Narrative Medicine
September 19, 2017
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Title image: MK Czerwiec, aka the Comic Nurse We fiction writers sometimes underestimate the value of our own work – or, at least, I do. I sometimes have to remind myself that we humans understand our world through narratives and that if you can tell a good enough story, you… read more
Cover Reveal!
September 15, 2017
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This blog is the book cover reveal for one of my favorite new authors, Rose Vane. I’ve read two of her stories in manuscript form, but I haven’t yet read the one she recently sold to Carina Press, A Deep Dark Call. A gloomy manor in nineteenth-century Wallachia (the Romanian… read more
American Sign Language
September 13, 2017
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Title image: Florida governor Rick Scott giving updates on Hurricane Irma. Note the sign language interpreter to the left. I’m sitting high and dry in Durham, North Carolina, living in a hotel, feeling a bit like Eloise all the while acknowledging that my hotel ain’t The Plaza. But that’s not… read more
Words of Wisdom for Beginning Novelists
September 8, 2017
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This semester for the second time I am in charge of a novel course/workshop at Duke University. Because I’m giving the students some of the same advice I gave last year, I’m reposting this blog from 2016. Just like last year, when I moderated the course for the first time,… read more
Monument(al) Mistakes
September 5, 2017
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Title image: Baldwin Auditorium, East Campus, Duke University with statue of Benjamin N. Duke Upon my return to Duke last week for the start of classes, I was reminded how much I’ve always loved East Campus with its Georgian architecture. Maybe it’s because I lived there when I was a… read more
The Red Palace IV
September 1, 2017
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This is the fourth entry in my latest short story, The Red Palace. Click here to start with Chapter 1, or catch up on Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. Chapter Four In the morning Gita came with another tray of food and a fresh robe. She replaced the old tray on the low table with the new… read more
The Red Palace III
August 29, 2017
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This is the third entry in my latest short story, The Red Palace. Click here to start with Chapter 1 or catch up on Chapter 2. Chapter Three Elizabeth was rigid with emotional shock and limbs stiff from immobility. Thus, when Gita came to help her up and to enfold her in… read more
The Red Palace II
August 25, 2017
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The next few blog entries will be the opening chapters of my short story The Red Palace. Click here to catch up on Chapter One. Chapter Two Badar Ali had enlisted the help of Gita, his old nurse who was like a mother to him, his own having died in… read more
The Red Palace I
August 22, 2017
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Over the next two weeks I will be posting the first four chapters of my new short story The Red Palace. Other stories are available as free downloads on my site: A Most Curious Courtship, Lord Blackwell’s Rude Awakening, The Wedding Night and The Alpha’s Edge. Rajgurat, India 1857 Chapter… read more
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
August 18, 2017
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My blog focuses on travel and writing but every now and then I entertain other topics, always upbeat. However, today I’m taking up the downbeat topic of dying because in the last few weeks I’ve been speaking with people who have recently lost loved ones, and I hope my own… read more
Five Questions with Sherrie Dillard
August 15, 2017
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I’ve followed the teaching and writing of Sherrie Dillard for many years, and I’m delighted for her to participate in my Five Questions series. Whatever your view of spirituality you are sure to benefit from Sherrie’s clarity and insights. I’ve read all her books and her latest, Sacred Signs and… read more
Pickpocketed!
August 11, 2017
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It happened. A couple weeks ago I was pickpocketed. I was not in as obviously vulnerable a position as the woman in the title image. In fact, I thought I was doing everything right, and yet …. I had gone to the ATM and made a withdrawal before meeting a… read more
Va, petit livre
August 8, 2017
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“Go, little book” This exhortation from an author to his newly published book has been rattling around in my brain for some decades. I had thought it originated with one of the 19th-century French symbolist poets like Rimbaud or Mallarmé. I had also thought it meant that once the book… read more
5 Amazing Airports
August 4, 2017
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Believe it or not, I hate to fly. Really hate it. But I do it. The good news is, I actually like airports. I like the energy. I like seeing all the places listed on Arrivals and Departures. Jakarta? Vladivostok? Hey, maybe! There are plenty of amazing airports in the… read more
The Fascinating Story of Kenesary Khan
August 1, 2017
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Kenesary Khan – last khan of Kazakhstan who died fighting the Russians in 1847. He got this statue on the banks of the Esil River in Astana in 2001 File this under: You can’t make this up. It’s a story that is weird in its own way as the one… read more
Kazakh Food
July 28, 2017
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Out first night in Astana. We had good weather so enjoyed eating outdoors. Confession: we’re at a Georgian restaurant here, the Daredzhani, not a Kazakh restaurant. In the middle of the table is a cauliflower dish with walnuts, to the back right a plate of pickled items and on the… read more
The Fascinating Story of Gulnara Karimova
July 25, 2017
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Title Image: The Beauty herself Linguistic note: the name Gulnara comes from the Persian golnar = gol ‘flower, rose’ + anâr ‘pomegranate’ While walking around the streets of Almaty, Kazakhstan here’s a story I was told. It’s about Uzbekistan, not Kazakhstan – but, after all, Uzbekistan is next door, and… read more
Almaty, Kazakhstan
July 21, 2017
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Title Image: Almaty (Алматы) against the backdrop of the Tien Shan Mountains Linguistic note: Alma means ‘apple’ in Kazakh. Almaty once flourished with apple orchards. They still exist, of course, but now they’re farther out of town. Confession: Before going to Kazakhstan I had never heard of Almaty. Further confession:… read more
Kazakh Language/ қазақ тілі
July 18, 2017
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Title Image is Signs with both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabet abound – very helpful! In Astana I met friend and co-author Phillip Carter. Our first job was to find a Kazak language teacher. It’s what we do, and our linguistic adventures certainly played a part in writing:
Kazakhstan II/Қазақстан II
July 14, 2017
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Title Image: A painting of traditional Kazakh life. National Museum of History, Astana Not every country with -stan in its name is a scary place. Kazakhstan definitely is not. Kazakhstan Nomadic life Traditional Kazakhs, like their Mongolians neighbors to the east, are nomads. Half of the Mongolian population today is… read more
Kazakhstan I/Қазақстан I
July 11, 2017
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Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world, the 9th largest in terms of area (1,000,000 square miles) and 65th in population (18 million) In 2014 after spending 6 weeks in Mongolia – which peeks into the map, below, at the northeastern tip of Kazakhstan – I developed a… read more
Varia/Japan
July 7, 2017
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TItle Photo: The Ritz Hotel – Koshien/Nishinomiya This blog could easily be titled “Weird Stuff in Japan.” I’ll kick the weirdness off with a brief discussion of: Love Hotels The Ritz was the second hotel I stayed in during my two weeks in Japan. My son had the first inkling… read more
Five Questions with Robyn Peterman
July 4, 2017
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Robyn Peterman… read more
Central Care Mission
June 30, 2017
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When my younger son, Gerard, left the US in 2012 to live in Japan, I inherited his car. I haven’t owned a car since 2005. (No holier-than-thou point to make here. I don’t want to think about my carbon imprint given all the flying I do.) I just don’t need… read more
Folk Dress and Folk Etymology
June 27, 2017
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Title Image: Traditional Romanian dress Last week, a well-known pharmacy in Romania launched a campaign that drew my attention. Farmacia Catena advertised that from June 22 to June 24, if you come into one of their stores wearing a traditional folk blouse, called ie, you will receive a 50% reduction… read more
Five Questions with Candice Bundy
June 23, 2017
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Candice Bundy… read more
10 Things To Know About Sake
June 20, 2017
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Title picture: My son, Gerard, and his girlfriend, Rimi, opening a bottle of shōchū at Torisan, our favorite izakaya ‘neighborhood restaurant’ in Koshien When in Japan you’ll want to know that: Sake is the generic Japanese word for ‘alcohol.’ Everything alcoholic can be referred to as sake. The sake you… read more
Five Questions with Rose Vane
June 16, 2017
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is a dear… read more
Two Observations
June 13, 2017
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日 ‘sun’ + 本 ‘origin/tree’ = Japan 日本語= Japanese Language I’m in Japan now. Sure, I can say ohayō gozaimasu ‘good morning’, arigatō gozaimasu ‘thank you very much’ and order basic food items, e.g. I have shōchū rokku ‘(Japanese) vodka on the rocks,’ down. Beyond that, I make no claims… read more
The Tiny House Movement and Japan
June 9, 2017
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Title Image: A tiny house is a structure of either 400 sq. ft. or 600 sq. ft. or less This week I stepped into my room at the Yakku Hotel in Koshien, Japan and was immediately put in mind of the tiny house movement in the United States and all… read more
A Great Boutique in Carmel
June 6, 2017
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Note: Addresses in Carmel do not have street numbers. The most accurate address for Ami is Delores between 5th and 6th. In addition to writing about the local sights and history when I travel, I love bringing attention to great local businesses. Last summer I wrote about my favorite restaurant… read more
Five Question Interview with Tabitha Barrett
June 2, 2017
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Tabitha Barrett.
