Joyce Magnin's Blog, page 22

What does Captain Noah Have To Do With It?

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow takes center stage tomorrow. Well at least it's supposed too. I love Barnes and Noble--great bookstore. And, according to my publisher, starting tomorrow and running through Labor Day, Agnes is going to be displayed on their center tables. Woo Hoo. That means when you walk into one of their stores you should see Agnes pretty much right away. I sure hope they don't forget. It sure would be nice to see.

The bad news is that there is only one B&N near my home. And it is

Welcome to Bright's Pond

You can win a copy of this beautiful Bright's Pond map. Stay tuned for details.

Some Autumnal Thoughts

The doggiest of the dog days of summer have hit the Philadelphia area. It's only 6:30 in the morning and already the temperature is eighty. I'm not a fan of extreme heat but there is something special about these days as summer winds down and most folks are looking forward to the autumn and back to school. From where I sit in my little writing corner I can hear the cicada symphony outside. The music rises and reaches a crescendo and then climbs back down just to wind back up again. Seems rather

Cheer Joyce Up Today!

Bizarre contest alert! I need to be cheered today. So for the rest of the day I am accepting cheerful tid-bits and niceties from my friends and fans. After I have had enough sweetness tossed at me I will choose a winner to receive one free copy of The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow and a signed copy of a map of Bright's Pond. But you have to be creative. This map is way too cool. It will show you where all the crazy characters live and where the town hall sits and of course The Sparrow Funeral Home an

To Be Public Like a Frog

I believe a writer's life is filled with love/hate relationships. I know this because I am deeply concerned about something that has been staring me in the face for several days. My publicist sent me a box of books that I am supposed to sign and send back. Why am I putting this off? I don't know. I love that I am a published author and people want me to sign their books but going public is hard for me. Please don't misunderstand, I am thoroughly in love with being a writer.

Oh, shove a micropho

That's Gonna Hurt

Coming up with a fresh blog post everyday is a challenge. But occasionally an idea presents itself--like last night. I punched myself in the face while sleeping. The wallop woke me and I discovered that I somehow cut the skin under my nose as well. What can I say? Weird things happen to me. But this got me thinking about other self-inflicted wounds. So let's have some fun and talk about all the myriad methods we've used to maim, scar, break, bruise, or otherwise injure our own bodies. I'll start

Holy &$%^# I Hurt Myself

Coming up with a fresh blog post everyday is a challenge. But occasionally an idea presents itself--like last night. I punched myself in the face while sleeping. The wallop woke me and I discovered that I somehow cut the skin under my nose as well. What can I say? Weird things happen to me. But this got me thinking about other self-inflicted wounds. So let's have some fun and talk about all the myriad methods we've used to maim, scar, break, bruise, or otherwise injure our own bodies. I'll start

Random Stuff for Friday

Did you ever wonder why people never take the first slice of bread out of the loaf? Is the fourth or fifth slice really that much fresher?

What is up with the employee of the month parking spot? Is it really that big a perk? I mean just how far away are the other employee parking spaces that this is a big deal? "I love my job. I'm making eight stinking bucks an hour stocking shelves but hey, I get to park fifty yards away from the front door if I do my job really well." Sheesh.

Overheard at the

The Most Awesome Clinic

Last week I had the pleasure of teaching at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. I taught the Not-Yet-Published-Novelists Clinic or as I called it the NYPN Blues. I was impressed by the desire, talent and burden these women (yes all women this year) carry into their writing. Not only did I see a desire to write a good story but also to find ways to make their stories relevant, thoughtful and make an impact on someone's life.

We talked about everything from Show Don't Tell, the c

Bringing Clarity to Writing Tips

This might be a tad more information than you care to know about me but I take blood pressure medication to well, duh, control my blood pressure. No big deal, once a day and I'm fine. Well the other day I actually read the prescription bottle. It reads: Take one pill by mouth per day. Um. I had to wonder. Am I that stupid? How else would I take this pill? In my ear? As an, excuse me, but suppository? (pun intended) I mean really, shove one pill per day up your nose? Well that got me thinking abo