| award-winning romance author

Focus and Flow

September 20, 2012 by Jamie

I’ve recently undertaken a major organizing project at home, tackling boxes in the basement that have nagged at me for years. Now that I’m in the thick of it, I want to work on it all day every day, which leaves little time to focus on writing. And yet, working at my writing every day is a top priority as well. How to balance the two and still have time to take care of family and the usual demands […]

Categories: Advice for Writers, Creativity • Tags: artist routines, creative process, creativity, flow, writer, writing, writing life, writing routine

How to Name a Book

August 31, 2012 by Jamie

My most popular blog post ever is this one on the subject of how to name a book. I don’t think I offered much in the way of useful advice though, and I was highly restrained in my opinions of the titles I’ve ended up with in the name of marketability (Okay, I was a total Pollyanna. Baby Under the Mistletoe? Hated it as a title, because it doesn’t match the story’s tone, for one thing. Endless list of titles […]

Categories: Advice for Writers, Creativity, Industry • Tags: audience, how to name a book, how to name a novel, Kingsolver, novel, titles, writer, writing

Writing Resolutions

August 30, 2012 by Jamie

The end of summer arrives for me next Tuesday, when my kids go back to school. This marks the start of the most productive time of year for me, when distractions fade away and I can focus exclusively on writing. It’s a natural time to review the writing resolutions I made at the start of the year and consider adding a few new ones. One resolution I made that I know I haven’t been able to focus on very well […]

Categories: Advice for Writers, Creativity, Time Management • Tags: artist routines, creative process, creativity, quiet, reading, taking time, time to write, writer, writing, writing life, writing routine

RWA 2012 Conference Highlights

August 2, 2012 by Jamie

The Romance Writers of America 2012 conference took place in Anaheim, California this year, right down the street from Disneyland, which I swore I wouldn’t visit but did anyway for my birthday (and had a ridiculously good time). I had no expectations for this conference, which is perhaps why it is one of the best I’ve attended. I was sort of sad to miss the always-fabulous Harlequin party Friday night (because said visit to Disneyland with the family turned into […]

Categories: Advice for Writers, Industry, Random Stuff, Romance Novels • Tags: boomerang bride, disneyland, Harlequin, industry, publishing industry, rita award, robyn carr, romance, romance authors, Romance Novel, romance novels, Romance Writers of America, RWA, simone elkeles, stephanie laurens, writer, writers conference

Summer Reading

July 31, 2012 by Jamie

NPR recommends 5 funny summer reads. Have you read any of them yet? You like? I’m in the middle of reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and loving it, but I’m always on the look-out for the next good book. What are your latest finds?

Categories: Reading • Tags: comedy, funny books, Gillian Flynn, gone girl, humor, npr, read, reading, summer, summer reading

RWA 2012 Keynote Speech by Stephanie Laurens

July 30, 2012 by Jamie

RWA 2012 Keynote Speech by Stephanie Laurens

Stephanie Laurens’ keynote address at RWA’s 2012 Conference in Anaheim is worth reading. We in the romance writing community tend to be a very polite bunch, so hearing her boldly state how the publishing industry is changing and how authors may respond, in front of editors and publishers, was quite interesting indeed. Check it out!

Categories: Advice for Writers