How To Tackle Revisions

A little while ago I sent the most recent round of revisions to my editor. Last week he sent me an email to say that everything was great, and he loved the changes I made. Yesssss. This is a great relief. It means we’re on track for the release of my next novel, A Magnificent Crime, in 2014. Although some writers don’t enjoy doing revisions, I actually love them.… Read the rest

Recipe Box: Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Sweet & Sour Meatballs We’re into full-on winter now, so it’s time for some serious comfort food, am I right? Here’s one of my family’s favorite meals: sweet and sour meatballs. This recipe originally came from a 1995 Milk Calendar. Do you remember those? Yep, I was a university student when I first tried this recipe out, and I have been making it ever since.… Read the rest

Cover Reveal For Book Two!

I have got an excellent surprise for you today. My editor just sent me the cover image for my second book (the sequel to A BEAUTIFUL HEIST, and book two in my Agency of Burglary & Theft series). Can you hear the excitement coming through my keyboard right now?? Until today I hadn’t even publicly disclosed the title yet, so here’s a double shot….title… Read the rest

Do You Ever Abandon Books?

I used to finish every book I started reading. Even if I didn’t like it, even if I was bored, I would push through. I guess it was the Type A in me. But times have changed. As I’ve grown older I’ve realized that life is too short to read something I’m not enjoying! There are too many books out there, and my TBR list is too unwieldy, to waste time like that.… Read the rest

The Greatest Heists In History

Who doesn’t love a good heist movie (or, ahem, book)? Although sometimes, the real thing can be just as dramatic and exciting. If you know me, you know I’ve got a bit of a thing for infographics, and here’s one I was sent a while ago that’s right up my alley. Enjoy! Copyright SimpliSafe Wireless Home Security… Read the rest

The Magic Of The Surrey International Writers’ Conference

Last weekend I attended my all-time favorite writing conference, the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. I’ve been going to this conference almost every year since 2004, and it’s always a slice of heaven for me. Here’s my attempt to sum up all the reasons I love SIWC. Before SIWC, I was a closet writer (this is literally true—in my first condo I converted a closet into a writing “office”).… Read the rest

Recipe Box: Fish Tacos

We took a trip to Southern California this summer (which was absolutely awesome, by the way–here’s what we did), and while we were there, I enjoyed the yummiest thing: fish tacos. Now, I’ve had fish tacos before, but not like this. In SoCal, it’s a local specialty and they have perfected it. So when I came home I wanted to recreate this culinary experience.… Read the rest

100 Things I Love

I’ve seen a few people do this on their blogs, and I decided it was time to try it myself. In completely random order, here are 100 things I love: Good coffee Paris Yoga Going to the movies Getting up early when the house is dark and quiet Wine Train travel The soundtrack to Out Of Africa Dark chocolate with sea salt Nail polish Pinterest The sound of spoken Italian Sangria Running A man in a well-cut suit The airport Being a mom Writing Egg cups Bookstores High heeled shoes James Bond The rain New York City A warm fireplace on a cold night Olives Spending half an hour finding the exact right word Having the exact right word come to me like a bolt from the sky The smell of freshly cut grass Dresses Travel The head massage while my hairdresser is shampooing my hair The English countryside Cream tea Going to the ballet The fall The color pink Five star hotels European history Indiana Jones Vineyards Downton Abbey Goodreads The smell of lavender Popcorn People who wink, and not in a creepy way Boots Raspberries African safaris The sound of the ocean Gelato Sunset with a glass of wine Sunrise with a cup of coffee Martinis NFL on Sundays Good thin crust pizza Dancing Parisian croissants Dry humor Songza Christmas Open air markets A clean kitchen Twitter London Paper Lipgloss TV/radio announcers with rich, gravelly voices Eating in restaurants The feel of freshly washed sheets Bubble baths Singing in the car Caffe affogato (hot espresso poured over vanilla gelato) Thunderstorms Sushi The sound of my kids laughing A heartfelt compliment Grocery shopping The word quintessence The moment of departure on an adventure The feeling of returning home Cheese Writing in a coffee shop for hours Tuscany Reading a great first line in a book Umbrellas Shakespeare French fries Van Halen The BBC Making lists Dressing up Music from the 80s Tulips Handmade Mother’s Day gifts Brunch Libraries Caprese salad (ripe tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil, balsamic) The movie Moulin Rouge Chasing dreams… Read the rest

10 Ways To Banish Stress

There are so many wonderful things about conferences. They’re fun, exciting, educational, and great for networking. But…maybe you would also add “stressful” to that list of descriptors.   I’m headed to one of my favorite conferences next week: BlissDom Canada. It’s a super high-energy gathering of hundreds of amazing, talented women: bloggers and social media mavens, primarily. (Here’s what my experience was like last year.)… Read the rest

The Health Benefits Of Reading

I’m an avid reader and I always have been. So when someone says to me, with a vaguely superior air (and this happens surprisingly often): “Oh, I don’t read fiction. I don’t have time for that. I’m too busy; I have more important things to do…”, well, this is how I feel: I’m sorry…what did you just say? Today’s post is my contribution to Tackle Your TBR Read-A-Thon , a super fun reading challenge hosted by Tressa’s Wishful Endings and Colorimetry.… Read the rest