Technology And How A Thirty-Something Character Grocery Shops

Posted on June 19, 2019 by admin

I have a problem with technology. And age. Quille, the main character in my current mystery/suspense series (the Q.C. Davis series) is nearly 20 years younger than me. Because of that age difference, she almost certainly uses technology differently than I do. Not only in her law practice but in her day-to-day life. Including when she shops. So today, all in the interest of character research, I checked out Amazon Go. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made t...

Happiness, Anxiety, and Writing: Using Your Creativity To Live A Calmer, Happier Life

Posted on June 12, 2019August 21, 2020 by admin

I struggled with anxiety for a long time before I saw the connection to creativity. The relationship between the two finally hit me while plotting the first book in my Awakening series. To figure out challenges for my protagonist, I kept asking What If? What If she's determined to go to medical school and discovers she's pregnant despite never having had sex? What If her parents, usually supportive, think she's in denial about her situation? What If when she persists in her "story" they t...

Chicago Printers Row Lit Fest on June 8, 2019

Posted on June 5, 2019 by admin

Please join me at Chicago's 35th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest under the Chicago Writers Association Tent on Dearborn Street between Polk and Harrison (around 730 S. Dearborn). I'll be there from 10 a.m. to 12:30 on Saturday, June 8, 2019. The fest itself continues all day Saturday and Sunday. Tons of books, demonstrations, and events. You'll find the The Charming Man, the latest Q.C. Davis mystery (set in Chicago), my entire Awakening supernatural thriller series (with the new covers),...

The Hunger Games: And Still Men Talk More (Women & Men in the Movies No. 11)

Posted on March 27, 2019March 27, 2019 by admin

This week I’ll look at how women are portrayed, and how they interact with other characters, in the 2012 dystopian thriller The Hunger Games, one of my favorite films. And books for that matter. (You can find out more about the 3 tests I'll use in Women, Men, and Movies or just read on.) The Story In the future a wealthy capitol city governs twelve districts that once rebelled against it. As payback, the Capitol requires each district to draw names of one boy and one girl—called Tributes—ea...

The Corner of Ida B. Wells and Wells

Posted on February 27, 2019February 27, 2019 by admin

In a scene in my novel The Worried Man, main character Q.C. Davis becomes disoriented. She uses Congress Parkway as her guide to get back home. Chicago recently renamed that street Ida B. Wells Drive. The name change reflects changing times, yet shows how slowly change occurs. The City And The Street The short street now known as Ida B. Wells Drive forms the border between downtown Chicago and the Printers Row neighborhood just south of downtown where I live. It's a street a lot of C...

Smarter Characters Than Authors?

Posted on January 2, 2019 by admin

As a reader, I often wonder how much of the characters I love are based on their authors' lives. I imagine Sara Paretsky as an outspoken champion of those who struggle, just as is her character V.I. Warshawski. I wonder whether John Sandford has a lot in common with Lucas Davenport, the main character in his Prey novels. (Maybe better if he doesn't, depending which one you're reading.) I wish I could live in Three Pines and want to visit the town in Canada Louise Penny modeled it after. ...

Release of The Charming Man: A Blizzard, A Killer, A Missing Woman

Posted on December 19, 2018 by admin

The Charming Man (Q.C. Davis 2) It's new release week for the latest novel in the Q.C. Davis suspense/mystery series. As a blizzard rages through Chicago, a killer lurks in the halls of an isolated apartment complex on the river's edge. And Quille must find a missing woman before it's too late. Buy Today: Kindle Nook Apple Books Kobo Google Play Paperback P.S. Haven't read Book 1, The Worried Man, yet? You can start with The Charming Ma...

The Protagonist Might Be Anyone In Transcendence (Women & Men in the Movies No. 10)

Posted on December 12, 2018December 12, 2018 by admin

This week I’ll look at how women are portrayed, and how they interact with other characters, in the science fiction thriller Transcendence. (Find out more about 3 tests I’ll use to guide the conversation in Women, Men, and Movies or just read on.) Spoiler Warning: I usually try not to spoil any major plot points in my articles. For Transcendence, however, I found that particularly difficult. The conversational topics often require revealing aspects of the plot. If you want to watch the...

Leia Says Little In The Last Jedi (Women & Men in the Movies No. 9)

Posted on November 28, 2018December 12, 2018 by admin

This week I’ll look at how women are portrayed, and how they interact with other characters, in the 2017 Star Wars film The Last Jedi. (Find out more about 3 tests I’ll use to guide the conversation in Women, Men, and Movies or just read on.) The Story On an isolated island, young Rey tries to persuade unwilling Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to train her. General (and former princess) Leia struggles to lead what remains of the Resistance against the tyrannical First Order even as her son Kylo ...

A Quiet Place: Defying Monsters and Common Sense (Women & Men in the Movies No. 8)

Posted on November 14, 2018November 28, 2018 by admin

This week I’ll look at how women are portrayed in the horror movie A Quiet Place. (Find out more about 3 tests I’ll use to guide the conversation in Women, Men, and Movies or just read on.) The Story A family struggles to live in a silence in a post-apocalyptic world where monsters hunt and kill based on noise. Spoilers: I’ve done my best not to spoil anything major that wasn’t shown in the previews, but if you want to remain completely spoiler-free you may want to watch the movie first ...