It was so much fun chatting with author Brandy Schillace for her podcast! We discussed my historical novel set in the 1930s Dust Bowl – Peculiar Savage Beauty (how could we not!). We also explored the writing life, book publishing, and the geological and agricultural science and history that are big part of the novel. Give it a listen and let me know what you think!
History Through Fiction to Republish Jessica McCann’s Award-Winning Novel
When I learned the publisher of my debut novel, All Different Kinds of Free, was retiring and my book would go out of print, I was disappointed. But as a glass-half-full person, I also saw an opportunity. After a short querying period, an indie press offered me a contract to publish a revised 15th anniversary edition.
I’m so grateful to my new editor and publisher, Colin Mustful of History Through Fiction, for seeing the value in Margaret Morgan’s story.
Cover reveal and more details will be coming soon. But for now, mark you calendar for the release date, November 10, 2026!
Memoir Spotlight: Three Wild Dogs (and the truth)
Three Wild Dogs (and the truth)* by Markus Zusak
The first thing you need to know is that this is a memoir. The second thing you need to know is that it’s the first book I’ve read by Markus Zusak (and it won’t be the last). The third thing you need to know is it’s packed with the kind of beautiful, insightful prose you’d expect in the best novel.
It made me nod my head, laugh out loud, and bawl like a baby.
If you’ve ever owned, loved and lost a pet, this book is for you. Especially dogs (but also cats). Especially big dogs. Especially big, unruly dogs. And, especially, if you’re a novelist who has had big, unruly dogs (which I am).
Zusak loved his big, wild dogs despite (and because of) the chaos they brought to his life – a life of raising two children with his wife, of also owning two fierce cats, of working for 13 years to bring his novel Bridge of Clay to market. He acknowledges that novel isn’t for everyone. And neither are unruly dogs. One line in particular resonated with me…
“… it bears reminding that books, like dogs, owe us nothing. It’s worth it for having done it.”
Read this one. Have your tissue box at the ready. It will be worth it.
*I receive a small commission you make a purchase at Bookshop.org using a link in this post.
Literary Tools for Next Level Writing
When a couple has been together 35 years, they develop a sort of code for sharing opinions. For example, when I tell my husband that his guy movie is “hilarious,” he knows I mean idiotic. (Think anything with Chevy Chase.) Likewise, when he remarks that a book is “literary” or “poignant,” what he really means is too descriptive and boring. If it’s overly long or slow paced, he says “thick” in a drawn-out flat tone.
When it comes to certain books, I tend to agree with his code.
Too often, writers, editors and publishers label esoteric manuscripts with more pages of descriptive prose than plot as “literary.” Yet, literary is the adjective form of literature; and literature is defined by Merriam-Webster as “written works having excellence of form or expression and dealing with ideas of permanent interest.” That definition applies to books of every length and every genre.
In a recent article for Women Writers, Women’s Books, I shared practical tips and examples for using literary tools that take your writing to the next level – creating engaging page-turners with literary chops. Read the full article here.
Writing on the Spectrum
My latest article at WritersDigest.com highlights why neurodiversity adds richness to literature and life, with tips to creating authentic characters on the autism spectrum.
Writing on the Spectrum: The Importance of Stories by and about People with Autism
The article also highlights the Arizona Author Book Festival taking place in Phoenix, April 27, 2025. I volunteered to coordinate the festival to help raise awareness and funds for SEEDs for Autism, an education, social skills and vocational training programs for young adults on the spectrum. Learn more at the festival website, save the date, and join us!
Dream Big, Start Small
A technique for writing and for life.
Post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” His distinctive technique consists of bold brushstrokes and contrasting colors to create a bigger picture of vibrant intensity and emotion.
Big is wonderful. Yet, big is often overwhelming. Small is less intimidating. Small is doable.
Taking small steps toward a bigger goal is a proven technique for success, whether you’re painting a masterpiece, training for better health, or writing a book.
“I can’t tell you how many times I don’t feel like training and tell myself, ‘I’ll just do one set and see how I feel.’ You would think it would stop working at some point, but I almost always end up doing the whole workout,” wrote James Clear, author of the best-seller Atomic Habits. “Just start. Do a little and see what happens.”
Clear’s trick works for writing, as well. When I don’t feel like writing, I tell myself, “I’ll write for 15 minutes, even it’s just random thoughts.” Inevitably, once my fingers get moving on the keyboard, my brain gets moving, too, and I end up writing for much longer.
You can do great things with a series of small things. The key is to “just start” and see where it takes you.
Image: Vincent van Gogh’s “Irises,” oil on canvas (1890, courtesy of Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
Mystery Spotlight: The Framed Women of Ardemore House
The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace
A friend brought this book to my attention because it is written by a woman on the autism spectrum and the novel’s protagonist is also on the spectrum. Those of you who know me also know my son is on the spectrum, as is a main character in my novel Peculiar Savage Beauty. So, while I don’t often read mysteries, this book made it on my to-read stack.
