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NaNoWriMo, Week 2: Not Enough Hours & Three Sunflowers
Writers—and avid readers, too, I’m sure—will be familiar with the term “the soggy middle.” It refers to the part of the book that drags on after the enticing beginning and before the triumphant (or tragic) end. In a great book with tight editing, there’s nothing soggy about the middle. But life’s arcs aren’t always so neatly plotted, are they? All this to say, “Hello, and welcome to a week I did not nail.” Welcome to my soggy middle of a November week. Sunday, November 8 I had to make a quick Target run before work, which killed my attempts to write in the morning. I did manage to get out…
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NaNoWriMo, Week 1: Disney Springs & My First Sprintings
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NaNoWriMo, Week 1: Disney Springs & My First Sprintings
Some writers fly by the seat of their pants, never putting more than a few moments of thought into what they’ll write until the very start of National Novel Writing Month. Some plan things out down to the tiniest detail during what’s become known as “Preptober”—which is either part or all of October depending on your school of thought. Me? I’ve known what I was going to write for months. Under the pen name Emma Fontaine, I’m penning a short story and a sequel novella taking place in the world of Once Upon Academy. Those are my main projects, though they won’t add up to 50,000 words combined. There are…
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NaNoWriMo, Week 2: Not Enough Hours & Three Sunflowers
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Come Along on My Pandemic-Safe “Writing Retreat” to Get Ready for NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month—a challenge to write fifty thousand words within November’s thirty days—will be here in just over two weeks. I’ve participated “seriously” thrice in the past, and so I recall with perfect clarity how it completely flips my life upside down. And you know I do so love the chaos. One thing I’ve learned during my attempts is that I must be prepared if I’m going to succeed. I know this because I haven’t been as prepared as I could’ve been in previous years, and I’ve never won. That’s why I’ve taken at least one out of my two free days every week to organize a little writing…
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Read the First Chapter of IN BUFFALO WITH YOU
Happy Book Birthday to my novelette, In Buffalo With You, which is available now! This book gave me headaches and butterflies, anxiety and elation, but I’m so happy with how it turned out. I hope you will be, too! This book was more rich with history than the last—the Newsboy Strike of 1899, real-life soprano Nina Morgana, and a particularly memorable event from the Pan-American Exposition that shocked the nation. I learned so much! And, of course, the romance is sweet and meant-to-be. Just as I did with In Barcelona With You, I’m sharing my first chapter with you right here on my blog. Enjoy! Chapter One Tommy In Tommy’s…
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Have You Entered the IN BUFFALO WITH YOU Giveaway?
Can you believe there is only half a month left until In Buffalo With You makes its way into the world? When I first conceived of a romance series taking place at World’s Fairs around the United States, I had no idea what I was in for. But if the experience of falling love with the characters of In Buffalo With You—or Buffy, as I’ve come to call it—is something that I should expect every time, then I’m so happy I made the leap to start this series! Tommy and Linda have surprised and delighted me on every page! If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you already know that I’m…
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History Has Its Eyes on You: Glossed-Over Historical Events in HAMILTON
If you’re as obsessed with Hamilton as I was when it first came out, you might’ve watched interviews with the cast, picked up that famous biography by Ron Chernow, or geeked out when Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared on Drunk History. (Note to self: I need to write an entire blog post on that show…) You probably also know that Hamilton has inaccuracies, and that some major historical events were left out altogether. Far too many blogs and news outlets have reported on this to list here. You couldn’t have missed them. And I understand the frustration. Though details are left out—intentionally or unintentionally—every time a story is retold, their absence is…
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Scheherazade Reincarnated: Why I Write Historical Fiction
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How to Enhance Your Reading Experience with Soundscapes
The sister blog post, “How to Enhance Your Writing Experience with Soundscapes,” can be found on Writer’s Atelier. What does your perfect reading experience look like? Maybe you picture yourself curled up on the couch or reading in the great outdoors. Maybe you don’t care where you are as long as you have something warm to drink. Maybe you’ve always been able to read any time, any place, under any conditions. (Lucky!) But what if I told you there was a way to truly immerse yourself in the book you’re reading like you never have before? You can do just that with soundscapes. What are soundscapes? Whether you’ve heard the…
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8 Unique Ways Readers Can Fill Their Empty Notebooks
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8 Unique Ways Readers Can Fill Their Empty Notebooks
The sister blog post, “8 Unique Ways Writers Can Fill Their Empty Notebooks,” can be found on Writer’s Atelier. How many empty notebooks do you have around your house or apartment? It’s okay, I can wait while you count them. Is it five? Ten? More? We bookish types are notorious for our love of paper. We love the feel of paper between our fingers, tag images of massive home libraries with #goals, and even try to capture the smell of old books in candles and soap! It’s only natural that such a love would extend to notebooks, journals, and stationery as well. Since I’ve been spending so much time at…
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How to Enhance Your Reading Experience with Soundscapes
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Celebrate Spring with Romance & Even More Romance
I have a very special announcement, but you’ll have to act on these deals fast to take advantage of them… I’ve teamed up with over thirty authors to bring you the May Day Sweet Historical Romance Sale! For the first week of May only, all of the books will be priced between 99¢ and $2.99. This is my first BookFunnel promotion—yay author milestones!—but I’ll be bringing you all tons more in the future. I love discovering new authors and helping you discover new authors, so it’s the perfect tool for me. Plus, obviously, you get to take advantage of some sweet deals! But guess what? I’m already bringing you a…
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Staying Focused with the Flora App
The Flora app was one of my favorite productivity tools before the pandemic. After a year of use, it’s now my favorite tool to help me track my time and stay focused in other ways, too. And now I’m using it to help me navigate the increasingly foggier days in self-isolation. I started using the Flora app back when I was still in college. I was looking for a free alternative to the super popular Forest app, and Flora drew my eye with its focus on flowers over trees. Not to mention that it had the same functionality, more or less, and it had overall positive reviews on the app…
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Scheherazade Reincarnated: Why I Write Historical Fiction
