What's next

Curious about what I've been up to in my creative life? Today I talk about my current project, what sets this story apart, why certain themes emerge in my work, and how I write. This...

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Social media for the pre-published

Last week I gave an informal presentation on using Goodreads and Twitter to a handful of my critique group members--all Gen X and Baby Boomers. Most of them tend to think of book...

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An essential question to keep asking your character

A phrase popularly associated with psychotherapy might be one of the best tools to developing a character your readers will consistently engage with. Keep it at the ready, especially...

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It's here!

Never Gone has a new cover! Additionally, the paperback interior has been redesigned and includes an interior illustration (which I hope will be viewable on Amazon soon.) Dani’s...

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Body Image: Transforming Your Reflection

By Tessa Emily Hall author of Purple Moon Like many teenage girls today, my protagonist, Selena, doesn’t have a very high self-esteem. She’s never been called beautiful,...

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Refreshing

photo by jdurham, morguefile.com My long-time readers might be a little disoriented, since the scenery has changed quite a bit around here. Laurel's Leaves now has a different...

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Warning...

This site is under construction Beware of falling debris (and dead links) A beautifully refurbished blog  coming soon! image: North Safety Products (www....

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When a deep bond is broken

Bonding with an animal is a very special kind of relationship, one that seems to find its way into my work regularly. How someone treats other living creatures communicates volumes...

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Three tricks to sharpen your proofreading eye

photo by Alvimann, morguefile.com I edit for a living, and yet when it comes to cleaning up my own work, I often blithely pass over simple errors.  Why is that? Brain...

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Abracadabra! Using sleight of hand in fiction

Narrative misdirection is a writerly trick of establishing false expectations in your readers, directing their attention to the wrong information and causing them to ignore correct...

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