Co-Parenting a Story (or, When Writing Is Like BDSM)

I’m in the final stretch of finishing a novel cowritten with Fred Feeley. This one is a bit of a departure for me, in that it’s horror rather than romance (although the story does have some romance elements), and it’s Read more

All the senses

I had a root canal this week. I’m glad it’s over and done, because that tooth was hurting. Still, there are at least one million ways I’d rather spend a Monday morning. So I lay there, miserable, listening to the Read more

Writing through Rough Times

When people talk about what it takes to be a good author, they generally focus on the technical aspects. Good authors need fluency with vocabulary, an ear for natural dialogue, a strong sense of pace, an ability to show setting Read more

A love note to romance

My day job is university professor, and a lot of people there know that I write. Most know what I write, and a few have even read my books. But there’s one guy—since retired—who spent several years walking up to Read more

Am I Famous Now?

I had to have a medical procedure done recently. Nothing big; just one of those unpleasant preventative things that are the price of getting older. A couple of weeks prior, I’d had an appointment to discuss the procedure with the Read more

Loving our ugly babies

During a recent visit to Amsterdam for EuroPrideCon, I spent several hours exploring the Rijksmuseum, which is the Dutch National Museum. It has a wonderful collection, including Rembrandts, Van Goghs, Vermeers… and dollhouses. These date from the 17thand 18thcenturies, and Read more