Gretchen Stull's Blog, page 3

Of Bunnies and Burrows

I am not what you would call an "outdoor girl." That's my polite shorthand when declining requests to join activities of an outdoorsy nature (I'm hating myself for that pun so you don't have to), when what I really want to do is scream "NO, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL, IT BURNS!". Having the complexion of Casper and being forced outside far more than I've liked in my life, I can in fact attest that sunlight does burn. So there.

Ew. photo credit: corrine klug via photopin cc
Alas, I have a child no...

Of Foreign Phrases and Phonetic Issues

Have you ever encountered a word or phrase that you've only seen and not heard? You've read it enough that you know what it means, and can use it properly in context when writing, but haven't actually heard it spoken aloud? Or, if you have heard it spoken, the correct pronunciation is so very different from the pronunciation you've used in your own head, you don't necessarily recognize the word for what it is? Yeah...

It's no secret English can be a difficult language, even for native speakers...

Of Inspiration and Secret Projects

One week at RT is apparently all it takes to blow my blogging schedule straight to hell. But, I'm tentatively back on track (I say tentatively, because I've learned better than to anger the schedule gods by being cocky enough to think I'm in control of my own schedule), and back to blogging.

May was a busyBUSYbusyBUSY month and my own writing took a bit of a backseat to other projects and commitments. Now that it's June, I'm back to the grindstone. Today's writing project is a bit of a break f...

Of RT and Exhaustion

I missed Monday's post, and I almost missed today's post as well. I am having a bit of a hard time returning to a normal schedule after RT, it would seem.


I have pictures to post and stories to recap and excited flailing to do...and I don't have the energy to do it right now. So what I will say is RT is amazing and fun and exhausting. GO. Just...go.

Dallas 2015. I'll see you there.

Of RT

I missed Monday's post, and I almost missed today's post as well. I am having a bit of a hard time returning to a normal schedule after RT, it would seem.


I have pictures to post and stories to recap and excited flailing to do...and I don't have the energy to do it right now. So what I will say is RT is amazing and fun and exhausting. GO. Just...go.

Dallas 2015. I'll see you there.

Of Book Conventions and Blog Scheduling

I'm still at RT (woot woot!). So, in lieu of a normally scheduled blog post, have a John Waters quote. Enjoy!

Of RT and Excitement

When this post goes live, I'll already be at the airport, waiting for my flight to New Orleans and the 2014 Romantic Times Booklovers Convention.


This is my first time going to RT, and I am so beyond excited. The fact that it's in NOLA is just a bonus. If you're heading to RT as well, safe travels and hopefully I'll see you there!

Reblog: Ants or Zombie Ants? I Prefer the Latter.

"So, while I invest heavily in the Raid corporation and whip up every "guaranteed non-toxic ant killer" recipe Pinterest has available, I'm seeking comfort from the encroaching horde the only way I know how... by wishing zombieism on each and every one of the nasty vermin. And for once, this isn't just a wild hope (not that I actively hope for a zombie apocalypse or anything, I just believe in preparation). Unlike humans, ants ARE susceptible to a parasite that causes zombie-like tendencies a...

Of Ants and Irritation

Evil, in physical formPhoto credit: macropoulos via photopin cc
Observe, my friends, the enemy. Oh, he may look cute, with his fuzzy little antenna and shiny little head. He's not. He's a bastard, and he has roughly 948,920,849,234 and a 1/2 siblings, all of whom have a single goal and purpose uniting them: to invade my home by any and all means necessary.

I've cleaned. I've vacuumed. I've gone through more bug spray in the last month than in the entirety of my life to this point. And still the...

Of Making Friends and Influencing People: The "You're Doing It Wrong" Edition

For many years I had an overactive guilt complex. Simple statement, anything but simple issue. I didn't have boundaries. Or, more accurately, I had poorly placed boundaries. I didn't have a problem standing up for myself against people who had proven themselves to be cruel, callous, or unkind; I had a problem standing up to everyone else.

I let friends, family, and even casual acquaintances walk all over me. I didn't consider myself a doormat because I could stand up for myself, I just didn't...