Sometimes there are significant locations that inspire stories. The following is an excerpt from Chapter Twenty-One of The Ember Stone, which is book one in The Ember Files: “ . . . he pushes the ABS pipe cap. It doesn’t move. Our whole plan is shot if that cap has been screwed on. Griffin brushes… Continue reading Location
When I was trying to decide what to post for A-to-Z letter K, I came across notes on sharing reflections. The idea was to share positive reflections about the writing journey, learned knowledge, and how it changed me. So, here we are. When I reflect on my writing path, what stands out the most to… Continue reading Knowledge
Here are some interesting articles that I enjoyed and/or found useful: I wrote this post for letter J of the 2025 A-to-Z blog challenge.
Welcome to book review fifteen of fifty-three for this year’s virtual coffee shares. I’ve picked books that are related to the theme here at Brewing Coffee, Twisting Words & Breaking Pencils—coffee, books, and puzzles. Death by Vanilla LatteAuthor Alex EricksonPublished in May 2017Publisher is Kensington Publishing CorpAvailable in eBook, Audio, Audio CD, and Mass Market… Continue reading Coffee, book reviews, puzzles, and writing news.
Let’s talk about real-life inspirations: people, places, events . . . For my Ember Files series, I had two physical locations that featured in the narrative. I based Kori Ember’s childhood home, with all its secret tunnels, on a bachelorette apartment I lived in twenty years ago. It was an old house sectioned into single… Continue reading Inspiring this author
I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember. My habit of reading isn’t going away, but the patterns and routines around it have changed. I spent hours roaming the bookstore, coffee in hand, combing the shelves, searching for my next favourite read. As full-time work, a husband, dogs, and children became part of… Continue reading Habits of a reader: how do you pick your next novel?
Things that I am thankful for as a writer: The blank page:What?Why?The possibilities are endless. I start each day with fresh and new. I can create what I want every day, from worlds to characters, creatures, adventures, and so on. Love of books:“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we… Continue reading Gratitude
There are a lot of different questions fans might ask their favourite authors. They fall into various categories: inspiration, motivation, development, writing tips and advice, etc. Today, though, I went a different way. Here is my question, which I will also answer: If you could invite any five authors—living or deceased—to dinner, who would you… Continue reading Fan Question
The Funny Side, my first nonfiction book, can be seen in this collection of award winning titles (five down on the right hand side). Please check it out.
My newest book will be released on May 8, 2025. It’s my first nonfiction title, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you. In light of that, I’m sharing a short chunk of text from The Funny Side. This section is from Chapter 1: Brain loss. In terms of my intellectual capacity before children,… Continue reading Excerpts
Brewing Coffee, Twisting Words & Breaking Pencils 