Irene Ziegler's Blog, page 19

Save 40% on Ashes to Water

Take advantage of the Barnes & Noble coupon here http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/7w4f40sm.html through July 26 and get 40% off your purchases of Ashes to Water or Rules of the Lake (available in the online store only.) If you buy something else your eyeballs will fall out.

Not really.

Enjoy!

The Suffering Artist in the New Millennium

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I'm tired of suffering for my art. *awaits thunderbolt* See? I didn't get struck by lightning. Suffering is not sacred, morally excellent, or mandatory. Nowhere is it written that an artist must have brown teeth, phlegmatic lungs or a wooden leg. Nor are we required to wear...

Why I'm No Longer Considering Becoming a Grave Digger

body {font-family:helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;}a.stbar.chicklet img {border:0;height:16px;width:16px;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:middle;}a.stbar.chicklet {height:16px;line-height:16pxI just got an email from someone I don't know, telling me she loved Ashes to Water. Let's call her Extremely Intelligent Woman, or EIW for short. The email made my day, of course, and I was thrilled. I assumed EIW was a professional reviewer, someone to whom I'd sent the book.

But no.

body...

Why I Don't Dig Graves

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I just got an email from someone I don't know, telling me she loved Ashes to Water. Let's call her Extremely Intelligent Woman, or EIW for short. The email made my day, of course, and I was thrilled. I assumed EIW was a professional reviewer, someone to whom I'd sent the book.

But no.

EIW saw me on a...

Rules of the Story

I grew up on Lake Byron in DeLand, Florida where my journey as a writer began. Both my books are set there. My father was an avid fisherman, and gave me my first tackle box when I was six. He was also a man who respected water, and because my sisters and I spent so much time in it, insisted we obey his rules of the lake: No Swimming Alone, No Diving in Unknown Waters, and the one that got me in the most trouble, No Using Dad's Rod and Reel.

Remembering my childhood, I am flooded with images o...

In Which I Answer, "Why Did You Write Ashes to Water?"

I grew up on Lake Byron in DeLand, Florida. Both of my books are set there. My father was an avid weekend fisherman, and gave me my first tackle box when I was six. He is also a man who respects water, and because my sisters and I spent so much time in it, insisted we obey his rules of the lake. One of them was No Rolling the Canoe, but we did it anyway. Here's how it worked.
My sister and I paddled the canoe to the middle of the lake then tipped it just enough so it would fill with water. It...

In Which I Learn What Not to Do on a Book Tour

I've completed the first leg of my book tour. How'd it go? Mixed. The good news is, I learned what NOT to do on a book tour. The bad news is, there's no do-overs.

My first stop was in Ann Arbor, MI and Aunt Agatha's Bookstore. That was fun! This is me and my friend/editor, Laurie Walker, who helped shape both Rules of the Lake and Ashes to Water. My hosts, Robin and Jamie Agnew were very gracious, and I owe them a lot for taking a chance on a first time novelist. Thank you.

I shared the venue ...

Review in Style Weekly Magazine

 
, Posted On: 7/6/2010

Goodnight Irene
Author translates life in the new "Ashes to Water."
by Valley Haggard [image error] Irene Ziegler's new book is part whodunit and part character study. "I love it when I read a character and can tell so much about who they are by the way they talk."   Irene Ziegler knows dialogue, dialect and how to create a scene that compels you to flip the page in a hurry. An actor and a playwright, she's used all of the well-honed tricks of her trade to write her...

In Which I Counsel Serena Williams About the Girls

Dear Serena (may I?),

What are you, about a 38 triple D? Was that too personal? Gosh, I'm sorry, but ever since you threatened that lineswoman with severe bodily harm, I've felt a deep personal connection to you. In fact, I wonder if I can have your cell phone number, because there's a woman at the DMV I'd like you to visit on my behalf.

But that's not what I wanted to talk with you about. (Do you dislike people who end sentences with prepositions? I sure hope not! Hahahaha.) I wanted to talk t...

In Which Maya the Wolf-dog Sticks her Nose Where it Doesn't Belong

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I have a dog named Maya. She's part wolf, and a sweetheart. When Maya wants my attention, she has a h...