Monterey County Part III
May 30, 2017
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Today is about the town of Monterey, which is on the Bay, so you’re looking at it. Just as Monterey County is rich in beauty, artistic endeavor, agriculture and fishing, so the town at its center has an equally rich heritage. Monterey has four historical layers.
Monterey County Part II
May 26, 2017
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“Monterey County Part II” could also be called John Steinbeck Country. The places at issue are the agricultural communities of Salinas, Castroville and Watsonville as well as the town of Monterey. We’re into Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row territory here. If Part I was about artists and Hollywood stars… read more
Monterey County Part I
May 23, 2017
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“Monterey County Part I” could also be called Clint Eastwood Country. The places at issue are the picturesque town of Carmel-by-the-sea and Carmel Valley. I’m lucky enough to be staying this week in Carmel Valley. Here’s my view:
A Most Curious Courtship- Part 1
May 19, 2017
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Chapter One Three-Hour’s Ride Southwest of London 1815 Country roads were deuced confusing at times, and this was one of them. Jonathan Avery, arriving at a dead end, wheeled Morocco back toward the hamlet he had lately passed. As he trotted along toward the huddle of dwellings hidden around the… read more
Theme Park Research
May 16, 2017
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Hot tip: If you want to go to a theme park in Orlando and avoid massive crowds, then go on a Wednesday in May. May is an off month, I’ve been told, in that it comes after spring break and before school lets out for the summer. And people often… read more
Buy Me Love Out Today
May 12, 2017
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Today we released my newest romantic suspense novel, Buy Me Love. This book is the first book in my Buy Me Love shapeshifter series, and the heavy crime and mystery element to the book was really fun to research and write. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed… read more
Sense of Smell
May 9, 2017
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It is a truism that beginning writers stick fairly closely to the senses of sight and sound and tend to ignore the sense of smell. I, therefore, challenge beginning writers to try their hand at a werewolf romance. The minute werewolves come into the picture the sense of smell steps… read more
Five Questions with N.L. Hoffmann
May 5, 2017
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is N.L. Hoffmann who… read more
Metaphors and Similes
May 2, 2017
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From Shakespeare: Metaphor It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Simile O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night, Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear.
Five Questions with Lori Devoti
April 28, 2017
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Lori Devoti, a romance and… read more
Psychics
April 25, 2017
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The phrase rattling around my head right now is: “Reader, I married him.” This is a famous quote from Jane Eyre, and the ‘him’ is, of course, Mr. Rochester. My version today is: “Reader, I went to see her.”
Five Questions with Laura Greenwood
April 21, 2017
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Laura Greenwood… read more
Orlando: An Odd Mix
April 18, 2017
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Beauty and the Beast, as apt a metaphor for Orlando as I can think of at the moment The first book in my new shapeshifter series is Buy Me Love, and it will be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play Books and Kobo on May 11. On Easter… read more
Five Questions with Nancy Monsman
April 14, 2017
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This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Nancy Monsman and our interview is a little bit different than I normally do, but I know you’ll enjoy it… read more
What I’m Reading VI- Florida Crime Novels
April 11, 2017
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Reading is an important part of writing. Reading instructs, and reading inspires. I’m rarely without a book. I love reading at home. I also love reading on the road, where I spend a lot of time. If you ever feel a bit of writer’s block, reading a good book will… read more
Word Count
April 7, 2017
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Note: This blog is a follow up to Size Matters and How Big Is Your Canvas? where I discuss in general terms imagining one’s story in terms of a painting. I can tell a writer is new to novel writing when I encounter a mismatch between the size of the story… read more
Miami & Palm Beach
March 24, 2017
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The second-to-last stop on our Southeast Coast Road Trip was Miami. I skipped right over this part of the trip and wrote all about Cuba (see parts 1, 2, 3, and 4), but I wanted to make sure I shared about this part of our journey too. We stayed two… read more
Cuba – Day Four
March 21, 2017
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For our second daytrip we decided to go to the closest fancy beach, Varadero, a little more than two hours east of Havana. To the north of the peninsula is the Gulf of Mexico. To the south is the Bahia de Cardenas. The peninsula is so narrow that, at some… read more
Cuba – Day Three
March 17, 2017
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For those who have been to any other Caribbean island, what’s remarkable about Cuba is its size. It is much bigger than, say, Puerto Rico. Three hours to the west, in Pinar del Río, are the tobacco farms. Four hours to the south and west is the town of Cienfuegos… read more
Repost: On the Term ‘Bodice Ripper’
March 15, 2017
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This post originally appeared on my Goodreads page in 2014. On May 2, 2014, the New York Times reported the sale of Harlequin Enterprises to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. The NYT reporter opened his piece by writing that when the acquisition was announced, “cheap jokes inevitably started to fly. It… read more
Havana, Cuba – Day Two
March 10, 2017
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Day Two was our history/political day. But, first, you gotta love hotel breakfast buffets. At the Hotel Riviera it looks like this:
Havana Cuba — Day One
March 7, 2017
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Title Image: Spanish Embassy on San Francisco Square So … last Tuesday morning when I woke up, I had no idea I would be in Havana, Cuba the next day. But that’s what happened. Here’s how: Friend and co-author Phillip called me to say he had a last-minute invitation to… read more
On First-Person Narration
March 3, 2017
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I originally published this article on my Goodreads page (come follow me!), but I realized I have not talked about all the misconceptions surrounding the romance genre here, so I’m reposting this blog for you all to read today. It is a truism that many first novels are written in the first… read more
Day Tripping in Central Florida
February 28, 2017
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Take a morning walk along the St. John’s River in Sanford, an easy 30-minute drive north of Orlando. On our road trip from Charlotte NC to Miami, the third stop (after Charleston and Savannah) was St. Augustine, Florida. Established in 1565, it’s the oldest continuously settled city in the US…. read more
Cinematic Savannah, GA
February 24, 2017
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Title Image: Forsyth Park, Savannah Stop #2 on our road trip: after Charleston came Savannah, an easy few hours along scenic Low Country back roads. Quick: What do Juliette Gordon Low, Johnny Mercer and Paula Deen all have in common?
Charleston, SC
February 21, 2017
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Title Photo: The Battery – Charleston, South Carolina My friend, Delia, came all the way from Bucharest, Romania to attend the Gender, Sexuality, Feminism and the Romance Novel symposium, which I hosted at Duke University on February 10. (More on that event in a later blog.) After that it was:… read more
Repost: Romance Subgenres
February 17, 2017
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It’s still Valentine’s Day week! So I thought it would be fun to share my overview of all the different types of romance novels. Look out for a couple updates to contributions I have made to these categories since I first wrote this post. My quest as a romance writer… read more
Repost: What Romance Novels Have Taught Me About Love
February 14, 2017
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In honor of Valentine’s Day, I am reposting this blog post from last year about what romance novels have taught me about love. Enjoy! In 1972 the Equal Rights Amendment was big news. In 1972 the first issue of Gloria Steinem’s Ms. magazines appeared. The next year Roe v. Wade… read more
Live Stream Gender, Sexuality, Feminism and the Romance Novel
February 10, 2017
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The symposium Gender, Sexuality, Feminism and the Romance Novel is being live-streamed on Friday, February 10 from 2:00 – 5:00. The speakers are New York Times bestselling authors Ilona Andrews (the husband-wife writing team of Gordon and Ilona), Sarah MacLean, Alisha Rai, and Mary Bly (known to her readers at… read more
Romance Novels and The Rubenstein Library
February 7, 2017
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Title Image: Main entrance to the Rubenstein-Perkins-Bostock Libraries, West Campus, Duke University On February 10 I am hosting the Gender, Sexuality, Feminism and the Romance Novel symposium at Duke University. It will be held in the East Campus parlors of the East Duke Building from 2:00 – 5:00.
A Romance Novel Symposium for Valentine’s Day
February 3, 2017
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Title Image: East Duke Building, Duke University On Friday, February 10 from 2:00 – 5:00 I will be moderating “Gender, Sexuality, Feminism and the Romance Novel” held in the first-floor parlors of the East Duke Building on Duke University’s East Campus.
