Book Excerpt: Why Does a Protest Become a Riot?

woman in a crowd on a city street, holding a sign with the cover of Beautiful & Terrible Things

When does a protest become a riot? More important, why does a protect become a riot? I dug deep into that topic before writing my extended protest scene for Beautiful and Terrible Things, to ensure its authenticity. (I have, thankfully, never been at a protest that turned violent.) As I suspected, a number of forces … Continue reading Book Excerpt: Why Does a Protest Become a Riot?

Video Fun

montage of images from videos

It's time to take a break from reading and watch some videos! I know -- that's heresy coming from an author. But videos, as we all know, can be informative and FUN. So enjoy this small collection of videos, some of which are new and some of which are oldies but goodies. They are a … Continue reading Video Fun

Meet Buwan: Character Profile & Excerpt

quote by Buwan

Before we jump into Buwan's profile, mark your calendars for my interview with podcaster and author Karen E. Osborne, airing on Tuesday, April 1. You'll be able to watch the show, called "What Are You Reading? What Are You Writing?" after 9:00 a.m., on Karen's YouTube channel. (And check out her just-released murder mystery, Justice … Continue reading Meet Buwan: Character Profile & Excerpt

Meet Jessica: Character Profile & Excerpt

This is the fifth of six character profiles to introduce you to the group of friends in Beautiful & Terrible Things, about which reader Erica D. says: โ€œThis book reminded me of [the TV show] Friends, but with a more diverse set of characters that dealt with major issues...I absolutely fell in love with the … Continue reading Meet Jessica: Character Profile & Excerpt

Meet Xander: Character Profile & Excerpt

This is the fourth of six character profiles to introduce you to the group of friends in Beautiful & Terrible Things. Award-winning author Kathy Maresca describes the camaraderie between the six this way: โ€œImagine the 90's sitcom Friends in 2024.โ€ And she is not the only one to compare my crew to the Friends crew … Continue reading Meet Xander: Character Profile & Excerpt

Meet Terrance: Character Profile & Excerpt

This is the third of six character profiles to introduce you to the group of friends in Beautiful & Terrible Things, about which Chat About Books wrote: โ€œThese characters...have an important story to tell, not least about the importance and power of friendship.โ€ Character Profile: Terrance Meet Terrance Washington: Terrance is a 30-year-old, straight Black … Continue reading Meet Terrance: Character Profile & Excerpt

Meet Sunny: Character Profile & Excerpt

This is the second of six character profiles to introduce you to the group of friends in Beautiful & Terrible Things, about which award-winning author Ruth F. Stevens (no relation to me) says: โ€œThe six young men and women we meet in Beautiful and Terrible Things share a warm, Iโ€™ve-got-your-back camaraderie that reminded me of … Continue reading Meet Sunny: Character Profile & Excerpt

Meet Charley: Character Profile & Excerpt

quote by Charley

Today we meet Charley in this first of six character profiles, which will introduce you to the group of friends in Beautiful & Terrible Things, about which Reedsy says: โ€œThe six protagonists have the type of friendship that makes the Reader think, โ€˜I want to live in that city and be a part of that … Continue reading Meet Charley: Character Profile & Excerpt

Read 3 Excerpts from Beautiful and Terrible Things

Beautiful and Terrible Things has been earning rave reviews and even some early awards, Iโ€™m happy to say. Now itโ€™s time to dig into the content a bit. If youโ€™re wondering if this novel is for you, read these three excerpts, which were recently published on book review blogs. Then you can decide if itโ€™s … Continue reading Read 3 Excerpts from Beautiful and Terrible Things

Book Launch Party, Goodreads Giveaway & Free ARC

logos for The Bookery bookstore, Goodreads, and NetGalley

As the book launch for Beautiful and Terrible Things approaches, the calendar is filling up with summertime events. And, my publisher is organizing various giveaway contests for readers to nab free copies of the contemporary novel. Read on for details. Save the Date: Book Launch Party! The Bookery, a wonderful independent bookstore in Manchester, NH, … Continue reading Book Launch Party, Goodreads Giveaway & Free ARC