This is a contemporary mystery set in a historical location in North Yorkshire, England. Because of my affinity for historical fiction, the elements of the story that revolved around a missing painting and a possibly-haunted family estate appealed to me. Add in a cast of fully-formed, quirky characters, and this novel had a great deal that captured my attention.
I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I reached out to the author. Brandy is not only a talented writer, she’s also a talented artist. For members of her street team (which I now am), Brandy created fun portraits set in the Ardemore Estate in the style of the mysterious missing Netherleigh painting. We had our choice of locations, and of course I requested the library!
Here are the before and after photos. I love the way the light is coming in from the window, and how the chandelier is reminiscent of the fountain in the original image.
This novel has a lot to love for any reader. Mystery fans, in particular, are sure to adore it (and if you do, you’ll be thrilled to know she’s hard at work on the second book in the series).
Puzzling Writing Behavior
What’s your puzzling behavior? Mine is much like my writing behavior. Once I begin a jigsaw puzzle or writing project, I am compelled to finish it – no matter how difficult, no matter how long it takes. Recently, I worked on a puzzle that taught me an important lesson about letting go. Letting go is not the same as giving up.
We often have a puzzle in progress on our dining room table. We work on it as a family. A few pieces now and then in passing. Several pieces during a longer sitting. Our individual obsession with the puzzles often depends upon the images. My son enjoys our Nintendo- and sports-themed ones. I like the nature- and book-themed ones. My husband enjoys pretty much all of them. As a result, we always complete the puzzles.
Until last month.
Last month, I brought home a new puzzle featuring a book stack illustration that included several of my favorite novels and authors (Amor Towles, M.L. Stedman, Toni Morrison, Tayari Jones, to name a few).
The bright colored, unique spines and title fonts tricked us into thinking it would be easy. (I should have known, when it comes to completing a book, it’s never easy.)
As a rule, we assemble the puzzle’s edge first, then complete the inner portions until the whole picture is complete. My novel-writing process is similar. I create an outline, then fill in the big picture scene by scene, piece by piece.
This tried-and-true process didn’t work for our book puzzle. The outer portion was solid white, and so many of the white pieces were nearly identical. So. Many. Pieces.
We adjusted our approach and completed the puzzle book by book. It was fun. The puzzle was lovely. But, once we were left with only white pieces, we were stuck. The pieces were so similar, they often landed in the wrong spot – until we completed a small section and realized that one piece in the middle was incorrect, and thus all the surrounding pieces were incorrect, and we had to deconstruct an entire section and try again. And again. And again.
My son was the first to recognize the insanity of it. My husband was the second. After a couple of weeks of this maddening process, the futility of it finally hit us all. Finally, I let go. I packed up the puzzle and put the box in the cupboard.
I’ve often heard writers talk about “the manuscript in their drawer,” the incomplete or unpublished book. I never understood how someone could spend so much time on a project, only to quit so near the finish line.
Now I understand. It’s OK to tuck a project away, if completing it proves maddening. It may sit in that drawer indefinitely. Or maybe, if the time is right, you can pull it out again and see it through to completion. Either way, sometimes it’s OK to let go.
Book Signing Event in Tucson
The Tucson Festival of Books author selection committee has invited me to appear in the Indie Author Pavilion. This is the first time I’ll be attending the festival as an author, and I’m thrilled.
I’ll be on hand for a few hours on Saturday to chat with attendees and sign books. Come one, come all!
Visit my author page on the official festival site for the latest information.
Recommended Reads: 12 Memoirs
Reading multiple perspectives will help you as a writer (and a human being) to understand what other people are thinking, feeling, and grappling with in life. The mistakes they’ve made. The obstacles they’ve overcome. What they’ve learned from those experiences.
Memoirs allow you to get inside the author’s head. And when you’re in her head, you can see the world through her eyes.
Scroll down, past the photo for my list of all-time favorite memoirs (with links*).
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt on his childhood growing up in Ireland.
Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet
Breaking Clean by Judy Blunt, a third-generation homesteader describes her hardscrabble life on the prairies of eastern Montana.
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty, a teenager’s perspective on friendships, family, changing schools, his strong connection to nature, and the complexities of living with autism.
Falling Through the Earth by Danielle Trussoni , an intimate look at growing up with her Vietnam veteran father.
From Baghdad, with Love: A Dog, a Marine, and the Love That Saved Them by Jay Kopelman
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, “captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right.”
My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass, a former slave’s reflections written ten years after his legal emancipation in 1846.
Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig, reflections on how the “world is messing with our minds” and what he does about it.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The Liars Club by Mary Karr, a hilarious, moving, fast-pace story of growing up in Texas with dysfunctional parents.
The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway, a coming-of-age story from the windswept, drought-haunted Australian outback to the president’s office of an American college.