A Writer’s Buried Treasure
January 31, 2017
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We writers regularly give ourselves gifts – whether we’re initially conscious of them or not – in the form of buried treasure. As we write, we leave ourselves breadcrumbs, just like in the fairy tale. But unlike in the fairy tale, there are no birds to eat them. And our… read more
Five Questions with Alisha Rai
January 27, 2017
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Alisha Rai who… read more
Images of Washington, DC – January 22nd
January 24, 2017
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When all the ceremonies, speeches and marches are over, what’s left? Here’s what I saw on this wet and atmospheric Sunday morning:
Geneva: Thoughts on Relative Fame
January 20, 2017
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I’m in Geneva to give a talk at a linguistics conference with an Atelier Saussure-Chomsky (atelier = workshop). A good reason such a conference is held in Geneva is because the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) lived and taught here. The American linguist Noam Chomsky is, presumably, included because… read more
Five Questions with Ilona Andrews
January 17, 2017
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Ilona Andrews… read more
What I’m Reading V: Scandinavian Trilogy
January 13, 2017
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Reading is an important part of writing. Reading instructs, and reading inspires. I’m rarely without a book. I love reading at home. I also love reading on the road, where I spend a lot of time. If you ever feel a bit of writer’s block, reading a good book will… read more
Going to Geneva, Switzerland
January 10, 2017
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Title Photo: Lake Neuchâtel – viewed from the train going from Basel to Geneva Basel to Geneva, by way of Biel in the mountains, is an extremely pleasant two-and-a-half-hour train ride. Swiss trains are a dream. The schedule is precise, and the ride is smooth as silk. It doesn’t hurt… read more
Mulhouse, France at a Glance
January 6, 2017
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Mulhouse (pronounced: moolooze) is near the top of the map in France, a bit north and west of Basel. It is in the historic province of Alsace. Since I was hanging around Basel for a few days, I decided it would be a good idea to do a day-trip to… read more
Basel, Switzerland at a Glance
January 3, 2017
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Title Image: A view of Basel’s Old Town from the Rhine River Happy New Year! And New Year 2017 has me in Switzerland – first stop Basel. I’m giving a talk at a linguistics conference in Geneva in a few days so I thought I’d expand my excursion a bit…. read more
What I’m Reading IV
December 30, 2016
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Reading is an important part of writing. Reading instructs, and reading inspires. I’m rarely without a book. I love reading at home. I also love reading on the road, where I spend a lot of time. If you ever feel a bit of writer’s block, reading a good book will… read more
English Settings III: Americanisms/Anachronisms
December 27, 2016
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This is the sequel to English Settings I: Britishisms and English Settings II: British Slang. I’ll start where I started twice before: So you’re an American novelist and you’ve chosen to set your story in England. That’s great. But now here’s your problem: English. Namely, American English. It’s one thing… read more
English Settings II: British Slang
December 23, 2016
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This is a sequel to English Settings I: Britishisms. I’ll start where I started before: So you’re an American novelist and you’ve chosen to set your story in England. That’s great. But now here’s your problem: English. In my earlier blog I said that British slang was a category unto… read more
English Settings I: Britishisms
December 20, 2016
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So you’re an American novelist and you’ve decided to set your story in England. That’s great. But now here’s your problem: English. If your story is set in France it’s perfectly legit for your characters not to speak French if they happen to be, say, American. If your setting is… read more
What I’m Reading III
December 16, 2016
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British Police Procedurals II: The Bill Slider Series I recently discovered and fell in love with Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’s Detective Inspector Bill Slider of the Shepherd’s Bush police station in west London and his partner – or as Slider refers to him, his bagman – Detective Sergeant Jim Atherton.
Five Questions with Mary Bly
December 13, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Mary Bly… read more
What I’m Reading II
December 9, 2016
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British Police Procedurals Part I: The Romney and Marsh Files by Oliver Tidy. I had a ball reading all seven murder-mysteries involving the deeply flawed Detective Inspector Tom Romney and his trusty Detective Sargent Joy Marsh. The stories are set in the Dover CID (Crime Investigation Department) on the Kent… read more
The Art of Seduction
December 6, 2016
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Partial of the movie poster for Casanova. Casanova is an example of the Ideal Lover. I recommend Robert Greene’s The Art of Seduction to romance writers or any writer – or to anybody who is interested in seducing someone.
The Benjamin Franklin Effect
December 2, 2016
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Benjamin Franklin is well known for his many famous quotes. He is less well known for knowing how to turn enemies into friends. Franklin served in Pennsylvania’s colonial legislature (1736– 1764) both as delegate and as elected clerk of the general assembly. When he ran for his second term as… read more
What I’m Reading: November 2016
November 29, 2016
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I’ve written before on my blog that an important part of writing is reading. There is a lot of inspiration that can be gleaned from reading books in the genre you aspire to write in. However, I’m also a devoted fan of the romance genre and avidly read books all… read more
Five Questions with Tracey A Wood
November 25, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Tracey A… read more
You Can Go It Alone, But You Can’t Do It Alone
November 22, 2016
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As all writers know at this point, the great changes in the publishing industry in the past 10 – 15 years have made it possible for authors, like artists in the music world, to become their own producers.
Five Questions with Toya Richardson
November 15, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Toya Richardson a… read more
The Acne Maven
November 11, 2016
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Title Image: Gail giving a facial The best secret in Orlando, Florida is Tamahra’s Secret, aka T-Secret, a skin care salon in College Park. It’s not Orlando’s best kept secret, by any means, because it is widely known both locally and nationally and, indeed, clients fly in from around the… read more
Seven Things to Love about Orlando, Florida
November 8, 2016
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For the past 10+ years I’ve owned property in Orlando, Florida. People are often surprised when I tell them how much I like the city. The surprise – which is maybe more like confusion – arises from the fact that downtown Orlando is about 15 miles away from downtown Disney…. read more
Five Questions with Mary Morgan
November 4, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Mary Morgan… read more
Skylar’s Baby Shower
November 1, 2016
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No surprise, Skylar is a girl! In 2002 I joined Big Brothers Big Sisters, a mentoring program. I was paired with Vanessa, who was 12 years old at the time. Now 14 years later, we’re still together. She’s part of my family, and I’m part of hers. On Saturday October… read more
Five Questions with Renee Regent
October 28, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Renee Regent, whose… read more
Journalism Holding Power Accountable
October 25, 2016
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Note: see my related blog The (Dis)Honesty Project. Last week Bill Adair gave a packed talk at Motorco in downtown Durham entitled “The Truth-o-Meter, Pants on Fire and fact-checking the 2016 election.” Adair is the Knight Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University and the… read more
Durham, NC – A Foodie Town
October 21, 2016
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Title Image: Food Truck Rodeo, Farmer’s Market, Central Park, Durham NC – even food truck food in Durham is delicious Fifteen years ago Durham did not have a restaurant culture, and the downtown was dead. There was only the now-closed Magnolia Grill, which had opened in 1986 on Ninth Street… read more
Gender, Feminism, Sexuality and the Romance Novel: A Symposium
October 18, 2016
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Title Image: East Duke Building, East Campus, Duke University On February 10, 2017 I will be hosting a symposium on Gender, Feminism, Sexuality and the Romance Novel. It will be held in East Duke Building on Duke’s East Campus, picture above, and will run from 2:00 – 5:00 in the… read more
Writing Across Languages
October 13, 2016
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Ruxie, one of my dear friends in Romania, shares two of my passions: linguistics and romance novels. About a month ago we went out to dinner, and she admitted she had written a Regency romance. Note: a Regency is a novel set in early 19th-century England. Think Jane Austen’s time… read more
The (Dis)Honesty Project
October 10, 2016
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In the front lobby of the new West Union building at Duke University is this intriguing structure, the Truth Box (pictured above). To the right of the box is a table, above which you see a silhouette of a red Pinocchio. On the table there’s a bin with red-bordered Honesty… read more
Five Myths about Romance Novels
October 7, 2016
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There are so many myths about Romance novels, what the genre entails, and who the readers are. I originally published this article on my Goodreads page (come follow me!), but I realized I have not talked about all the misconceptions surrounding the romance genre here, so I’m reposting this blog for you… read more
Charlotte, North Carolina
October 4, 2016
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Toward the end of September Charlotte, NC captured negative national attention for being the latest city rocked by protests in the wake of the shooting death of an African-American man at the hands of the police. Two days after the incidents I went to Charlotte to visit family, and I… read more
Duke University: Under Construction
September 30, 2016
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Title Photo: Duke’s West Campus, seen from the dorm quads In April, when I left Durham, North Carolina for my around-the-world trip, I was not expecting to return to Duke University in September and find it one of the more surprising places I’ve been in the past few months. And… read more
Repost: Alter Egos
September 26, 2016
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Photo Credit: Matthew Yohe, released under Creative Commons Attribution license. Last week I happened to read two books back to back. The first was Walter Isaacson’s 2011 biography of Steve Jobs. The second was Jacked Up: The Inside Story of How Jack Welch Talked GE into Becoming the World’s Greatest Company… read more
Repost: Vocal Fry/Creaky Voices
September 22, 2016
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Note: This blog was first posted earlier this year. I am reposting it because when I was in Romania over the summer a friend described to me a new show one of her friends was watching. I said in some astonishment, “I think you’re talking about Flip or Flop.” Indeed,… read more
Five Questions with Tamara Ferguson
September 19, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Tamara Ferguson who… read more
London #4
September 16, 2016
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Note: My blogs London I, II, and III are about factual London. The present blog is about fictional London, that is, the London that figures as the setting for my two latest stories, The Alpha’s Edge and Buy Me Love. I thought it would be fun in this blog to… read more
Five Questions with Lori Ann Bailey
September 13, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Lori Ann… read more
London #3
September 9, 2016
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Note: I spent the last week of August in London. London #1 gives a sense of the cityscape. London #2 praises its architecture. Here I offer further observations on my experience in the last international stop on my five-month around-the-world tour. Brexit. You can’t spend an hour in London without… read more
London #2
September 6, 2016
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Note: I spent the last week of August in London. London #1 gives a sense of the cityscape. In this post I’ll delve into London Architecture. Georgian (1714-1830). When I visit London, I stay in Bloomsbury, an area chock full of Georgian architecture. The hotel where I stay, the Grange White… read more
The Bad, The Annoying and The ???
