The first book in a trilogy, Endling the Last tells the story of Byx who believes she is the last of her species and embarks on a quest with a mix of creatures who become family to her. While Byx holds onto memories of her family and the hope of finding them, she learns to…
All posts in June 2024
Artist’s Date: a quest for short stories
On a recent outing to The Strand bookstore in Manhattan, I purchased four collections of short stories. Writing short stories has its own distinct challenges that differ from writing novels, and a shorter word count does not make it easier. The pacing of a short story is a particularly tricky skill. Many short stories take…
Summer Reading: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of three young sisters on a summer adventure visiting their mother in California in One Crazy Summer. Visions of Disneyland and palm trees dissolve quickly when they realize their trip will be less vacation, and more adaptation to a strange neighborhood. The sisters learn about social activism, how…
Summer Reading: Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
It’s summertime, and in addition to baseball, beach, and BBQ, let’s not forget books! Whether you have assigned reading or want to read on your own, Gary Paulsen’s Lawn Boy is a great story to start your summer off. A twelve year old boy needs some cash to fix his bike, but instead of getting…
Artist’s Date: The Strand Bookstore in NYC
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Bookstores & More, Writing, Writing Inspiration, Writing ResourceLeave a Reply
One tip from creativity guru Julia Cameron in her book, The Artist’s Way, is to take oneself on artist’s dates. One day recently, I needed a change of scenery while my family would be golfing for several hours. (Anyone else married to a golfer?) I boarded an NYC bound bus and within thirty minutes, I…
