by toby | Dec 31, 2012 | The Writing Life
Seven Publishing Predictions and Plans to Deal with Them I follow a number of industry blogs/websites including The Shatzkin Files, GalleyCat, Seth Godin’s Blog, Publishers Weekly and others, just trying to keep marginally abreast of what’s happening in the publishing...
by toby | Dec 26, 2012 | The Writing Life
Stephen King is my writing coach—even though I’ve never seen or met him, or even read more than a couple of his books. Here’s why: it’s Christmas day, and I’m writing—both on my novel and this blog post—and I love King because he gives me permission for this...
by toby | Dec 22, 2012 | The Writing Life
Photographing ferns for a book cover is tricky. My professional photographer husband Mike Neal and I have been trying to get a good shot for my newest mystery, Broken Ferns, for over a month. The problem? Ferns. With several hundred types to choose from, they still...
by toby | Dec 2, 2012 | Life
Bee orchestra in the cherry tree. There's a bee orchestra in the cherry tree. Bees descend in a buzzing cloud in the earliest morning, when the sky is still gray pearl and the nectar has risen to a peak in the Surinam cherry blossoms on the tree in our backyard. The...
by toby | Nov 25, 2012 | Life
Dog lovers do it outdoors–and by that, I mean “life.” There's nothing like a dog to get you outside (because they have to be walked) mixing with the world and other people–so in my opinion, dog lovers are more friendly. Dog lovers interact with...