September 2, 2016
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The following stories lead to travel tips. Around New Year’s 2010 I went to Brazil. At the Manaus airport in Amazonas State, I was looking up at the information board to find my flight home. I was going to São Paulo where I was to get my connecting plane back… read more
London #1
August 30, 2016
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London is my last stop on my around-the-world journey that began five months ago. You know you’re in London when …
Multilingual U.S. Presidents/Multilingual America
August 26, 2016
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Martin Van Buren was the eighth President (1837-41) of the United States. He is the only President whose first language was not English. It was Dutch.
Do Romance Novelists Make Money?
August 19, 2016
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When discussing whether or not a romance novelist is successful, many people focus on how much money for romance novels sales the author makes. However, is that really the only piece that determines whether or not a romance author, or any author is successful.
Languages in the World: The Textbook
August 15, 2016
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As regular readers of this blog know, my latest academic book Languages of the World. How History, Culture and Politics Shape Language was published by Wiley-Blackwell in January of this year. Co-author Phillip M. Carter teaches at Florida International University in Miami. For professors who are considering adopting the book for their… read more
Ten Things To Know About Bulgaria
August 12, 2016
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I’m now in Bulgaria, at Balcic (also spelled Balchik), a resort town on the Black Sea. We’re staying at the Regina Maria Hotel with our balcony hardly 30 yards from water’s edge. See my blog: Bulgaria 5.0 This is the sixth time I’ve been here, and it’s high time I’ve… read more
Repost: Bulgaria 5.0
August 9, 2016
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[Town of Balchik. Cover Photo Credit: Boby Dimitrov, via Wikimedia Commons. Authorized for reuse under Creative Commons.] Note: This is a repost of the blog post I wrote last year when I was in Bulgaria. This is the fifth year in a row I’ve come with my Romanian friends to Balcic, Bulgaria. It’s… read more
Balkan Grammar
August 5, 2016
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The term Sprachbund ‘language league/area’ was first coined to refer to the unusual language situation in the Balkans. (Linguistic note: the word balkan is Turkish and means something like ‘wooded mountain chain’.) A glance at the map tells you there are many countries – from which you can infer many… read more
Ten Famous Serbs
August 2, 2016
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My recent trip to Serbia inspired me to put together a list of famous Serbs. Some are infamous. You decide. (I’m using the spellings I saw in Serbia.) I. Famous Serbs in Sports, Science, and the Arts Novak Đoković – professional tennis player currently ranked #1 in men’s singles and… read more
Serbia
July 29, 2016
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Title Image by Boris Dimitrov (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons It’s always great to visit a lively city, and Belgrade certainly fits that bill. See: my blog Belgrade. But it’s also good to get out of the capital and into the rest of the country. In… read more
Belgrade
July 26, 2016
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Belgrade Fortress When Phillip, my friend and wonderful co-author for Languages in the World, was in Spain this past month, he suggested we meet up in Serbia. I said “Sure,” especially since Belgrade is an easy hour+ plane ride from Bucharest. We met up last week. It was no surprise… read more
Romanian Political History seen through Castel Peleş
July 22, 2016
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Title Image Credit: Terrace By Camil72 – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) When my friend, Trish, came to visit me in Romania, we went to Transylvania. Note: see Transylvania I and Transylvania II On the way we stopped at the resort town of Sinaia in order to visit the fancy… read more
Transylvania II
July 18, 2016
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Now that I’ve gotten the pop culture notion of Transylvania out of the way in Transylvania I, I can deal with the real place, which is not at all wonderfully creepy (shiver, shiver) but rather very beautiful and bucolic with a rich history. Transylvania is a geographic area more or… read more
Transylvania I
July 15, 2016
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My friend, Trish, has a daughter, Caroline, who went on a talk show for kids in New York City when she was 3 years old. Somehow the subject of vampires came up, whereupon Caroline informed the host that, “Vampires comes from Pennsylvania.” Trish came to visit me in Romania last… read more
Ten Famous Romanians +2
July 11, 2016
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1. News of the death of Elie Wiesel, the writer and human rights advocate, on July 2 reminded me that he was born in Romania. His holocaust story Night (1960), a shortened version of a memoir originally written in Yiddish, was first published in France and in French. He lived… read more
My Favorite Restaurant in Bucharest
July 9, 2016
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I’ll get right to it: my favorite restaurant in Bucharest is Torna Fratre. The address is Strada Tunari 34, Sector 2. Food. The first criterion in judging a restaurant is, of course, the food. I have eaten here many times. I can say that whenever I’ve been here and whatever… read more
Romantic International Settings in Romance Novels
July 5, 2016
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Romantic international settings are popping up more frequently in romance novels. Spurred by wanderlust millennials, are these new international locations the new mainstay in romance writing or just a passing fad?
English and The Case of Romanian
July 1, 2016
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In Chapter 12 of Languages in the World we introduce Jean-Louis Calvet’s gravitational model comparing the different “weights” of languages across the world, each language having an attractive power, like stars and planets. The heavier the language, the more likely people are drawn to learn it. The lighter, the less… read more
Five Questions with Roxanne Howard
June 28, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Roxanne Howard who writes… read more
An Excellent Exercise Studio in Bucharest
June 24, 2016
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If you’re looking for a great exercise studio in Bucharest, I highly recommend Attitude Concept run by the wonderful Cecilia Dumetrier. She is beautiful, talented, tons of fun – and tough. That’s the best. Note: I spend summers in Bucharest, usually May – August. Cécile – as we girls call… read more
The Alpha’s Edge – Chapter 2
June 21, 2016
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This is the second excerpt from my latest short story, The Alpha’s Edge — a prologue to my new supernatural romance trilogy. You can read the first chapter here — and download the full novella by signing up to receive my blog posts via email, using the form on the right…. read more
Romanian Round-Up
June 17, 2016
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Note: The cover photo at the top of this post depicts the Palatul Parlamentului (or the Casa Poporului, as it was called during Ceaucescu’s time). I’ve now arrived at my major stopping place in my around-the-world trip, namely Bucharest Romania where I’ll spend the next 3 months. I’ve spent 3 – 4… read more
The Alpha’s Edge – Chapter 1
June 14, 2016
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This is an excerpt from my latest short story, The Alpha’s Edge — a prologue to my new supernatural romance trilogy. You can download the full novella by signing up to receive my blog posts via email, using the form on the right. I hope you enjoy it! -Julie I… read more
A Tale of Two Countries II – Uzbekistan and Romania
June 10, 2016
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In a Tale of Two Countries I – Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, I highlighted some of the similarities but mostly the differences between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Here I highlight some of the differences but mostly the similarities between Romania and Uzbekistan. Romania and Uzbekistan have obvious differences. First, Romania… read more
Five Questions with Ingrid Hahn
June 7, 2016
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There are so many fascinating authors and bloggers out there, and I feel lucky to be meeting many of them through Twitter and blogs. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our… read more
A Tale of Two Countries I: Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan
June 3, 2016
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Title Image: By Abbaszade656 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons The Central Asian countries of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan share many similarities. However, as a tourist, I was struck by their differences. Note: For some, Azerbaijan counts as being in the Caucasus, along with Georgia and Armenia. However,… read more
Plot, Characters and Story Magic
June 1, 2016
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Note: For more on this topic, see my previous blog post on Plot and Character Development where I state: “For me plot and character develop together, just as bone and muscle emerge together in the developing fetus.” To illustrate the points in this blog’s title I’ll use The Alpha’s Edge,… read more
On the Road in Uzbekistan
May 27, 2016
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The sixth leg of my around-the-world tour is Uzbekistan. Note: the fifth leg was Azerbaijan. See my blogs: Azerbaijan I and Azerbaijan II. Why Uzbekistan? I can’t really say. I think the names Tashkent and Samarkand drew me. Also, the complications of ticketing an around the world trip made going… read more
Azerbaijan II – A Complex Political Situation
May 23, 2016
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Photo credit: teuchterlad via VisualHunt / CC BY I’ve had Azerbaijan on the brain since doing the research for Chapter Five of Languages in the World. How History, Culture and Politics Shape Language with Phillip M. Carter (Wiley-Blackwell, 2016). Chapter Five is entitled “The Development of Writing in the Litmus… read more
Post-Communist Clean Up. The Winner Is ….
