Liz Flaherty's Blog, page 159

Heavy, happy sigh....

Have you ever read an author interview in which they're asked, "What is the one book we'd be surprised you've never read?"

Okay, let's just get this out in the open, whenever I read an author interview, I always answer the questions in my head. You know, prepping for the day that I will be asked these questions.

Now, back to my original question. For me the answer would be Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

I LOVE time travel books. A Knight In Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux is at the top of my all-t...

Hook Me!

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I love hooks!


There one of my favorite things about writing. I kind of like to think I'm good at them. *smiles modestly* It's good to know your strengths and weaknesses.


Karin Tabke used to have a First Line contest. You entered your first line, and if it got enough votes, it moved to the next round. And then you added another line. I loved that contest! It was great fun. I never won it, but I got through quite a few rounds. Ms. Tabke's contest taught me a lot about the importance of a gr...

Dawn Luedecke on How To Deal With Bad Reviews

Imagine you wrote a book. That book hit the Amazon shelves and quickly climbed the charts, successfully soliciting reviews, and not all good ones. What would you do? Me? I may cry to my husband, and maybe even drink a little rum while listening to Toby Keith’s “The Critic”, but once my alcohol-induced fog is over; I sit down and read it again to see if there is anything of merit in the critique that I can use. Sadly, however, not every author maintains this level of professionalism.Recently I...

Conference Mania

It's all about conferences this time of year--my Twitter and Facebook pages are lit up with updates from RWA and in anticipation of Comic-Con this weekend. Two places I have never been, but are on my bucket list of events to attend.

I try not to be green with envy, but there are times, I become a little green monster.

I am going to my own conference next weekend, but it doesn't have near the star-power of RWA--although Diana Galbaldon, she of Outlander fame--is going to be the banquet speaker....

Just Listening

So, the RWA 2014 Conference is in full swing this week - and if you've been on Twitter or Facebook you know all the details (or you will soon). You can follow using the #RWA2014 hashtag on Twitter and *almost* feel like you're there.

I've attended several conferences, both writing and non-writing related. I have to say that, although I'm not a social butterfly, I'm not a wallflower, either. I like to chat with new people, although I rarely go up to a group and chime right in. I like to listen...

To conference...or not

           I’m not going to RWA’s National Conference in San Antonio. I haven’t been to a national conference since the year it was in Chicago. It was so much fun and I’d love to go again. To hear the wonderful speakers and schmooze in the bar with old friends, new friends, and ones I haven’t met yet. I’d love to wear cool shoes—well, I love the thought of cool shoes; I hate wearing them. I’d love to wear cool clothes, at least four or five sizes smaller than my...

Another Year

Saturday, I'll be forty-seven years old. Kicking fifty in the behind. Sometimes it bothers me. Most of the time it doesn't.This year, hubby took me to New Orleans. I write this blog fresh from a great night in the Big Easy. I got to eat oysters at the Acme oyster house, something I always wanted to do. A complete stranger recited a love poem to me on the street (that was weird) another stranger asked if he could be my second husband (more weird) and I took pictures with all kinds of  characters...

Telling A Story

I was writing at B&N the other day and at an adjacent table I heard two younger women in their twenties discussing writing.

Actually I only heard one girl talking as the other girl seemed to be a mentor or something.

But the younger one--let's call her Gabby--was talking about her work-in-process in exacting detail. I know, from the tidbits I heard, that there was some sort of alien royalty and swords involved.

I remember when I used to TALK my books to death. I'd tell anyone who'd listen--m...

Where The Journey Takes Us

Most of you know that my background is in television news. I was a reporter and anchor as well as a producer for both morning and evening news shows for many years. All those years telling other people's stories, watching their actions and seeing the results really helped me define who I was in the grand scheme of things. It also showed me the kinds of characters I wanted to write about from a fictional standpoint.

For me, writing is all about the journey. Every character has a story to tell,...

RIP, Uncle Skip

My heart is heavy today.
 
I got a message that my husband’s uncle Skip passed away last night. My husband has a large family. His mom has 12 brothers and sisters and his dad 7. Out of them all, Uncle Skip was special to me. He always had a joke, a smile and a kind word.
 
When I published my first book, one of the first people to make a fuss about it was Uncle Skip. At this family picnic he embarrassed me to death, wanting to know which one of my books was “raciest”.  Right there...