Just found this out this week, and it’s a bit of a trip. In Titanic Voyage, Liam is adopted. The name “Liam” derives from “William.” Liam works at an amusement park, Historytown, which is owned by “Rochester” (Alistair Seymour Rochester III). Liam’s BFF/sidekick, “Rocky,” is legally named Alistair Seymour Rochester IV. Here’s where it gets …
Finding Characters in Unexpected Places
Writers, readers, have you ever found any characters in unexpected places? One of my favorite characters is Allistair Seymour “Rocky” Rochester IV, a precocious and wealthy self-proclaimed teenage genius. (He’ll appear in Historytown: Titanic Voyage, a romantic time-travel story which is in the hands of beta readers as we speak!) I’m not one for visualizing …
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How much editing does a book take?
There are hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of different ways to write a book. I consider myself a “discovery writer” or “gardener” (some might say pantser). I tend to write extremely messy first drafts, sometimes drafts that have only a vague semblance to the story that I later realize I want to tell. Did you ever …
Musings about Historytown, Eloy, Arizona
If you could make a theme park, what would it be like? Historytown, the setting of my novel Titanic Voyage, is inspired by the persistent rumors of a theme park being built in or near Eloy, Arizona. It features several different “villages” representing various eras of history, complete with roller coasters, rides, etc. for each. …
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Preview of Titanic Voyage
Titanic Voyage is an emotional time-travel adventure set in Historytown, a (fictional) theme park in Eloy, Arizona. Here’s a link to a free preview. Titanic Voyage means a lot to me and I’d be absolutely thrilled and honored if you’d check it out. Thank you!
It’s been 84 years…
Okay, that’s not quite right, but it’s been way too long since I’ve put something out into the world. Titanic Voyage is available for pre-order! It hasn’t been 84 years in the making, but it has been close to 8. The story started life as a 2014 NaNoWriMo called Historyland, set in a walk-through Titanic …
The Healer and the Pirate – new cover!
I forgot to post about the beautiful new cover that Maggie Phillippi created for our novel The Healer and the Pirate! I don’t honestly remember if Nessa wore a red dress in the book, but my understanding is that book feelings are more about conveying genre and feelings, and this nails it. Well done, Maggie!
WAKE UP! PLEASE! – OmegaMart
OmegaMart in Las Vegas, Nevada is a trippy and fascinating place to visit! I loved it all, but aside from meeting a charming employee, my favorite moment by far was finding this energy drink, which also happens to be my favorite piece of flash fiction I’ve read all year. So haunting and surreal! Are we …
Pioneer Living History Museum – Phoenix, Arizona
In May 2021, I had a lovely trip to the Pioneer Living History Museum in Phoenix, Arizona! The hours are reduced for the summer (it gets very hot here) but it’s definitely worth a visit as soon as the temperature is cool enough that you can tolerate it. There are a ton of historic and …
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Revisiting what makes me a “discovery writer” instead of a “pantser”
Yes, I talked about it last month, but I was thinking again about the term “pantser” being used for a writer who does not have a solid outline in advance of writing. Many authors seem to embrace that term, but it’s always rubbed me the wrong way. I think I figured out another reason why …
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