May 20, 2016
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This apartment building happens to be in Bulgaria. My recent visit to Azerbaijan inspired this blog. As I was being driven through Baku, my guide, Basran, would occasionally gesture at crumbly old buildings and say, “Soviet junk.” I’ve gained experience roaming through countries spewed by the cement mixer of communism:… read more
Azerbaijan I – A Lovely Architectural Surprise
May 16, 2016
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Title Photo credit: Stefano Bolognini via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC I left Malaysia, and after an 11-hour flight and a 4-hour layover in Istanbul followed by another 3-hour flight, I arrived in Azerbaijan. Although I was very tired and jet-lagged, I immediately perked up at sight of Baku, the capital. Baku… read more
Kuala Lumpur and Melaka, Malaysia
May 13, 2016
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The fourth stop in my trip around the world is Malaysia, landing in Kuala Lumpur. The first thing you need to know is that kuala means ‘confluence of two rivers, estuary’ and lumpur means ‘muddy’. Here I am (in the photo on the right) at the muddy confluence. Note: Everywhere in Asia… read more
Globalization Through The Lens of Malaysia
May 9, 2016
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Left: Kuala Lumpur’s Twin Towers seen from the Traders Hotel where I stayed. Note: the lunch I had at the space needle in the middle left will be the subject of a rant. Here I outline the way globalization is woven into Malaysia and the way Malaysia weaves itself into globalization…. read more
Further Observations on Japan
May 6, 2016
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Note: see my previous blog Ten Things To Love About Japanese Culture. Here is another listicle about Japan. This time the observations are random and in no particular order: 10. T-shirts/sweatshirts. Many people wear T-shirts or sweatshirts with names of U.S. states on them, like South Dakota or Maryland. Every… read more
Kinosaki-onsen – a Japanese Spa Town
May 2, 2016
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Note: In my blog Ten Things to Love About Japanese Culture, I put the Japanese onsen (communal bath) as #1. Making good on my own rating that the onsen is the height of Japanese culture, Gerard and I went to Kinosaki-onsen, a charming spa town on a northwestern coast of… read more
New York City: A Contemporary Linguistic Residual Zone
April 29, 2016
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Johanna Nichols – among her many contributions to the study of language – has identified two types of geographic zones relevant for comparative work in linguistics: residual zones and spread zones.
Azumino: The Japanese Alps
April 26, 2016
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Title Photo credit: sick_rabbit via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA This past weekend my son, Gerard, and I went to a most beautiful area of Japan, specifically Azumino City in Nagano Prefecture.
Ten Things To Love About Japanese Culture
April 22, 2016
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I’m in Japan for two weeks. It’s my second trip to visit my younger son, Gerard, who has lived in Koshien (outside of Osaka) for three and a half years. Here are the top ten things I love about Japanese culture:
Some Animals Are Smarter Than We Think, Some Dumber
April 19, 2016
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(Title photo credit: Morten Brekkevold via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-SA) I’m in California, the second leg of my trip around the world. My niece, Julia, and her family live in Mill Valley, north of San Francisco. My sister, Carol, and her husband, Phil, live in Carmel Valley, about two and… read more
Five Questions with Jillian Chantel
April 15, 2016
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There are so many fascinating authors and bloggers out there, and I feel lucky to be meeting many of them through Twitter and blogs. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our… read more
Size Matters
April 13, 2016
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Last week I was on the phone with an editor discussing my short story The Alpha’s Edge. She told me that when she hears a novelist say, “I want to write a short story” – mostly for the purpose of getting more material out into the marketplace quickly – she… read more
My Adventure Begins
April 8, 2016
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This week I’m beginning my around-the-world adventure, which will last five months. I hope you’ll enjoy following me as I blog about my travels. As a world traveler I have come to appreciate home in a way I used to take for granted.
Are You A Writer?
April 5, 2016
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Beloved children’s book author Roald Dahl offers a checklist of qualities anyone wanting to make a living out of writing fiction must have. It’s found in a short piece called Lucky Break appearing at the end of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More.
‘Why Aren’t You Married Yet?’ Seeking a New Answer to the Age-Old Question
April 1, 2016
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“Why aren’t you married yet?” That is a question that crosses the minds of many women and men who want to get married but can’t seem to make it work. However, if you are in a string of short-lived relationships, lamenting over why you aren’t married may not be the… read more
How to Talk About Love and Sex
March 29, 2016
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There are probably many disconnects in modern American public discourse. I’m not referring here to our polarized political discourse. (And on that score: Holy moly!) Rather, the disconnect I’m most interesting in talking about (and then seeking to heal) concerns our fractured public discussions on how to talk about love and… read more
Verbal Attack Patterns
March 25, 2016
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Last week at the Y I met a woman named Laura. We struck up a conversation, and among other things Laura mentioned she’d begun to do tai chi again after a thirty-year hiatus. She told me how she didn’t like her tai chi teacher of thirty years ago and hadn’t… read more
Fabio
March 22, 2016
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Fabio. Just one name, and 1980s and 1990s romance novels come to mind. I first learned of him when I was at a book signing for my second medieval, The Viking’s Bride (1989) and someone exclaimed, “Oh, you got a Fabio cover!”
Women, Language, and Social Change
March 15, 2016
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For March, which is Women’s Month. Sociolinguist William Labov has observed: “While most language forms are stable and customary; a few rapidly changing variables may be closely compared to fashion. Change and diffusion of fashions – in clothing, cosmetics – appears to be closer to linguistic change and diffusion than… read more
Five Questions with Ranae Rose
March 11, 2016
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There are so many fascinating authors and bloggers out there, and I feel lucky to be meeting many of them through Twitter and blogs. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our… read more
Vocal Fry/Creaky Voice
March 8, 2016
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I’m a fan of HGTV. One of the shows I like is Flip or Flop with telegenic husband-wife team Tarek and Christina El Moussa. Every time I hear Christina talk, I’m always struck by how often she uses the voice register known in the media as vocal fry.
Frame Analysis
March 4, 2016
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Note: I first took up the subject of frame analysis in The Articulate Executive II and here I repeat a few of the comments I made in that blog. My argument and some examples are from George Lakoff’s Don’t Think of an Elephant! We’re in high political season, and we’re… read more
Have a Problem with “No Problem”? Here’s the Solution.
March 1, 2016
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Last week a manager in a major communications company contacted me in my role as a linguist. He wanted to consult with me on the phrase “No problem.” I was game, and we arranged a phone call. He opened the call by saying, “I notice more and more these days… read more
Writing Myself as a Character
February 26, 2016
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Alfred Hitchcock was famous, among other things, for his cameo appearances in the films he directed. Cameos are, by definition, brief appearances in a work of the performing arts, and the people play themselves. The topic of this blog is not quite cameo appearances, but it is akin, because I… read more
The Connection Between Love and Language
February 23, 2016
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The connection between love and language is connection. What is love? Connection. What is language? Connection. When you love someone, you are connected to them. If that person is in your presence, you are likely to connect with them physically – a touch on the arm, a pat on the… read more
The World in Words: A Fantastic Podcast
February 17, 2016
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If you love language, you will love Public Radio International’s The World in Words weekly podcast. I recently subscribed, and after hearing the podcast posted in the week I subscribed “A Death in the Family,” I just had to go back in the feed and find more. So far I’ve… read more
What Romance Novels Have Taught Me About Love
February 14, 2016
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In 1972 the Equal Rights Amendment was big news. In 1972 the first issue of Gloria Steinem’s Ms. magazines appeared. The next year Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in the United States. And in 1972 the publishing sensation of The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss brought the… read more
Five Questions with Emma Wildes
February 11, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the wonderful authors and bloggers I’ve met through Twitter and blogs. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today… read more
Love and Linguistics III
February 8, 2016
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Note: This post is part of a series. You may wish to read first Love and Linguistics Part I & Part II. The pleasure I take in exploring the many varieties of romance has two sides: the love side and the linguistic side.
Five Questions with Linda Lee Williams
February 4, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Linda Lee… read more
Love and Linguistics II
February 1, 2016
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Note: This post is part of a series about me and my work. You may wish to read first Love and Linguistics I. Now to answer the first question people often ask me: How is that I am both a professional linguist and a romance writer? The very question suggests… read more
Five Questions with Selena Laurence
January 28, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met online. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today is Selena Laurence, a… read more
Love and Linguistics I
January 25, 2016
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Love and Linguistics I & II are blog posts about me and my work. At the same time I’m hoping they’ll provide occasions for you to think through your passions and life career choices. I am often asked two questions: How does it happen that I am both a professional… read more
Five Questions with Devika Fernando
January 21, 2016
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I’m having so much fun connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met through Twitter and blogs. This is the latest entry in my series of conversations with other romance authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and more. Our guest today… read more
Speak American
January 18, 2016
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Today’s post features guest blogger Philip M. Carter, my co-author on the new book Languages in the World. In a 2015 interview with CNN, former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sara Palin stated that if you are in the United States, you must ‘speak American.’ On the Internet and… read more
Cross Cultural Gift Giving
January 14, 2016
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Nothing is more difficult. I’ve heard the story of a businessman from Connecticut who was invited to the wedding of his Chinese partner’s daughter. The American businessman thought it was a good idea to give the bride a Seth Thomas clock, since it was the symbol of quality and workmanship… read more
The 2015 Words of the Year Have Been Chosen!
