"This is the house that the Hinkle sisters lived in, and that's the muddy river where Thomas and Jackie fished together." Joyce Hostetter pointed out the car window as we drove around around her hometown, Hickory, NC--the setting for her Bakers Mountain Series. "See that old building? That's the hosiery factory where Junior worked for a few days. Over there… Continue reading STORIES IN JOYCE'S BACKYARD: A "PICK-YOUR-OWN" GIVEAWAY!
Part I: Character A recent Facebook discussion on my wall led one of my FB friends Leslie Guccione, an author of 30 books, to blog about the importance of totally knowing your character and setting. Leslie Guccione I have often thought how stories are built from the inside out. Appropriately, her blog on character is… Continue reading Character + Setting = Story (Almost)
This book is not for the faint of heart. And it’s not for the reader who doesn’t have a stomach for scary, gory scenes and unpredictable mad scientists. But, if you are intrigued by fast-paced adventures that seem impossibly dangerous—then This Dark Endeavor is a book for you. I chose this book because I had… Continue reading This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
I’ve often compared writing and publishing a book to pregnancy, labor, and birth. Within the context of that simile, if I help a friend or student write or publish a book I either feel like a midwife or grandmother. When I received my copy of Steven Johnson’s book, Digital Tools for Teaching, I definitely felt… Continue reading Digital Tools for Teaching