Wednesday, September 21, 2011

End of Summer Lament

Summer's almost gone, and I've barely accomplished a thing!

What I did do, and what has kept me entertained through the heat wave we've had here in Texas, was become involved in reading the current projects of a couple of writer friends.

Patricia Burroughs--or Pooks as she likes to be known--was published the same time I was and stopped writing romance shortly after I did. We belonged to the same critique group back then and became good friends. She made the transition from romance to screenwriting while I was switching to mysteries. I failed horribly at writing mysteries, but she went on to win a number of awards for her work, one being the coveted Nicholl Fellowship. She's back to fiction now, her present work being a compelling fantasy about a magical England during the Regency period. I'm on my second reading and find it equally as exciting this time around. Actually it seems I'm spending more time with my rear glued to the chair now than I did when writing myself!

 Patti's first novel, which she adapted to the screenplay that won the Nicholl

Another author whose work I admire and whose books I recommend is Linnea Sinclair. We met in a writer's forum in 1999--same place I met Maire of Procrastination Diary (Hi, Maire!). Linnea was a private detective who gave me great insight into that profession for a novel I was working on at the time. In exchange I critiqued her finished novel: Finders Keepers. (It's still one of my favorite of her works. Another I also critted for her back then: Accidental Goddess. I think that is my very fave of all her books.) She has since gone on to publish eight novels and has been included in two anthologies. Yay, Linnea!

Linnea's first published book

She writes scifi/fantasy with a touch of romance. If you're looking for something to keep you warm this coming season, check her out.

And now, like summer, I'm gone.

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