January 11, 2016
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Every year at the Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting, The American Dialect Society holds an open forum to choose the words of the year. On January 8, 2016, the room at the LSA conference center in Washington DC was packed with several hundred people eager to vote. Five nominees… read more
Languages in the World: Writing the Book
January 7, 2016
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Languages in the World. How History, Culture and Politics Shape Language began with a simple phone call. In the Fall Semester of 2010, I was in Durham, North Carolina, where I teach at Duke University. Phillip was living in Los Angeles, where he was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Linguistics… read more
Boost Your Mood: Read a Romance
January 4, 2016
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Last January, 2015 the Wall Street Journal ran a front page article on the rise of professional cuddlers who might charge $1/minute to spoon. Skin-to-skin contact is not involved. The cuddlers and their clients keep their clothes on. Their customers say that cuddling lessens anxiety and increases a sense of… read more
Spoofing the Romance: How To Do It Right
December 31, 2015
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All images belong to the CW and Jane the Virgin I have a sense of humor. I love comedies and happily watch stand-up. I recently heard comic Lewis Black’s favorite joke: “If a man speaks in a forest and there’s no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?” Okay,… read more
Creativity and the Road Trip
December 28, 2015
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Tips for tapping into creativity: Take a new way to work. Wear your watch on your other wrist. Go crazy and part your hair on the other side for a change. There are few thoroughfares I like less than I-95, especially the stretch between North Carolina and Orlando, Florida. I’ve… read more
Five Questions with Kimberly Lang
December 24, 2015
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Happy Christmas Eve! I’ve had so much fun this year connecting with all the smart authors and bloggers I’ve met through Twitter, and look forward to meeting many more in 2016. This is the seventh interview in my series of conversations with other authors, who join us to share about their… read more
Naming Your Characters
December 21, 2015
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Rule #1. Don’t give characters names that begin with the same initial. If you have two characters Richard and Robert, it’s going to be difficult for your readers to tell them apart when reading at normal speed. It will not help to change their names to, say, Rick and Roberto…. read more
Five Questions with MK Meredith
December 17, 2015
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There are so many smart women out there writing novels for the romance genre. I love connecting with them on the Internet. This is the sixth interview in my new series of conversations with other authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and… read more
Plot and Character Development
December 14, 2015
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There is no one creative process. I was surprised to discover just the other day that the poet Yeats first wrote out in prose form what he then turned into a poem. It never occurred to me that poetry could originate in prose. I don’t know why it hadn’t, but… read more
Romance Villains
December 10, 2015
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You know who does good villains? Disney. Two easily come to mind: Claude Frollo the scrawny Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Ursula the massive sea witch in The Little Mermaid. Ruthless, self-righteous, religiously pious Frollo is super creepy – literally. As he creeps around the cathedral, spouting… read more
Off the Beaten Path
December 7, 2015
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There is no more “off the beaten path.” In this era of global travel all paths are sufficiently beaten. About 30 years ago I heard about the pilgrimage route known as St. Jacques de Compostelle in northern Spain. It’s a route you walk and stay at hostels along the way…. read more
How To Take Criticism To Grow as a Writer
December 3, 2015
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First: Aaaarrrrggghhh! (Yes, let’s just let out all the pain at the beginning.) Taking criticism is the worst. Horrible, horrible, viscera-writhing horrible. Okay, that’s done. Deep breath. Now let’s think constructively. Consider the source of the criticism before you consider whether you can learn from it. Take, for instance, reviews… read more
Romance Subgenres
November 30, 2015
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My quest as a romance writer is to mine the riches of as many subgenres of this wide-ranging art form as I possibly can.
Thanksgiving 2015
November 26, 2015
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My fantasy: In the run-up to Halloween, I see Halloween decorations with an orange and black color scheme. After Halloween I see Thanksgiving decorations with turkeys and autumn leaves with an orange and brown color scheme. Only after Thanksgiving do I see the red and green of Christmas and all… read more
Know Your Value
November 23, 2015
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On November 20th I attended the Know Your Value event hosted by Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s Morning Joe in Orlando. It was the last of a nationwide effort focused on empowering women to express their worth in business and in life. The other cities on the tour were Philadelphia, DC, Chicago,… read more
How To Act Like a Local When You Travel
November 19, 2015
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When in Rome, it’s sometimes simply not possible to do as the Romans do, because you can’t figure out what’s going on. This is the sad, humbling, delightful truth of traveling. Having said that, however, I will also say that Americans traveling abroad are like facelifts in LA: you can… read more
Love After All
November 16, 2015
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I love treating the setting for a story as a secondary character. A lively setting allows my main characters to shine brighter. I travel a lot and use the many places I go as backdrops for my narrative imagination. One place that can hardly be outdone for romantic possibilities is… read more
How Big is Your Canvas?
November 12, 2015
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When my children were little, I read them lots children’s books. We all know the classics, to name just one: Goodnight Moon. I read it myself when I was a kid. Rereading it as an adult, I knew I wouldn’t know where to begin to write a book with a… read more
Coming Up With Story Ideas
November 9, 2015
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Cover photo credit: Odysseus and the Sirens, by J. W. Waterhouse (Public Domain) An upfront refinement: the challenge isn’t coming up with story ideas. The challenge is coming up with your interpretation of the story you have chosen from the finite pool of plots that have existed for all time. So a… read more
The Hero’s Journey
November 5, 2015
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The subtitle to this blog should be: The Romance. It is rather: Linguistics and Me. The idea of the hero’s journey is most associated with American mythologist Joseph Campbell and his book Hero With a Thousand Faces (1949). His work was inspired by Austrian psychologist Otto Rank’s The Myth of… read more
Immersing Yourself in a Culture
November 2, 2015
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There is only one way to immerse yourself in a culture: you have to make an effort to learn the language. Any effort less than learning the language is not immersion. It’s floating on the surface. Sure, you can get to know locals and converse with them in English. You… read more
Finding Time to Write
October 29, 2015
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Writers write. Writers have to write. Writers can’t help but write. You’ve heard such statements. They’re true. They’re also potentially damaging. The implication behind them is that you’ll naturally find time to write, because as a writer, you write, you have to write, you can’t help but write. It’s easy… read more
Thanatos and Eros
October 26, 2015
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On September 17, I went to the presentation of Regina José Galindo, a Guatemalan performance artist. She specializes in body art. The event was sponsored by the Duke University Department of Art & History and Duke Latino/a Studies. The room was packed, with easily 70 people in attendance. For the… read more
The Articulate Executive II
October 22, 2015
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Note: See The Articulate Executive I for the source of my title. In my years of teaching, I have always gone early to class to chat with students before the hour begins. I haven’t had difficulty getting conversation going until these past few years. Now when I walk into the… read more
The Articulate Executive I
October 19, 2015
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If you are facing an upcoming public speech, I have a story to share with you. It involves a book by Granville Toogood entitled The Articulate Executive. Some years ago I was invited to be the lunch speaker at a meeting of the Duke University Library Board of Trustees. I… read more
Addictions
October 15, 2015
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Note: In a previous blog My Travels and Hollywood I write about going to the Monte Carlo Casino and being struck by how easy it was to think of James Bond movies and, from there, how I realized the extent to which international travel is currently informed by the visual… read more
Five Questions with Jade Lee / Kathy Lyons
October 12, 2015
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There are so many smart women out there writing novels for the romance genre. I love connecting with them on the Internet. This is the fifth interview in my new series of conversations with other authors, who join us to share about their creative process, their habits, their inspiration, and… read more
Alter Egos: Thomas Edison & Steve Jobs
October 8, 2015
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Photo Credit: Matthew Yohe, released under Creative Commons Attribution license. Last week I happened to read two books back to back. The first was Walter Isaacson’s 2011 biography of Steve Jobs. The second was Jacked Up: The Inside Story of How Jack Welch Talked GE into Becoming the World’s Greatest Company… read more
Romance Matters
October 6, 2015
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Cover Photo Credit: Gerry Lauzon. Authorized for reuse under this Creative Commons license. On Labor Day I went with a friend to see Straight Outta Compton. The movie tells the story of the rise and fall of the rap group N.W.A., perhaps best known for their track F*** tha Police…. read more
Mongolian Horses
October 1, 2015
