Aurora Rey's Blog, page 5

And for Once It Might Be Grand

In my tiny Catholic high school, each senior got a full page in the yearbook–our senior photo and a quote of our choosing. Most girls picked something philosophical that made them feel smart, or a line out of a country song. I, in the throes of my Beauty and the Beast obsession, selected a line from Belle’s opening song.

And for once it might be grand
To have someone understand
I want so much more than they’ve got planned.

The choice caused a bit of a stir in my small circle of friends. I was...

Aurora the Brave

I like to think of myself as a moderately courageous person. I went to college a thousand miles from home without having visited–the campus or the state of New York. I and my fledgling cake business auditioned for Cupcake Wars. I work with college students (and faculty, for that matter) for a living. On top of that, I’m an out lesbian. As we’ve (unfortunately) been discussing lately, that mere existence implies a certain amount of bravery.

But as much as I embrace some of life’s big challenge...

In the Face of Terror

So often, when something terrible happens, my first instinct is to retreat. I want to limit the amount of detail I have to absorb. I don’t want to see the horrible things horrible people say about it. I certainly don’t want to talk about it. It’s a combination of being an introvert and (perhaps too) sensitive.

After a little while, though, and like everyone else, I start to process. I feel all the usual things–anger, sadness, hopelessness, resolve. And then I try to make sense of it in words....

The Complicated Art of Simplifying Things — Bold Strokes Books Authors’ Blog

BY AURORA REY I think there’s a switch that gets flipped when we approach middle age. For some people, it’s all about more—more money, more toys, more thrills before youth slips away. For others, the switch flips the other way and there is a burning desire for less—less stuff, fewer demands on our time. I’m[…]

via The Complicated Art of SimplifyingThings — Bold Strokes Books Authors’ Blog

The Power (and Brilliance) of Observation

Last night, we went to see David Sedaris. Every now and then, he’s almost too much, even for me. Mostly, though, he’s completely and utterly hilarious. Either way, he is perhaps the most brilliant master of observation I’ve ever read. Whether talking about the vagaries of mental illness or extolling the virtues of his Japanese culottes, Sedaris has a way of capturing both the minutia and universality of life experiences. And, damn, but that man can turn a phrase.

I can’t help but think of my...

Winner winner, chicken dinner

Confession: I’ve never been obsessed with winning. It might be that, as the chubby and awkward girl, I was often picked last for sporty type things. It might be because, even when I made the softball team in high school, we didn’t win a single game all season. Truly, with the exception of Jeopardy and Scrabble, I’m not competitive about much of anything.

Still. It’s fun to win. Yelling bingo at the American Legion when you take your mama out on a Friday night. Knowing the answer to final Jeop...

Fat Femme

This weekend, I filled out the form to participate in panels at the Golden Crown Literary Society conference. There were lots of great topics and my top choice was a panel called “Where Am I?” The theme of the panel is the juxtaposition of diverse, realistic characters with fantasy ones. It’s something I’ve grappled with in my own writing and one I’d love to discuss with other authors and readers.

I checked the boxes, filled out my information, and was about to hit submit when one question st...

Homeward Bound

I’m just returned from a trip home. Or is it I’m just home from a trip to Louisiana? Anyone who lives somewhere other than where they grew up can relate to the either/or conundrum of what constitutes home. And for anyone with ambivalence about “home,” it’s even more complicated than that. I used to think that was a bad thing, but I’m coming ’round.

I did, in fact, spend much of the last week in Louisiana, where I grew up. I am now, in fact, back in the city where I reside in upstate New York....

Meet Author Aurora Rey (‘Winter’s Harbor’)

Thank you for such a fun interview!

Lynn Lawler's Book Blog

Good Afternoon Everybody! Today author Aurora Rey, Winter’s Harbor is here to chat with us about her work as well as herself. She is an energetic woman who has created works of art in written form. Be prepared to be ‘wowed’. Pull up a chair and join in.

Ay, there’s the rub.

-Hamlet

Who is Aurora Rey? Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

I’m a college administrator by day and a writer by, well, mostly early morning. I...

Is there a twelve step program for that?

I had the privilege of participating in KT Grant’s 2016 Lesbian Fiction Appreciation Event. For my post, I talked about “coming out” as a romance writer–a process that felt like both a confession, but also introduced me to an amazing community of readers and writers.

Check out the post here, along with contributions from Missouri Vaun, Ann Aptaker, and more!