giveaway starts today!
July 13, 2015 marks the start of the Alchemy’s Daughter Italy Book Tour, which features books related to Italian culture. Please join me for this fun virtual trip and enter the tour sponsor’s Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win one … Continue reading
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Secrets behind Alchemy’s Daughter to be revealed in July blog tour
Novels are fiction, of course, and yet many novels contain elements from the author’s life. While Alchemy’s Daughter is a work of my imagination, I drew from childhood experiences, my nursing background, travels to Italy, and even previous romances–maybe even … Continue reading
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It’s a book!
As of May 15, Alchemy’s Daughter has officially entered the world! Thank you to all those who came out to the pre-launch party on April 17 at the Zhou B Art Center. It was a beautiful event, set in one of … Continue reading
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When in doubt, wear an amulet to protect against the evil eye
In Italy the evil eye, also know as malocchio is taken seriously. Caused by the negative thoughts of others, the evil eye can be cast accidentally, as when someone feels jealous, or intentionally, as when someone wants to cause harm. … Continue reading
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Remembering Mrs. Timmer, lessons learned at Blythe Park School, and going indie
Mrs. Timmer, who taught fourth grade at Blythe Park Elementary School in Riverside back in the seventies, had a way of speaking to nine and ten year-olds in a way that was never condescending, unlike some teachers, whose names will … Continue reading
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Tagged Alchemy's Daughter, Blythe Park, childhood, creative process, individualist, Riverside IL, writing fiction
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Goodbye house next door, hello new novel
The walls of my Wrigleyville office are shaking because the building next door is being torn down. Another vintage home giving way to the bulldozer and making way for a new, luxury, single-family home. Before it was bought by a … Continue reading
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Tagged creative process, editing, rewriting, teardown, writers resources
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Now that was unexpected: Kirkus reviews Alchemy’s Daughter
It’s more or less compulsory for publishers to send review copies of forthcoming books to the major reviewers like Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. Indie presses like Lake Street Press, publisher of Alchemy’s Daughter, realize it’s quite unlikely that their … Continue reading
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