Jessica McCann's Blog, page 11
April 8, 2013
Winning the What If Game
Daddy, what if the bridge breaks and the alligators eat me? My dad, brother and me at the Phoenix Zoo alligator exhibit, 1973. (Mom stayed on solid land and snapped the picture.) All throughout my childhood, my parents had a mantra they'd say to me when I'd get worked up...
February 11, 2013
Jessica McCann to Teach Online Historical Fiction Workshop
Arizona State University's Piper Center for Creative Writing offers classes open to the public for writers of all skill levels. Its line-up of Spring 2013 workshops includes a four-week online class taught by award-winning historical novelist Jessica McCann. Historians write about dead people; historical novelists write to give them new...
December 19, 2012
The Next Big Thing... history, mystery and inspirational fiction
"The Next Big Thing" blog hop introduces readers to new books and authors. I'm honored and excited to have been invited to participate by Barbara Anne Waite, author of the book Elsie: Adventures of an Arizona Schoolteacher 1913-1916. First, a bit about Waite's book, and then I'll share some insights...
November 21, 2012
Giving Thanks for Great Books
My reading each year is an eclectic gambit. Books include a blend of new and classic fiction in multiple genres, as well as tomes on the writing craft and research for my historical novel-in-progress. Of the 20-plus books I read in 2012, a handful stand out as exceptional and unique....
October 17, 2012
The Sound and the Worry
In an essay for The Writer magazine, I share my thoughts on the meaning of "voice" and how those thoughts evolved when my historical novel was made into an audio book. Scroll down to read the article, or click here to read the PDF. Check out the trailer for the...
August 13, 2012
Playing with Words and Book Spine Poetry
Make no mistake, I'm not a poet. Yet playing with poetry is a great way to exercise your mind. It's like Sudoku, only with words. It can help you focus your thoughts, work through a personal challenge, express deep emotions, or look at the world in a new way. I've...
July 30, 2012
Books Are Meant to Be Shared
Long before Hermione Granger mesmerized little girls with her cleverness and magic, a little witch who lost her broom right before Halloween captured my heart. The Littlest Witch by Jeanne Massey is the first book I recall reading entirely by myself. I was in second grade. My family had just...
June 28, 2012
Book Journeys
During the past year or so, I've strolled the beaches in Uruguay, explored the island of Puerto Rico and picked wild raspberries in Alaska. Novelist and literary critic Caroline Gordon said, "A well-composed book is a magic carpet on which we are wafted to a world that we cannot enter...
June 11, 2012
All Different Kinds of Free now available in audio book
My award-winning historical novel is now available in audio book, just in time to download for your summer vacation road trip or plane ride. It's narrated by the talented voice artist Mia Bankston, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Enjoy the new book trailer, which includes...
March 15, 2012
The Importance of Fictional Truths
Blogger Natalia Sylvester posted an amazing essay on the importance of fictional truths. Here's an excerpt: Truth is a complex thing. It is not simple. It is not always evident based on the facts. It's something that writers — non-fiction and fiction alike — strive for, even when they know...
