What follows are my love letters to books I read in that were published in the last two years. Stay current, my friends. Dear Roller Girl, I spent every Friday night as a teen watching roller derby and eating egg rolls at my friend's house. It's about time I saw it on the page! I've … Continue reading To the Books I’ve Loved in 2016

After spotting this artwork, I decided to dedicate this Christmas post to one of my favorite movies , Gremlins. This movie provides powerful lessons that can sustain you the whole year. 1. In the eyes of a child, money is no substitute for love. 2. Never underestimate someone on the basis of appearance. 3. Everyone … Continue reading Christmas with Gremlins

The Details Jimmy gets the twins back. The twins keep Elsa's secret. Bette wants the royal treatment. Dot wants money for separation surgery. Richard blackmails Dell into killing a freak. When Dell fails to kill Eve, Jimmy talks to him about leaving the show before he gets murdered. Ethel wants justice the only way they … Continue reading #AmericanHorrorStory–Test of Strength

To all you who say it's too early to start preparing for Halloween, I say that the trick is to never stop preparing. I saw my first box of Halloween candy at the store yesterday, and then Renae Rude posted this:'Tis time, boys and ghouls! In honor of my favorite holiday, I'll be hosting a … Continue reading Boo! You’re Invited to My Halloween Party!

Christine at Better Novel Project put out a request on Twitter for a post on the 10 best classics someone could begin reading. I developed some criteria: The book must be short enough to sustain interest and momentum. I must have read it. This is why your list would look different from mine. Teenagers in … Continue reading Top Ten Classics for Beginners

Last week I touched on archetypes in our discussion of characters versus plot in horror. Since there are archetypes for both in the genre, it's tough to say one is more important than the other, and any author worth her salt should be investing in both. Then we stumbled into interesting territory--what separates an archetype … Continue reading 3 Ways to Go From Cliché to Archetype