Liz Flaherty's Blog, page 116

Happy Eruptiversary

Tomorrow is the 36th anniversary of the Mount St. Helens eruption. 

I took this picture in July of that year from a spot down the road from my house. A lot of people think this picture--and others like it--were the actual eruption, but this was a later one. She blew and rumbled for months before and after the devastating eruption on May 18th.

For this one, I was driving home with my sister and we saw the plume rise over the hill like a nuclear cloud. We arrived home, grabbed our camera, a...

Monday Morning and Editing Hell

by Ava Cuvay


Happy Monday! I’m filling in for Liz today because she and Nan are headed to the Chicago Spring Fling conference later this week and will be blogging lots of fun times during their trip. Meanwhile, you’re stuck with me, and I apologize in advance for that.

Then I apologize for the ensuing angst of this post. I’m editing my book right now. And it’s Hell.
Maybe it’s just me, but editing is perhaps most emotionally debilitating processes imaginable. The first draft is the easy part… (S...

A Tour of my "Desk"

Some of the other Word Wrangler gals have taken us on a tour of their desks, mostly to poke fun at our own random disorganization and as a glimpse into the somewhat scattered minds of writers. Just for fun, I thought I’d use today to take readers on a tour of my “writer desk.” Which, unfortunately isn’t really a desk so much as any place I can carve out to sit and write.

I have often tried stealing a few hours to write at a local Panera restaurant. They usually have a cozy alcove tucked away i...

Imagine This

 by Margie Senechal

I've always had a wicked imagination, sometimes to my detriment. When I was eight, my best friend and I were left alone for the first time by our mothers.

I know, you're thinking eight? But, this was 1970 and on the Naval base in Iceland. Not much bad ever happens in Iceland--even now.

So, there Chris and I were feeling very "adult" when we spotted a book of matches in the gutter outside the living room window. 

I can't be sure who convinced who we were in dire dange...

#AuthorInterview: Welcome Rachel Brimble!

Hey there, WordWrangler readers! I'm super excited today because one of my SuperSisters (Harlequin Superromance) is visiting the round corral! Please help me give a warm welcome to Rachel Brimble, who writes amazing contemporary romances with a ton of heart and characters you wish you could run into on your street... Let's get going with the interview - and then I'll give you a sneak peek into Rachel's latest book, Her Hometown Redemption (that's the cover over there, isn't it sigh-worthy?).

L...

Some Kind of Wonderful

No, not the movie from 2001. I’m talking about the song from 1960 by Ben E. King and the Drifters. I just heard that song on the car radio yesterday and it really brought back memories.

Wow . . . how can you beat that music? I was a little girl when “Save the Last Dance” came out, but some of my clearest childhood memories are of hot summer days in the 1960s, spent playing in our front yard while my big sister had the radio on at full volume. I can still smell the Sea & Ski suntan lotion...

Of shamers and bullies and snots

by Liz Flaherty

I just read on Facebook that actress Kristen Bell said her mother told her, "If you do decide to go on a prescription to help yourself [with depression], understand that the world wants to shame you for that..."

People are "shamed" for being obese, for being Christians, for not being Christians, for being liberal, conservative, vegan or carnivore. Young girls are shamed for not having the ubiquitous thigh gap and boys for...I don't know, not wearing their jeans low enough....

Judging Success

By Ava Cuvay


 So, my first book “His Precious Cargo” has been out there for nearly two months. And sales are ok.

Actually, to be honest, I think sales are great. But then again, I don't have anything to compare my $9.34 Amazon royalty check with.  While I haven’t yet recouped my production costs, I feel good that I might eventually break-even in that regard. Although it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the money I’ve spent which isn’t specifically tied to my book (swag, busines...

Blank Page Battles

by Margie Senechal

Unlike Stephen King, I've never been afraid of the blank page. In fact, I love the blank page. I love the possibility and the hope that accompanies a new beginning. I can start a new story as easily as brushing my teeth--maybe easier if you factor in my gag reflex.

It may not always be the perfect beginning and it may change over the course of the story, but perhaps foolishly, I never stress about the beginning. 

Nope, my problem is the middle. And it's not so much beca...

A Visit to Kristina's Desk

It's release week here at Casa Knight, which means a few more random things than usual have taken up residence on my desk...Also, I swear there are fairies living in my house that just leave things around for me.

I could, of course, put these things away, but if the fairies are, in fact, leaving them for me then they can just as easily put them back where they belong. I think the fairies and I are at a standoff. Anywho, here's what I've found this time:

An empty container of Ice Breakers cinnam...