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In the early thirteenth century Genghis Khan united a variety of Mongolia’s nomadic tribes. Because of the Mongolians’ exceptional skill as horsemen, Genghis Khan was able to conquer many of his neighbors. In 1204 he subdued the Uyghur people in what is now Xinjiang, a western province of China. There… read more
Centering Your Saltshaker
September 28, 2015
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I just finished reading Setting the Table by Danny Meyer. He’s a legendary New York City restaurateur who started Union Square Café in 1986 then Gramercy Tavern in 1994. He has followed these two great restaurants with another eleven. Amazing. I enjoyed the book on its own merits. I also… read more
Look There
September 23, 2015
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In Languages in the World we have defined language as an orienting behavior that orients the orientee within his or her cognitive domain. When we think about deep time and the co-evolution of the human brain and language, we speculate that the first linguistic orientation was likely that of orientation:… read more
Five Questions with Morgan K. Wyatt
September 21, 2015
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I love connecting with and learning from other writers and bloggers online. This is the fourth post in my new series of interviews with some of the wonderful romance writers, who join us to share about their creativity, their work, their habits, and their passion for the genre. Today’s guest is Morgan K…. read more
Eiffel Towers in Vietnam
September 17, 2015
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Visitors to Vietnam, if they go to the mountain town of Da Lat or the beach town on Con Dao Island, might be surprised to see what looks to be a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower sprouting from the top of a building in city center. Upon closer inspection,… read more
Anatomy of Criticism V
September 14, 2015
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Note: I have devoted four previous blogs to Frye’s Anatomy of Criticism (1957). Please see them before reading this: Anatomy of Criticism I, Anatomy of Criticism II, Anatomy of Criticism III, and Anatomy of Criticism IV. This blog is a postscript to Anatomy of Criticism I – IV in which I discuss Northrup Frye’s Anatomy… read more
Austronesian Origin Stories
September 10, 2015
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Cover Photo Credit: fr:Utilisateur:FRED, Wikimedia User. Authorized for under this Creative Commons license: The pre-colonial Polynesians revered a supreme deity who, according to the story, huddled in an egg-shaped shell for countless ages in endless space. After an infinite period of impenetrable darkness, the god hatched himself. Upon beholding a… read more
Five Questions with Leslie Ray
September 7, 2015
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I love connecting with and learning from other writers and bloggers online. This is the third post in my new series, interviewing some of the intelligent and thoughtful romance writers who share about their craft. Today’s guest is Leslie Ray, an author of contemporary romance novels, including the soon-to-be-published book RUN TO… read more
Anatomy of Criticism, Part 4
September 3, 2015
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Note: I have devoted three previous blogs to Frye’s Anatomy of Criticism (1957). Please see them before reading this: Anatomy of Criticism I, Anatomy of Criticism II, and Anatomy of Criticism III Here I repeat in bold type the three facets of Frye’s historical approach I outlined in the previous blog. Then I… read more
Five Questions with Jan Romes
August 31, 2015
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I love connecting with and learning from other writers and bloggers online. This is the second post in my new series, interviewing some of the intelligent and thoughtful romance writers who share about their craft. Today’s guest is Jan Romes, a fellow literary blogger and the author of the Texas Boys Falling… read more
Melting Snow and Protests at the Top of the World
August 27, 2015
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Cover Photo Credit: Antoine Taveneaux. Authorized for reuse under this Creative Commons license. In 2010 government officials in Quinhai Province in western China detained twenty people for participating in protests that consumed the region for several days. The detained were not professional activists, radicals, or members of a well-funded political… read more
The Bridge of Love Locks in Paris: The Secret Beginnings
August 24, 2015
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This fanciful blog was inspired by my first time-slip novel The Blue Hour (affiliate) . The story features Jeanne and Victor, two star-crossed lovers in 19th-century Paris, whose karmic fall-out is affecting the lives of their 20th-century reincarnations, Alexandra and Val. In the 19th century Jeanne had an admirer, Pierre, the owner of… read more
Anatomy of Criticism, Part 3
August 20, 2015
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Note: In my previous blog posts Anatomy of Criticism Part I and Anatomy of Criticism Part II, I discuss Northrup Frye’s Anatomy of Criticism (1957). Frye identifies five genres: drama, epic, lyric, history, and novel. He distinguishes among five modes: mythic, romance, high mimetic, low mimetic, and ironic. Two uptakes:… read more
Ronda Rousey
August 17, 2015
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Cover Photo Credit: WikiMedia User Msmirlie2863. Edited and authorized for reuse under this Creative Commons license. Ronda Rousey is currently the reigning women’s bantamweight champion of the UFC. She is undefeated, having won all of her 12 fights and all in the first round. Most recently, on August 1, 2015 in Rio… read more
The Story of the Qur’ān
August 13, 2015
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According to Islamic tradition, the Qur’ān is a book of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It did not come to him in the form of a complete book but rather in parts over a period of several decades. The first part was revealed in 610 at Jabal an-Nur ‘The… read more
Anatomy of Criticism, Part 2
August 11, 2015
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Note: In Anatomy of Criticism Part 1, I open a discussion of Northrup Frye’s key work Anatomy of Criticism (1957). Frye distinguishes among five genres: drama, epic, lyric, history, and novel. In other words, Frye does not have a notion of genre in terms of what we now call genre… read more
Lines are Drawn in the Sand
August 6, 2015
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In 1915 and 1916, while World War I was ravaging Europe, English diplomat Sir Mark Sykes and his French counterpart François Georges-Picot met in a series of negotiations. The result of these meetings was the Sykes-Picot agreement that would determine the zones of influence in the Middle East for England… read more
Anatomy of Criticism – Part 1
August 4, 2015
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What is the difference between so-called genre fiction and so-called literary fiction? Another way to ask the question is to wonder: When did genre fiction begin to be called genre fiction? The distinction seems so clear these days when you can walk into a library, a bookstore, or search online… read more
The Role of Sanskrit in Philology
July 30, 2015
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In 1778 William Jones, a lawyer in London with a taste for politics, heard the news that one of four Supreme Court judge positions in India was open. The judges were all appointed in England, because by that time the Persian Mughal Empire in India had come under the military… read more
Bulgaria 5.0
July 27, 2015
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[Town of Balchik. Cover Photo Credit: Boby Dimitrov, via Wikimedia Commons. Authorized for reuse under Creative Commons.] This is the fifth year in a row I’ve come with my Romanian friends to Balcic, Bulgaria. It’s on the Black Sea. This year is a bit of an extravaganza. Three of us decided to reserve… read more
The Australian Walkabout
July 23, 2015
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Cover Photo Credit: Steve Evans from Citizen of the World Aboriginal Australian cultures have a rite of passage known as the Walkabout. Adolescent males spend up to six months on foot tracing paths established by their ancestors. These journeys can be as long as 1000 miles, and the young men… read more
On Romanian Gypsies
July 20, 2015
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Romanian Gypsies are a problem. There, I’ve said it. The first problem is with their name: gypsies, from the place name Egypt. In Romanian it’s țigani. But the gypsies don’t come from Egypt. They’re Indo-Iranian. Their proper ethnonym is Roma, more technically spelled Rroma. They’re also called Romany. Romania has… read more
Enriching Your Story
July 16, 2015
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In Three Tips for Creating Good Dialogue I mention the technique of imagining what other art form your story could be in order for you to get a sense of the proportion of dialogue to narration. As an example here I suggest that Jane Austen novels are minuets, unhurried, elegant,… read more
The Peculiarly American Love of Self-Help
July 13, 2015
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Note: I wrote this blog after reading Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief. Vintage Book, Random House, 2013. The HBO documentary Going Clear was aired in April, 2015. “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found… read more
Five Questions with Rachel Knowles of ‘Regency History’
July 9, 2015
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One of the wonderful things about the Internet is the ability to connect with and learn from other writers and bloggers. This is the first post in my new series of posts, interviewing some of the intelligent and thoughtful romance writers who share about their craft. My first guest is… read more
Romanian Television, Romanian Politics
July 6, 2015
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Since buying an apartment in Bucharest in 2006, I spend summers in Romania. Note: My extreme sport is buying and selling property in a language where I am not a native speaker and the currency has an enormous amount of zeroes. I sold my original apartment in 2007, bought another,… read more
Campbell Soup Cans and the Romance Novel
June 18, 2015
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You’ve seen them, Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soups Cans, painted in 1962 and now displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Here’s a selection: You might have also seen Roy Lichtenstein’s Drowning Girl. It was painted in 1963 and has been part of MoMA’s permanent collection since… read more
My Travels and Hollywood
June 11, 2015
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On Mother’s Day my son had the bright idea to take me gambling – big time gambling, as in the Monte Carlo Casino. We happened to be in Nice, France, and Monaco/Monte Carlo is a 15-minute train ride away. Mother’s Day – or la fête des mères – in France… read more
Hanukkah! Kentucky Derby!
