I'm the program coordinator for the Windy City Chapter of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and one of the programs I've scheduled at the end of 2009 is called Yoga for Writers. Go to www.windycityrwa.org to check out the program schedule I've developed.Why Yoga for Writers? Well, since I've made a commitment to my yoga practice many good things have happened in my life. I've learned to cope better with loss and I'm learning to understand myself better. Sometime... Read Full Story

Please stop by my posting today at the Acme Authors Blog - where I usually post on Tuesdays.Here's the link:http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/2009/03/when-to-call-in-expert.html Read Full Story

People often think that writers have a vivid and sometimes outrageous imagination and while that tends to be true I am often reminded that life really is stranger than fiction. Take the mother of Octuplets from California. At first she was considered a miracle of medical science, the medical staff of nearly fifty smiling proudly in their group photo for the press. Then almost overnight she went from a marvel to villain when the truth about her lack of family and financial support was revea... Read Full Story

what a delight it was to have Jeffery Deaver at the 2009 Love Is Murder Con? It was intriguing listening to him talk with us at dinner. He shared some entries from a diary/journal that he has kept for years about his writing life and it was not only informative but he often had us laughing so hard our sides ached.Deaver doesn't need me to say that he's a talented individual in so many rights but I was glad to discover at his web site his interest in the original story about Frankenst... Read Full Story

I spend much of my free time involved with writer's groups and related activities. One of those activities revolves around being a member of the board for the Love Is Murder Con and we just finished our 2009 Con. Each year has been wonderful and full of exciting guests and participants who to this day are memorable but I believe 2009will stand out in the minds of many for awhile. The board made an annoucment after the Saturday night banquet that we were taking 2010 off. The reasons ar... Read Full Story

I receive quite a few eNewsletters and alerts. One of the more recent ones is from PW Daily and the tag line that caught my attention is: More iPhone e-Books.http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6624689.html?nid=2286&source;=title&rid;=173369612I find this intriguing for a number of reasons. The first is that it wasn't that long ago that many of the "big" publishers were dismissing eBooks as a fad that would never find a commercial audience. Of course, back then we didn... Read Full Story

Books are great gifts. Books stay with us and let us explore worlds that we may not be able to access any other way. I remember in elementary school reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and being transported to a place different than any other I had ever known. As a class we read along with a record the teacher played where a narrator led us along an amazing adventure, but we read along. No visual stimulation other than the words. Our imgination was free to go where it wante... Read Full Story

Wait, wait, wait - I know the economy is tough but I'm not suggesting that anyone commit a crime. Rather, I'm echoing the cover of TV Guide magazine, Dec 8-14, 2008 issue. The gist is that crime shows, especially procedural ones, are hotter than ever. Well this grabbed my attention since I write romantic suspense. But hold the presses! What does this really mean for writers, especially since we're talking about the medium of television - and to an extent - movies.Well, just b... Read Full Story

I started my next novel - another romantic suspense - and I can't begin to tell you how excited I am. Just a week ago I was anxious because I wasn't sure which project I would take on next. I routinely jot down ideas that strike me here and there and I was reviewing a number on my list and passing on each one. Then I thought of yet another one and the spark of creativity ignited a fire in me to write and I'm euphoric about the process and the potential.Writing is hard work - no... Read Full Story

Earlier this year I joined my local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and I just finished helping judge contest entries for the annual Patriot Pen's essay contest sponsored by the national VFW organization. Local chapters collect and judge entries and then the top ones are sent onto the national level. This particular contest - there are others - was open to middle/junior high school grades and while it was a bit of work, it was very rewarding. This is a great way for schools and veteran ... Read Full Story