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Writers are magicians. The audience should never see the sleight of hand, and they don’t want to know how the trick is done. But it is a trick.
Like all magicians, writers have to practice their craft for years before we master it. Like magicians, we have to keep thinking up new tricks. In other words, we have to innovate. Sure, we can start with beginner level card tricks. They will satisfy a certain audience for a little while, but the same trick over and over, soon becomes tiresome.
Well, you’re not going to believe this. Reece Witherspoon and I picked the same book for our February book clubs. Sort of. Late last year, I came across THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE by Marie Benedict and was fascinated by the premise. Benedict writes historical fiction, much like Philippa Gregory,
This month, rather than recommend one book to read, I’m recommending the entire body of work of one author because Anne Rice, who passed away December 11, 2021, single-handedly revolutionized the role of vampires in literature. Yes, vampires. And the impact she’s had is more significant than you might realize.
If you’ve had it up to your eyes with holiday preparations and are looking for a light-hearted story to escape into, The Christmas Bookshop, by Jenny Colgan, might be just the ticket. The title is a bit misleading, in my opinion. Yes, there’s a bookstore. Yes, the plot unfolds in
