The release launch and celebration for Touch and Go was standing room only (more than 70 people) at the Capitola Book Café on Wednesday, September 28. They had 50 books in stock, and that wasn’t enough; by the end of the night all books sold out and people wanted more. Touch and Go Read more…
CriticalBanter on writing and life
1 week to go … and no longer counting
If I get tears in my eyes when I read a good review of Touch and Go, does it mean I care too much what reviewers say? . . . or that I’ve been trying for success for too long? . . . or that I’m not jaded enough yet? Probably all of the Read more…
2 1/2 weeks . . . and counting
Time is flying now, and my friends Paul Skenazy and Rick Hanford separately recommended that I spend time with Touch and Go. Read it again. Strip away the things that have been taking up my time. Select the sections I need to read. Connect with why I wrote a novel. Why do stories matter? Read more…
4 weeks … and counting
Wild mood swings. Pins and needles. That’s what I’ve been feeling since my novel, Touch and Go, has been out with reviewers and as the release date (This month! September 27!) draws near. The great news is that early blog reviews have been fantastic. Several early reviewers are posting at LibraryThing and Read more…
Writer’s dream job
I dreamt a few weeks ago that I got an office job as an assistant to some pseudo-powerful person, a college president perhaps. (Remember when college presidents were powerful and outspoken? Now they’re mostly fundraisers.) At first I humored myself; I thought I was important. But my job was menial. I had to fill Read more…
5 weeks … and counting
This past week some anxiety set in. Not the bad sort, uncharted and deep-seated and vaguely disconnected to the world. But the nagging sort that kicks in about 4:00 in the morning and makes me toss and turn and wonder if I shouldn’t be doing more to promote and support my first novel. Underlying it Read more…
Dialog in the Dark
There’s a fabulous exhibit I’d love to “not see” in New York. It’s called Dialog in the Dark and it opened this weekend at the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan. Visitors learn to use a white cane and are led through a series of urban environments — a subway, Times Square, a supermarket — Read more…
6 weeks … and counting
Huge week. Breakthrough week. Well, for this writer anyway. My website and Facebook page for Touch and Go came live, and I was blown away by the well wishes and support of people responding on and offline. And from so many phases of my life: home town, ultimate Frisbee, high school, Japan, family, Oberlin, neighbors, Read more…
There’s hope!
This blog is for all of us who are trying to find our dreams and pursue them, while questioning ourselves (but not badgering ourselves — no, don’t badger) every step of the way. I’ve been writing fiction in various forms, as I’ve held down full-time jobs (well, some part-time) for about 30 years. It Read more…
