In Which Professor Blake Posts My Homework Assignment on the Internet

It’s true: Professor Theodosia Blake, Head Witch of Harmswood Academy in my Nocturne Falls Universe series, was named after my dear friend Deborah Blake. Deborah is a witchy professor in her own right–she’s written multiple books for Llewellyn on the subject. She also penned a fantastic series based around the mythology of the legendary witch Baba Yaga. In fact,…

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Home from Boot Camp with Big Ideas

Hey, everybody! I’m officially home from Jane Yolen’s Picture Book Boot Camp…which means I got in late Sunday night and then spent an entire day in bed in excruciating pain (this whole neck thing is *not* my idea of a good time). I’ll be posting pics here in the near future…and maybe some thoughts…it’s just that everything that happened…

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What’s Love Got to Do With It?

When it rains it pours. I should know by now that the minute I get home and prepped for NaNoWriMo, I suddenly find myself with multiple meetings and podcast interviews and guest blogs to share. Apres moi, le deluge! Today, for example, two of my fabulous essays have gone live. The first: My now-infamous monthly blog post on the…

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The Princess of Many Half-Completed Movements

“She eased closer to him, studying his face. As if he might be someone she knew but didn’t fully recognize. She shifted to one side and checked his profile, reached out like she might ruffle his hair. He was hoping, but she didn’t. She was a girl of many half-completed movements.” –Tom Piccirilli, November Mourns November Mourns was the…

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My “Precious 5-Stars” Essay Now Live at Clarkesworld

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and their own score system. As long as people continue to be unique, diverse individuals, reviews will never be standardized (and thank goodness!). But will Precious Five-Stars ultimately become a matter of pride or a source of punishment for authors today? Read the rest of the article (and comment) here at Clarkesworld…

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Like a Box of Chocolates, 2015

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of Andre Norton, Grand Dame of SF. It’s difficult to believe that it’s been a decade since Miss Andre left us. When Jay asked me to contribute something to the Andre Norton Books site, I thought it only fitting to offer him the essay I wrote at the time, my eulogy…

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THE GRAND FINALE

A themed tour with Prism Book Tours. Here it is, the Grand Finale of the BOOK TOUR for Dearest By Alethea Kontis And can I just say…I have had an AMAZING time this month. How amazing, you ask? Well, I tossed a bunch of glitter out into the intarwebs and MAGIC HAPPENED. Thank you again to Prism Book Tours,…

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Beauty & Dynamite, Available Again

This is still my favorite cover copy description: Once upon a time, a young girl walked into a world of wonder and delight. But that’s not where this story starts. The young woman she became published a nationally recognized children’s book and edited a star-filled collection of stories to benefit the tsunami relief effort. But that’s not where this…

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Star-Crossed Princess

Lynda K. Scott hosted me on her “Star-Crossed Romance” blog, which features Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance. Of course, my essay took the subject for a spin, and I decided to discuss magic and romance in the real world…as outlined by the first volume of my memoirs, Beauty & Dynamite. Beauty & Dynamite will be released mid-April from Alliteration…

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