Category Archives: Traditional books

When I was in second grade, the teacher read us “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls. Maybe it was part of that year’s curriculum. Or maybe she just hated us. Maybe she thought that a few of us had reached the ripe old age of 7 without losing enough grandparents, getting punched enough on the playground, or that we weren’t spending enough nights lying awake with terror at what little we understood of the Cold War. Perhaps, she thought, “Where the Red Fern Grows” would round out the character building we were surely missing out on. Continue reading →

For anyone new to Goodreads someone once described it to me as “like Facebook without all the dickery, and it’s mostly just for book-lovers.” I suppose that’s just about the best way to sum it up. Instead of finding out my acquaintances’  angst-ridden political views, I can log on to Goodreads and find out what my friends are reading, check out book reviews, and get updates on book-related blogs. It’s not social-networking so much as book-networking, and that’s freaking awesome.  Continue reading →

“Trust & Treachery” is now available. It contains a story of mine (“Listener”) and a great many others, so readers should be able to find several favorites in it. Editors Day Al-Mohamed and Meriah Crawford were super helpful and a delight to work with.  I wish I could give a review of the whole thing, but haven’t seen it yet. More details on the other authors are available at the book’s official website.

Lisa Cron’s “Wired For Story” explores the psychological reasons why readers love stories. This well-researched book explains how writers can craft better plots and create better characters by meeting the audiences’ expectations. Stories provide a means of answering the question “what if?” without placing the reader in actual peril. That’s why, Cron asserts, story tellers must never be lazy. It only looks like entertainment; stories actually help us chart a safer path through an unpredictable world. Continue reading →