Last we left them, our Cuthberts were grappling with a Green Gables in trouble--up to the hilt in debt and Matthew too sick to work. Gilbert went off to sea, but not before a tender goodbye from Anne. Jerry, the Cuthbert's French farm boy, was beaten in an alley in Charlottetown by a couple of … [Read more...]
Premise Crush: 11 Fall Books that Hooked Me at Hello
Ahh, there's nothing like a tantalizing book premise, is there? I spent four years after college as a "marketing writer" at a publishing house, where I learned to write "blurbs"--you know, the enticing stuff on the back of the book. Ever since, I've been a fan of good hooks, those premises that … [Read more...]
12 Bold, Bookish Baby/Pet Names for BOYS
Is your bookshelf an untapped gold mine of fabulous baby or pet names--for a boy? Yes, yes, it is, dear reader! I love nothing more than a baby name list, so I thought it was high time to delve into the brightest and the best naming possibilities from the best-loved books--for BOYS. Some of these … [Read more...]
12 Lyrical, Literary Baby/Pet Names for a Girl
Is your bookshelf an untapped gold mine of fabulous baby or pet names? Yes, yes, it is, dear reader! Because I haven't written about baby names in awhile (not since I went all regal and picked a bunch of my favorites inspired by "The Crown"), I thought it was high time to delve into the brightest … [Read more...]
5 Anne of Green Gables-Inspired Ways to Make Your Writing Snap, Crackle and Pop
Oh, Anne! 109 years after Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel was published, Anne Shirley--orphan, castaway, joyful heart--continues to invigorate and inspire us. One way the novel continues to inspire me is the luscious, exuberant way in which it was written by L.M.M., or “Maud” as she was called. Her … [Read more...]