Maggie Clare's Blog, page 4

School Days

Dear Maggie,

Have you started school yet? How is it going? Are you still able to work on your books?

Sincerely,

A Student in Sturbridge

Dear Fellow Student,

Yes, I’ve started grad school, and I’ll head off to residency in just a couple of weeks. The summer session is fewer than half the number of credits as the fall semester, so I’ve had time to gently adjust to academic life again. So far, it’s been great. Let me say that I’ve almost always loved school, with the exception of high school, but I thin...

And Then There Were Ten…

Dear Maggie,

How many books have you written, and how long does it take you to write one?

Sincerely,

Slowpoke in Slocum

Dear Slowpoke,

Sometimes, when I’m hit with a wave of insecurity about my writing career, I remind myself how much I’ve accomplished in the last eight years. As you may know, I write speculative fiction under my given name Tabitha Lord, so I count those books in my totals! You can check out my HORIZON science fiction trilogy and my short fiction on this website tabithalordauthor.com...

Insta Love

Dear Maggie,

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Sincerely,

A Romantic in Rochester

Dear Romantic,

What a fun question, and honestly, my answer is… sort of. I believe attraction can be instant. I think we’ve all had a butterflies-in-the-stomach, tongue-tied moment when we meet someone and just feel a magnetic pull toward them. If that instant attraction grows as we get to know the person, like it did for Fiona and Jake in Sing for Me, how wonderful, and what a fun trope to write about. However, i...

Sneak Peek!

Hello TSI Fans!

Usually, this is the space for me to answer a ‘Dear Maggie’ question, but today I’m going to share a sneak peek of Blood Ties, the fifth book in the Tactical Solutions International romantic suspense series. Each book can be read as a stand alone, but I think it’s more fun to read them in order! If you haven’t had a chance to check out the hot hunky guys and smart sexy gals of the TSI world, you can find them here: TSI Books 1-4.

If you’ve read the previous stories already, you kn...

Summer School

Dear Maggie,

Are you really going back to school? Will this degree help your writing career? Are you excited?

Sincerely,

A Student in Sioux City

Dear Student.

Yes, I’m really going back to school, and I’m so excited! This particular MFA program is unique in that it focuses on genre fiction writing, publishing, and screen writing, so I won’t have to pause my writing career while I complete it. The thesis is actually a full-length novel, which is pretty convenient since I’m always working on my next no...

Party Time!

Dear Maggie,

Do you do anything special to celebrate when you finish writing one of your books?

Sincerely,

Party Girl in Patagonia

Dear Party Girl,

Funny you should ask, because I just finished drafting a novel the other day. I’ll admit, when I completed the first draft of my first book years ago, I rode that high for weeks. My husband took one of the original manuscript copies to Staples and had it bound and the title page laminated. We drank a bottle of champagne. Later, I had a big, festive lau...

Why the Nom de Plume?

Dear Maggie,

Why do you write under a pen name? Is it because of the sexy scenes?

Sincerely,

Shy in Shreveport

Dear Shy,

Not at all! I love writing the sexy scenes, and even the books I write under my given name Tabitha Lord have a little heat between sheets! When I started my writing journey almost a decade ago, I knew without a doubt that I’d write science fiction. I love the genre, I love tackling real-world problems in other-worldly settings, and as a huge Star Wars fan, science fiction just fe...

Best Book Boyfriends

Dear Maggie,

What makes a great book boyfriend? Do you have an all time favorite?

Sincerely,

Swooning in St. Louis

Dear Swooning,

A great book boyfriend likely looks different to different people. We all have qualities and characteristics we’re attracted to in a potential partner. I like to write strong, sexy male characters who own their shortcomings and aren’t intimidated by intelligent, successful, equally strong women. These hotties can come in different packages, with different personalities. T...

Here, Kitty Kitty!

Dear Maggie,

Do you have any pets?

Sincerely,

Animal Lover in Long Beach

Dear Animal Lover,

Yes, my husband and I have five pets, which is quite something since we live in a forty-foot tiny home on wheels! My general default pet allotment is two cats, one dog, which we maintained until COVID. Two of our children were still living at home, teenagers when the pandemic hit, and convinced us that two more kittens would make everything okay. We reminded them that they’d be leaving for college in a...

Monday Musings

On months with five Mondays, I double post to both my Maggie Clare and Tabitha Lord websites. If you enjoy the content of this post, and you want to keep track of my travel adventures, please feel free to subscribe my ‘Five Things’ blog HERE at the bottom of the page. The content is different from ‘Dear Maggie’, except on a month with five Mondays of course!

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or s...