There is much to say about Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, but today I will focus on one specific detail: assembling the troops. In her novel-writing manual, Brody breaks down the grand finale into five beats, or moments, so that writers have a checklist of sorts to follow. The first of these…
What I’m Reading: Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall
Although published in 2014, I just finished reading Susan Crandall’s Whistling Past the Graveyard, and I loved it. It is one of the best books I’ve read in a while, comparable to Demon Copperhead and To Kill A Mockingbird, with a little of The Help thrown in as well. Starla is the nine-year-old protagonist and…
Reading for Reflection: Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Care Givers, Reading for Reflection, What I'm Reading, Writing InspirationLeave a Reply
Who among us has gone to the ocean and found peace, energy, joy, and rest? Any of us lucky enough to visit the coast, any coast, I would wager. We go to the beach not necessarily looking for an answer, but we find answers none the less. What will we feel? What will we learn…
Summer Reading: Charlotte’s Web by E.B.White
Whether your vacation includes swinging on a hammock or reclining under a beach umbrella, reading a classic novel is the perfect complement. Reading E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web is a vacation in itself from the troubles of the world today. Go back in time with Fern who saves Wilbur, the runt of the litter, from Papa’s…
What I’m Reading: Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber
The perfect book to kick off your summer reading list, Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, by Heather Webber, is a Southern story full of charm, personality, and pie. I love a story set in the South, with family secrets, neighborhood gossip, and a dose of Southern hospitality, and this novel delivers on all fronts. Set…
What I’m Reading: Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March
I’ve recently finished reading Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March, who won an award for First Crime Novel from the Mystery Writers of America with this book. I discovered Nev March in a webinar that she gave about writing and publishing, and I’ve been a fan ever since. While I do not normally read…
A Classic to Consider: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
It’s the time of year for summer reading, and many schools will post lists of recommended books. I believe there is room on every reading lists for a few classics, and for middle school readers, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is an ideal option. The friendship between Rat and Mole, the adventures…
What I’m Reading: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Fans of historical fiction will enjoy The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. The authors give readers a close-up look at legendary American financier, J.P. Morgan, and the woman he hired to be his personal librarian, Belle Da Costa Greene, in the early 1900s. Unbeknownst to Morgan, Greene was a Black woman…
An Artist’s Date: The Morgan Library
A Classic to Consider: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in A Classic to Consider, Care Givers, What I'm ReadingLeave a Reply
There is a level of comfort in reading the classics. When my life becomes stressful and overwhelming, I find that I seek the classics as I would seek the counsel of a good friend. My mother died one month ago, and during her last week of life, I read aloud to her from Jane Eyre,…