In this week’s column on Suspense Magazine, I write about Alma Katsu’s The Deep and delve into the benefits of research when writing fiction. Katsu is a fantastic writer, and the details she puts into […]
Writing the Dinner Scene
I have a new blog post up on Suspense Magazine featuring Rachel Harrison’s awesome book, The Return. I also have a writing activity that teaches you how to create a “dinner scene” in your stories! […]
The Overstory and trees
So I finished The Overstory, by Richard Powers. If you’re not familiar with it, here’s the official description: The Overstory, winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism […]
Picking Locks
I’ve been trying desperately to experience new things during this pandemic (or as I now call it: the summer of Hell). I have no idea why lockpicking seemed like a fun thing to learn, but […]
Death on the Farm
I didn’t expect to spend the evening helping birth a cow. Hell, it seemed like a pretty fast turnaround. In the morning, my wife says she’s pretty sure one of her belted galloways is ready […]
Galapagos, Day 1
We arrived exhausted. As the plane made its final descent onto the old military landing strip on the tiny island of Baltra, we were treated to a comical video about the do’s and don’ts of […]
Great Presidents
So I’m watching the Masterclass by Doris Kearns Goodwin on Presidential Leadership, and I’m struck by a couple things that stand out …
Review: The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
I wrote a review of The Ninth House, and it’s available on Newpages. Click here to read the review. I’m going to try to do more reviews there from here on out to give back […]
Beijing Payback
A murdered father with a sketchy past. A young man struggling to find an identity. And a mysterious foster son with a wicked plan for revenge … Victor Li is devastated by his father’s murder, […]
The Dinosaur Artist
While writing the title for this post, I accidentally typed “The Dinosaur Thief,” which gives you an idea what kind of impression I had about the main character of this true story, Eric Prokopi. Non-fiction […]
