Greetings from the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival 2015!

When this post goes out, I’ll be happily on my annual hajj to Matera, the beautiful cave town in southern Italy. Each September, the town plays host to the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival, and I always enjoy my literary escape to this idyllic spot. Each year, I learn so much about the publishing industry, chat…

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More summer favorite reading … That Summer

After reading and enjoying Lauren Willig’s The Ashford Affair, I was happy to pick up That Summer.  Willig’s new novel is a dual narrative following both modern Julia Conley, a victim of New York’s financial crisis who finds herself out of a job, but inheriting a house – Herne House – from a mysterious aunt…

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Favorite summer reading so far … Big Little Lies

The summer is still young – or at least that’s how I choose to look at it since my vacation (read: peak reading time) comes later in the summer – but my favorite read so far is Big Little Lies  by Australian author Liane Moriarty. I discovered Moriarty this year with The Husband’s Secret and…

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Making room for your writing

This helpful article was in the last issue of Writer’s Digest. Its author is the women’s fiction novelist Amy Sue Nathan, who also hosts the popular Women’s Fiction Writers blog. Nathan offers some helpful insight into how to carving out time and space for your writing, even in the midst of the overwhelming demands of…

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Congratulations to Ali Smith – Bailey’s Prize 2015 winner

Congratulations to Ali Smith! Her novel How to Be Both was named as this year’s winner of the Bailey’s Prize. I’m always pleased to celebrate the Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize). I’ve already posted the 2015 short list on my site, and I don’t envy the judges for what must have been a…

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Best websites for writers

Writer’s Digest came out with their annual list of the best web sites for writers. Many of my favorites made the list. Others I didn’t know of, but will have to explore. Here are some of the sites I enjoy that made this year’s list, and hope other writers will find useful: Nathan Bransford :…

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Bailey’s Prize shortlist for 2015

The Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist is out. I love following the Bailey’s Prize (formerly the Orange prize). There has been some criticism that there is no longer any need for a separate prize for female authors, but if the final list of last year’s Booker prize (see my earlier post) is anything to go…

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