Hannah Rae's Blog, page 41

Is the author the character?

I'm sure that it's a little weird for people who know me to read what I write, but I think it's equally weird for me to hear how people who know me tend to imagine me as my characters. Because Jenny fromLike A Flip Turnis a femaleEnglish teacher who likes to write, readers associate me with Jenny; because Charley fromJust Whistleis a female who likes dogs and beer and drives a Jeep, readers associate me with Charley; because Lucy fromKick It One More Time(which is still being edited) is a

Goodreads Giveaway

Ideas for future fictional works come pretty easily to me. Things to blog about do not. *sigh* I did want to make everyone aware of the fact that I'm running a giveaway on Goodreads, though. If you already have an account with Goodreads, then entering the contest is a no-brainer: Just follow THIS LINK to add your name to the hat. If you haven't yet signed up with Goodreads, you might consider doing so for the following reasons: You can enter my giveaway and win a free copy ofJust

Do snow showers bring creative powers?

Yes. Yes, I believe they do. Over the course of the last school year, I somehow managed to write two complete novels:Just Whistle, which has since been released, and another one that's still being edited. But this year...? I don't know. I just haven't been feeling the creativity. I know myself better than anyone (a profound statement, for sure) and I'm well aware of the fact that my creativity tends to follow a cycle. I'll write a book, get heavily into torn-paper mosaics for a month or

Free books, Massachusetts musicians, and SNOW!

Author Jeremy Jackson says it best in his novelLife at These Speeds: "Only on paper is February the shortest month. Something in the cruel precision of a month with exactly four weeks lends to the trickery and grind of its wintry sinkhole." And this year, February has an extra day. *sigh* To counteract the effects of such a very looooooooong shortest month, I've decided to host a book giveaway on Goodreads. This means that if you enter the contest, you stand a chance of being one of three

Remembering Baxter

It was two years ago today that I had to say goodbye to the best dog I've ever known. Most knew him simply as Baxter, but more often than not I'd find myself referring to him as "Goober" or "Baby Goob." A grade above special, Baxterwas among the coolest canines I've encountered in my life. It seems only fitting to dedicate a portion of this New Year's Eve to honoring his memory, and so I will share just a few of the uniquenesses that made Baxter the incredible pup that he was. Baxter

Feed the birds?

I've been on a short story-writing kick. The one that I'm posting today is for my buddy, Nicoleo, who met me in the parking lot the other day and started the conversation by saying, "Buddy, a strange thing happened to me this morning. Let me tell you about it." As it turns out, Nicoleo was walking down the street, thinking of food (she is often thinking of food; she is hungry much of the time), when something landed on her shoulder. What was it, you ask? The answer is bread. Yep, that's

Battlefield Goings-On... at Night

Recently, my pup Agatha Wagsand I took a long walk on the battlefield. While there, we spotted a soldier atop a very high pillar. I immediately felt sorry for him. There he was, suspended in midair, so far away from his friends and the earth. I imagined that his sadness must be reminiscent of Rapunzel's... but worse, for he lackeda rope of hair that could be let down to potential visitors. Anyway, the poor fellow perched upon the pillar gave me an idea for the story. Here it is: Every

Now THAT was a weekend!

I really am lucky to know as many awesome folks as I do... and I'm even luckier because I got to seeso many of themin a single weekend! How many people can say that they've got a good friend who happens to be a professional hypnotist and magician? My guess would be not many, but I'm fortunate enoughnotto fall into the majority with this one. My good friend Kevin Hurley happens to tour the world, escaping from straitjackets and pulling dollar bills from lemons and hypnotizing crowds into

Free Signatures!

If you purchased a copy ofJust Whistlea while back and have been waiting for the perfect moment to have it signed, that perfect moment may just happen to be this coming Friday, November 6th, at Lark on the Square. I'll be there from about 5:00 until 8:00, armedwith my favorite Pilot G2, practicing my signature and selling books... Gettysburg really does know how to host a fabulous First Friday, so come on out and explore the town!

The Oxford Comma: what's your opinion?

The Oxford comma, sometimes known as the serial comma or the Harvard comma, is the comma that appears directly before a coordinating conjunction (such as "and") in a series of three or more terms.For example: Sid, Ernie, and Theo are dozing in the living room. The Oxford comma appears right after "Ernie." Recently, I had a conversation with my mom about the Oxford comma. She feels very strongly about it; she believes that when listing things, sentences that donotutilize the Oxford