Hello there, I'm taking an indefinite blog hiatus. Feel free to wander around the blog archives (Things I Do, Things I Read, Things I Write). And if you'd like to keep in touch, please sign up for my newsletter. Happy reading! … [Read more...]
Arrogance and folly
Hello, friends. Earlier this month, I started writing Part 3 of Monsoon Season. I'm trying to be less secretive about my work-in-progress, so today I'm posting an excerpt from this week's work. It might make the final cut; it might not. The speaker is Chen Liling, a young Chinese Communist guerrilla in Japanese-occupied Malaya. April 18, 1945 Here is a measure of how long we’ve been in the … [Read more...]
The Haul
Hello, friends. I hope you're having beautiful, restful, joyful holidays! This week, I want to gloat over my recent haul of books. My birthday falls soon after Christmas and while this is sometimes a disadvantage (after all the December festivities, nobody ever wants to go out for my birthday), it's delightful to look at the stack of fantastic books I've accumulated in just a few days. This … [Read more...]
Holiday lag
Hello, friends. Things are a little a lot crazy around here right now. For this week only, my regular post will go up on Thursday (when I've had a chance to write it). See you tomorrow! … [Read more...]
Rethinking Richard
Hello, friends. Have you been following the recent news about the identification of Richard III's bones? History nerds all over the world (your humble blogger included) are jumping for joy. The past is a billion-piece jigsaw puzzle, and some people in Leicester just got a corner piece. The whole Richard conversation perfectly encapsulates what I love most about writing historical fiction: … [Read more...]
Caroline Heldman’s Sexy Lie
Hello, friends. You may have seen this already but this week, I wanted to highlight Caroline Heldman's crisp, powerful TEDx Talk, "The Sexy Lie". In thirteen engaging minutes, Heldman defines objectification; teaches us how to identify it; and outlines a few strategies for how to deal with it. This brilliant talk is aimed at young people and it doesn't talk down or attempt to be chummy. … [Read more...]