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So this happened:
That’s right, I have a new book deal!
This book will be my YA debut, and the hardcover will be hitting shelves in Fall 2017.
Here’s how this story happened:
While I was on contract with Kensington and busily writing my three AB&T books, a germ of an idea occurred to me. First, you have to understand that I’m a big lover of all things Great Britain.…
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When you’re creating a character from scratch it’s a good idea to know her name, her hair color, and how she takes her coffee…but those elements are just the start.
If you want to create truly compelling characters—the kind that leap off the page, the kind that really get into your readers’ bones—you’ll need to go beyond the superficial stuff and dig deep into your character’s internal landscape.…
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Is there a more picturesque setting for a movie than the city of Paris? There are so many wonderful books and films from every genre set in the City of Lights. During my Twitter book launch party for
A Magnificent Crime (which is set in Paris, of course!) it was one of our most lively discussions. I promised to write a round-up post of movies set in Paris, so here it is.…
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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…
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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”).…
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A few weeks ago I did a post
comparing original heist movies and their remakes (Ocean’s Eleven, The Italian Job, and The Thomas Crown Affair). Today, I’m expanding things to include heist movies in general. As a forewarning, it’s a pretty eclectic list.
To Catch A Thief
To Catch A Thief
Where I live, this 1955 classic is going to be re-released onto the big screen next month (maybe where you live too?),…
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As far as I can tell, virtually all writers do this–fantasize about which actors and actresses would be cast in the movie version of their books. This exercise is equal parts creative-juice-stimulator (helps to visualize an actual person when writing scenes), motivator to help push you forward (sigh…someday when I’m attending the premiere…), and pure fun.
So…who would play the main roles in
A Beautiful Heist?…
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Books and movies are full of ass-kicking male heroes (James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher…I could go on…) and I love them, I do, but what about the women? The damsel-in-distress type has her own charms, of course, but how about some of the ladies who take a rather more active approach to saving her own hide?
The heroine of my novel
A Beautiful Heist is a regular girl next door–a little bit Bridget Jones, a little bit Carrie Bradshaw–but she also has a serious tough side to her, and can kick some major butt when she needs to.…
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This weekend I’m going to see The Great Gatsby. I don’t care if I can’t get a sitter. The kids will be fine for a couple of hours, right?
See, I am a big Baz Luhrmann fan (ever since Moulin Rouge, which rocked my world). And, although I didn’t start out loving Leonardo DiCaprio in his earlier years, I have grown to be an ardent admirer of his work.…
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In my
novel a pivotal scene happens at a masquerade party. I love these, and–naturally–a masquerade is a fabulous milieu for a thief. Here’s a teeny excerpt from the masquerade scene in
A Beautiful Heist:
I surveyed the room full of strangers. Well, I was assuming they were strangers, but of course I couldn’t be certain because of the masks.…
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