My Life
Training for a big hike- day one in the cane fields.
Training for a big hike: Day One. (See previous post for what the heck this is about.) Training for the Crater hike Through cane fields straight downhill there must be a bottom down here, somewhere! Two small dogs, one tall husband And a fear of fire. What is that...
Training for a big hike.
Training for a big hike. Yes, that's what Mike and I are doing. Sort of. Haphazardly. But to back up, I must set the scene. We live on the side of a dormant volcano (always a situation to be considered with respect) with world-famous hikes through a national park in...
Eight ways to savor alone time.
Eight Ways to Savor Alone Time My husband is on a service and photography trip to Nicaragua, and we have the kind of marriage where we happily let each other do our own thing. I kissed him a quick public goodbye in the middle of an artist party and he drove himself to...
Aumakua is a Hawaii thing.
Aumakua is a Hawaii thing. Specifically, a Lanai and Molokai, and maybe someday, a Maui thing. I wrote Aumakua, a 45,000 word upper middle grade book, because I just had to. I finished writing it yesterday, and I’ve even blown my own speed record by finishing it in...
Married to a photographer.
I'm married to a photographer, and I love it. I've been planning this blog post for awhile--sneakily taking pictures of Mike Neal taking pictures.The sheer obsessiveness, the contortions to get the shot, are just too fun. It's helped that my interest in photography,...
Seven things I've learned.
Seven things I've learned so far in 2012: (Only seven. Last year it was ten, the year before, twenty. I'm getting shorter as I age) Be a person of your word. It decreases stress and increases quality of life, even when it hurts sometimes. Take naps every day if you...
The Olympics as ultimate reality TV.
The Olympics are the ultimate reality TV. The agony, the ecstasy. The tears, trauma, silliness, and sheer epic pageantry. The sense of awe as every four years, the best in the world compete somewhere I’ll probably never see… and leave impressions of the best and worst...
My Writing
Inspired by social media and fortune cookies
Inspired by social media and fortune cookies. I’ve blogged a lot about ideas, and creativity, and the way the brain processes information to generate new ideas… but today I want to share how my Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Instagram/G+ friends and their passion,...
Does writing in different genres turn off readers?
Does writing in different genres turn off readers? As a writer, I’m like any artist learning and mastering a craft and trying to stay fresh and passionate while doing it. This has led to considerable prolific-ness, mostly in what I’m becoming known for—mysteries—but...
Readers and their favorite Lei Crime #books!
Readers and their favorite Lei Crime books: This post came about because my readers begin to become friends, and friends become readers, and people send me pictures of their favorite books. There is pretty much nothing I love more than this awesome and adorable post!...
Unsound is literary suspense at ten thousand feet in paradise.
Unsound is literary suspense at ten thousand feet in paradise. “Toby Neal weaves a spell-binding suspense that pulls you in with breathtaking scenery, flawed characters, and brilliantly twisted psychology.” Gae-Lynn Woods, author of the Cass Elliott Crime Series Only...
Unsound photo shoot and cover reveal!
Unsound photo shoot and cover reveal: my next book is coming soon, and it's going to be a doozy! Here's the blurb: Only a volcano can cure some things. Dr. Caprice Wilson, police psychologist, has spent her life unraveling the mysteries of the human mind—only to find...
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