Lisa and Laura Roecker’s The Liar Society

Last weekend Erica Chapman and I road-tripped to Cleveland to attend Lisa and Laura Roecker’s launch party for their debut novel, The Liar Society. You know me, I live my back cover blurbs: Best friends don’t send emails once they’re dead. With her dead best friend’s pearls and skirts tiny enough to make Nancy Drew …

The Winners!

Holy wow you guys! Thank you so much to everyone who spread the word about the contest. I had triple the normal number of hits last week, and I even gained new followers! *waves to new followers* But that’s not why you’re here. You want to hear about all the writers I met this weekend! …

HOOHAH: The Finalists

ETA: Voting is now closed. First, a HUGE thank you to everyone who entered the contest, spread the word, and laughed at me with me in my video. I’ve had a lot of fun with this contest and will definitely be doing more vlogs in the future. (No, don’t go unfollowing me…) Now, on to …

Finding My Voice

Don’t forget to leave a comment on Friday’s post to be entered to win a $25 gift card! Comments close Thursday night. I had dinner with a friend last week that I hadn’t seen in quite awhile, and he asked me about my writing. When I told him I’m working on a young adult novel, …

My Own Out of the Ordinary Homecoming/Arrival Home Story

First, if you missed Friday’s post about the HOOHAH Contest or haven’t left a comment yet, be sure to watch the video and play along. Now, here’s my story: Back when I was 25, I went on a ski trip to Colorado that was completely uneventful until my friend dropped me off at the airport …

Hoo’s Out of the Ordinary Homecoming/Arrival Home CONTEST!

That’s right! It’s contest time! Introducing Hoo’s Out of the Ordinary Homecoming/Arrival Home Contest, or HOOHAH! Watch the video for details: To summarize, you have two ways to win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards. 1 – Leave a comment on THIS POST about a bizarre, crazy, funny, whatever story about coming home. Next …

What a Difference 365 Days Make

Can you believe it’s been an entire year since I left Mexico? Through a weird quirk of my flight times, I departed Zihuatanejo on February 23rd and arrived in Chicago February 24th. I’m big on numbers and dates (as I believe I’ve mentioned before) so having a clean divide between the two actions is significant …

New Beginnings

Thursday will mark one year since I left stepped off a plane from Mexico, introduced my Mexican puppy to snow, and pressed restart on my life. But that’s not what this post is about (that’ll be Wednesday). The new beginning I’d like to talk about today is for my latest novel. I’ve received wonderful feedback …

Don’t Give Me That Look

Raised eyebrow. Snarling lip. Clenched jaw. Trembling chin. Wide eyes. Flushed cheeks. … A lot can be said with a shift in expression. A change in mood, a sudden thought, a devious plan. As writers we know what our characters are feeling, but showing those emotions is often easier said than done. It’s easy to …

Total Ellipse of the Heart

Get ready. This post might be a bit of a stretch. Last weekend I bought something I’ve coveted for nearly ten years: It’s an elliptical machine! Good for the heart, good for the knees, and no annoying aerobics instructor telling you to give her eight more! And, um… it’s in a box. Yes, I bought …