June 4, 2015
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Sarah Wendell, creator of smartbitchestrashybooks.com gave a talk at Duke University in March at the Unsuitable Series, led by Laura Florand and Katherine DuBois. Laura and Katie are both published romance writers and both teach at Duke, where I also teach. The title of Sarah’s talk was “Female Sexuality and… read more
Rom Com French Style
May 28, 2015
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The weather in Paris in May is wonderful – except when it isn’t. So what to do on a blustery rainy afternoon? Go to a movie, of course. We went to Les Halles, a shopping/entertainment complex in the center of Paris, where we knew there would be 30+ movies to… read more
The Magic Number
May 22, 2015
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Three-ring circus. Three cheers for you! Three Musketeers. Three blind mice. Jamais deux sans trois. (Never two without three.) Aller guten Dinge sind drei. (All good things are ____ ((you fill in the blank).) A triptych is a three-part painting, with the panels hinged together. It is meant to be… read more
Fight Night (A Writer’s Research Adventure)
May 14, 2015
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Last month I went to Pensacola, Florida with my friend Gail to attend Island Fights 33, an event with both boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) matches. Roy Jones, Jr. was the headliner – or, as it’s more accurate to say, he was at the top of the card. He’s… read more
All Eyes On Her
April 9, 2015
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Lately I’ve been reading New Adult fiction, mostly sports-themed romances. A recurrent feature of these stories has caught my attention. It’s the moment in the narrative when the heroine experiences “all eyes on her.” One story, featuring a college football hero, has the wildly improbable scene where the star player… read more
The Web, Creativity, and The Artist’s Way
April 3, 2015
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In a recent blog Jemima Kiss writes, “The web has stolen my creativity. What I need is the time and space to think.” First off, Jemima, no one forced you to log on. You gave your creativity away. However, let me soften the scold. I get it, Jemima: the web… read more
Gold in the Mayan Highlands and Language Endangerment
March 26, 2015
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For thousands of years the K’iche’ people have revered the golden kernels belonging to a plant known as maize. Their sacred stories tell of the first humans who were fashioned from the bread made from these kernels and who were given the gift of language. More recently a new and… read more
Motoring around Saigon: My Forest Breeze Series
March 10, 2015
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In 2012 I spent six months in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. My goal, as a linguist, was to overcome my fear of a tone language. Vietnamese is a language with six tones. Note: in a tone language if you change the way the word is said, you change… read more
Pornography
February 26, 2015
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“I know it when I see it.” This phrase was famously used in 1964 by United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when he ruled that the French film, The Lovers, was not obscene and therefore not subject to banning from theaters. He saw the film and did not see… read more
Beauty & the Beast & BDSM
February 23, 2015
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Among the trailers shown before Fifty Shades of Grey this past weekend was the upcoming Disney remake of Cinderella. The question is: How many times can Cinderella be remade? The answer is: Infinite. Such is the power of fairy tales. Psychologists Sigmund Freud, Otto Rank, Carl Jung, and Bruno Bettelheim,… read more
Romance Novels and Sensitive Nerves
February 20, 2015
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The things that cause an individual or a society discomfort and anxiety often provoke ridicule, scorn, and/or disregard. Romance novels provoke all three responses. Note: I have addressed the ridicule in my blog On the Term ‘Bodice Ripper,’ the scorn in my blog Five Myths About Romance Novels, and the… read more
On Authorial Distance
February 13, 2015
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On Christmas Day 2014 I listened to an interview Diane Rehm had with Margaret Atwood about her new story collection Stone Mattress: Nine Tales. Note: The original NPR airdate was November 10, 2014. During the interview Atwood read the opening pages from the title story first published in The New… read more
Sex, Outrageous Reversals, and Romance Novels
February 6, 2015
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In Creation of the Sacred. Tracks of Biology in Early Religions Walter Burkert, Professor of Classics at the University of Zurich, writes: ”We must acknowledge the highly ambivalent status of sex in all human societies, with all sorts of disclaimers, secrecy, and repression, and the concomitant possibility of outrageous reversals.”… read more
Lord Blackwell’s Rude Awakening – Part One
January 30, 2015
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This is the first part of my new short historical romance story, Lord Blackwell’s Rude Awakening. The full book is now available for download on my website. Please click here to download your copy. July, 1814 Max approached the library. He was about to announce himself to Richard, one of his oldest… read more
Spanglish
January 20, 2015
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In 1821 Mexico won its independence from Spain and came into control of territory that extended not only over present-day Mexico but also over present-day Central America as well as large parts of present-day southwest United States. The new Mexican government continued the Spanish practice of issuing land grants to… read more
Three Tips for Creating Good Dialogue
January 12, 2015
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In my post The Importance of Writing Dialogue I note that dialogue is an important, if not the most important, way to build character. The words, phrases, whole paragraphs, mere grunts, or even silences that come out (or don’t come out) of your character’s mouth are the psychological and emotional fingerprints… read more
How I Create Historical Atmosphere
January 5, 2015
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Science fiction, fantasy, and historical novels bring to life worlds unknown to the reader. Science fiction and fantasy novels invent ones that never existed or don’t yet exist, while historical novels invoke ones that once existed. The standard definition of the most recent temporal limit of a historical at any… read more
Genre Self-Reference
December 17, 2014
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In Genre Etiquette I critique the practice of using the romance novel as an index of the kind of thing stupid people read. The practice serves to distance the writer from the romance, presumably thereby to validate and valorize the writer’s own work. It’s a hackneyed move at this point–… read more
Genre Etiquette
December 11, 2014
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“If the heroine of one novel be not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard?” Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey The broader context of Austen’s authorial intrusion is the following: “I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom so common with novel-writers, of degrading… read more
Knowing Her (Own) Mind: A Common Romance Trope v. Gone Girl
December 4, 2014
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Spoiler alert: Do not read this blog if you’re planning to see Gone Girl. A few days ago I chose a romance featuring a jaded ex-lawyer who has seen too many of his fellow lawyers’ marriages crash and burn under the pressure of long working hours and the demands of… read more
P.D. James, the Detective Novel, and the Romance Novel
December 2, 2014
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P.D. James died over the Thanksgiving weekend. The lengthy obituary in the New York Times for this celebrated crime novelist includes a number of quotes from her, among others: “I came to believe that it is perfectly possible to remain within the constraints and conventions of the genre and be a… read more
The Mindy Project and Abby the Romance Writer
November 19, 2014
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Yay to The Mindy Project for introducing the character of Abby Berman. She appeared for the first time in the episode entitled Caramel Princess Time. Abby is smart, likeable, and a historical romance writer who describes the genre as “pornography you’re allowed to read on the subway.” Since it’s The… read more
Beauty Traps I
November 11, 2014
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There is one sort of beauty trap with which all women are familiar. Another one is literary. The first beauty trap involves the perception of a woman’s beauty, from childhood through old age, both as she regards herself and as she is regarded by others. A woman’s perception of her… read more
On Silence and Singularity and the Romance Novel
November 4, 2014
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On October 20, 2014, a symposium on the romance novel was held at Duke University entitled “Unsuitable #1.” It was organized by Katherine DuBois and Laura Florand, both of whom write romances and teach at Duke, as do I. The presentations were wonderful and the discussion lively. One of the… read more
Language and Power: When Things Go Horribly Wrong
October 27, 2014
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In the Indian Ocean off the south coast of India is the island nation of Sri Lanka. The majority population is the Sinhalese, an ethnogroup who tend to be Buddhists and who speak Sinhala, an Indo-European language. They share the island with the minority Tamils, who tend to be Hindu…. read more
The Chick-Lit Heroine
September 12, 2014
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Note: In my blog post The Politics of Romance, I sketch out the idea that part of the interest of a romance novel is the way the narrative highlights the sexual politics of the time period of the story. In my blog post The Romance Heroine, I identify two kinds of… read more
The Forest Breeze Series
September 5, 2014
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Note: In my blog post The Romance Novel as an Art Form, I note that I’ve long admired the Rolling Stones for trying out their versions of various rock subgenres: blues, honky-tonk, hard, soft, anthem, ballad. For my part, I’ve loved exploring the range of romance subgenres. In the category of… read more
Oliver Cromwell, The Scarlet Letter, and the Romance Novel
August 26, 2014
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Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) was the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1653 until his death. He was instrumental in closing English inns and theaters, which, according to him, were dens of iniquity, and in having King Charles I beheaded in 1649. Cromwell has the distinction… read more
The Romance Novel and Avant-Garde Art
August 9, 2014
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In a previous blog post, I mentioned how romance novelists and avant-garde artists are at opposite ends of a numbers spectrum.[1] The number of people writing romance novels, novellas and/or short stories is huge. The number of avant-garde artists is small. If the number of people doing anything is more… read more
The Romance Novel as an Art Form
July 16, 2014
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I don’t have to go out on a limb to say this, because I’m already out on that limb: the romance novel is an art form. Yes, it’s an art form like any other. It’s a very popular art form, which means in terms of numbers of practitioners, it’s at… read more
The Sense of Place in My Novels
June 24, 2014
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I love to travel. Either I go out into the world by setting foot outside my door, or I let the world come to me, primarily through books. Right now I am far outside my front door, namely in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. At the same time I have Kristen Ashley’s… read more
Gender/Genre Bias
June 16, 2014
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The most quoted of Shakespearean questions– What’s in a name?— now has a clear answer: gender bias. Female-named hurricanes kill about twice as many people as male-named hurricanes. Why? Because people are less likely to evacuate for a female-named hurricane. Fact of the matter is, people don’t take female-named hurricanes… read more
My Recent Best Romance Reads
June 9, 2014
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MC Romance: Jaci J The Ride (Hell’s Disciplines MC). I noticed that some of the reviewers online complained about the many spelling and grammar mistakes. They didn’t bother me. In fact, as I kept reading, I thought they were part of the authenticity of the story. The hero, Tank, isn’t… read more
The Romance Heroine
June 5, 2014
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There are two kinds of romance heroines. (Yes, I just made that move. There are two kinds of people: those who divide the world in two, and those who ….) The first kind is naked aspirational. The second kind is self-sufficient. The two are easy to confuse. Let’s blame the… read more