#ReadWomen2014 progress: Favorite books so far

I’m so happy to have learned earlier this year from Claire, over at the wonderful Word by Word site about the #ReadWomen2014 challenge, and  I’ve written about in an earlier post. I strongly support the objective of this campaign. Talented women writers too often fall into an unfair, second-tier category when it comes to traditional book…

Read More

Enjoying sunrises and sunsets on Albania’s coast

I was just in the Albanian coastal city of Durres, Albania for work. To be fair, there’s not that much to see in this city that served briefly (from 1913 to 1920) as the Albanian capital following Albanian independence. Unfortunately, the modern city  seems to have forsaken any pretense of urban planning. It’s  been built, quite…

Read More

Like romance? Read Melinda Dozier’s short story collection

I’ve been lucky enough to announce two of Melinda Dozier’s romance novels on my site. Melinda is a talented (and prolific) romance writer, and a great critique partner. Melinda’s been a guest on my site before, with interesting author interviews when she released Time Changes Everything and Breaking The Rules. In these interviews, in addition to…

Read More

It’s beach reading season!

Where I live in central Italy, the 1 May holiday tends to kick off the season for beach-going. Yes, it’s great to go to feel the soft sand beneath your feet, to breathe the clean, sea air and to feel the repetitive ebb and flow of the waves, but really, the beach is primarily a…

Read More

Skyscraper Tourism: Petronas Twin Towers, Malaysia

I’ve already posted about my love of skyscrapers. When I’m in a city with a great observation deck, I like to get up there early to enjoy views over the city and to get a bearing on the city’s geography from up on high. I’ve already posted about things to see in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s…

Read More

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing

I think most authors today are following this debate closely. Each year, I attend the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival, and follow the discussion on this topic with authors who have been on both sides. Over at the fabulous Nathan Bransford blog, ‘hybrid’ author (meaning she has published both traditionally and self-published) Natalie Whipple provides some interesting…

Read More