PinnedMember-onlyErrors to Avoid When Making Covers for Public Domain BooksMany people create public domain books and sell them through various eBook vendors. But some cover errors set your book apart as unprofessional. And some public domain eBook covers are bonkers! The people looking for good eBook copies of public domain classics are picky. They want something professionally formatted. They…Ebook Publishing5 min readEbook Publishing5 min read
PinnedMember-onlyA Tangled Web About Spider Hero RomancesArachnid romances? An arachnid hero who falls for a dainty human heroine? An Internet controversy? The arachnid hero and the controversy both caught me in their web. Meet the Monster Romance Genre It’s all part of the hot “monster romance“ trend, which also includes alien romances. Many of these go…Authors5 min readAuthors5 min read
PinnedMember-onlyWho Was the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?Many kids were traumatized by the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. You might be surprised to learn about the actor behind that iconic villain. A ballet dancer. Adored by the children he worked with in the movie. Movie appearances that included a role in The Red Shoes. …Movies6 min readMovies6 min read
PinnedMember-onlyA Guide to My True Crime ArticlesMost of my articles are about true crime and justice, so I gave these articles their own spot. They’re split into several categories, such as notorious Maryland crimes and historical crimes. There will be some overlap. I placed some true crime articles under more than one category if appropriate. My…True Crime4 min readTrue Crime4 min read
PinnedMember-onlyHere Are My Articles in the “Everything Else” CategoryHere is your map to my occasional bursts of humor and my articles on writing, reading, and movies. My true crime articles have their own hideout. My Articles for Readers This started out as a short (and sadly neglected) collection, but it has grown! Follow these links, and you might…Medium6 min readMedium6 min read
4 days agoMember-onlyHow Did This Doctor Misdiagnose My Chickenpox?Have you ever had a doctor ignore every symptom you gave him? Sadly, that is far from rare. But you’d think a doctor would recognize chickenpox. Oh, Yay. General Malaise! When I was in my early twenties, I got a full-time job as an editor. …Doctors5 min readDoctors5 min read
Jan 23Member-onlyAmericans, Meet the Electric Kettle! Avoid Kettlegate!Like many Americans, I used to boil water in a kettle on the stove. Or worse, in the microwave (eww). Then, a co-worker introduced me to electric kettles. My life was never the same. Neither was that workplace. Our tea area at work grew and grew. …Cooking5 min readCooking5 min read
Jan 22Member-onlyWhat Is a Bad Review? When Reviewers Screw Up!What is a bad review? What is a negative review? Aren’t they the same? That depends on who you ask. The Author’s Big Mistake Strikes Again I just wrote about an author responding to a negative review. Again. Again?! What do you mean by again? …Books5 min readBooks5 min read
Jan 21Member-onlySay It Again: Reviews Are for the Readers, Not for the AuthorsI saw it again today. A writer reeling from their first one-star review. The real story isn’t in the review but in how her fellow authors responded. The Review Itself I felt for the author. I also felt for the reviewer because they seemed traumatized by something in the book…Books6 min readBooks6 min read
Dec 31, 2022Member-onlyHow I Visited London, Made Mistakes, and Had Fun AnywayWhen we travel, we make mistakes. Big or small, they frustrate us. I didn’t let my errors get in the way of my adventures, and I learned a lot about London. I Traveled, I Screwed Up, I Learned, I Had Fun In 2004, I visited London for the first time…Travel7 min readTravel7 min read