This past week, with my family being in town and lots of evenings after work spent at the beach, I got to read several books in the sand. I’ve been working so much on my next novel, Map of Us, and the future of shopfiction™ that it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to really enjoy the books that made me want to be a writer in the first place. I honestly haven’t felt this great in such a long time and I really do credit the beach reads. I know they are frequently criticized for being too . . .
My Favorite Beach Bags and Cover-Ups
This past weekend my cousin and blog photographer, Ryan, moved right onto to the beach, so I got to spend some time in the sand! Though the water is still too cold (for me!) to swim, the temperatures are heating up in Newport Beach and with my brother, mom, and dad coming into town Wednesday, I know we’ll be spending lots of time when I'm not working reading on the beaches in CDM or down the street from my cottage on Balboa. I’ve been looking for a new cover-up for a while now, and . . .
Book Arrangements That Make For Beautiful Displays
I never like to think of having too many books as a problem. But when you read one or two books a week they can quickly clutter up your space! If you're a big reader like me, try these easy tips for turning your favorite reads into beautiful displays so your books don't end up sitting in your garage or closet. In a Basket on Your Bedside Table: In my guest room, I like to leave a basket filled with my favorite books for anyone that comes to stay. The room has hints of blue from the bedspread . . .
Ghosting—a Dating Trend We Should Make Disappear
In my novel, Waiting at Hayden’s, one of my main characters is “ghosted” the day before her wedding by her fiancé. “Ghosting”, for those who aren’t familiar with the term, refers to a romantic partner disappearing suddenly and without an explanation. Excerpt: “She believed it was called ghosting, what he’d done. She’d heard friends at work use the term when describing what happened when men they’d been happily seeing suddenly disappeared from their lives without explanations. Kendall had . . .
Five Unconventional Tips for Career Success That No One Else Will Tell You
“As most of you know,” I told the crowd at my book pre-launch party in Oregon a few weeks ago, “it took me ten years to publish Waiting at Hayden’s.” “Too long!” My comedian-sister, Casey, heckled me from the audience. While she was obviously kidding (she’s seen how much goes into writing and publishing a book) as I thought about her joke afterward I realized that on some level she was right. Of course it does take a long time to write a novel—or accomplish any big goal—especially since . . .
