Jumping the First Hurdle

If you’re a stay-at-home mom or dad, you probably feel a lot like I did 21 years ago — I was the second rat. You know… The rat that has to wait to eat until the first rat pushes the lever so the food will come out? My husband was in the car business...

Real Writers Don’t Listen!

When I first started writing, I didn’t tell a soul. I figured that they would make fun of me, “Oh, yeah. Everyone wants to be a writer, but you’ll never be published.” And that’s the first thing that people ask me when I tell them...

What Does It Mean to Be a Professional Writer?

I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, “I want to write a book.” But how many of those people actually take the time and act upon doing that? Not many, I assure you. They have this glamorous picture of what it’s like to be a writer....

London and a New Book Coming

So, my world is wacky. You see, in my heart, I’m still writing for kids. In my brain, I’m learning things like search engine optimization. Both are interesting to me, but it’s hard to put the Internet marketing world and my writing world together....

Perverted Old Men and Badger Dogs

This is Shannon guest-blogging for Pat again because the occasion called for it and I just happen to feel like ranting, so check this shit out: I accompanied my father to the vet’s office this morning out of temporary insanity – I hate that neighborhood,...