Every season has a rhythm, an underlying purpose that drives the land and we who inhabit it. Take a moment to think about the rhythms you bring to each change, the cleaning and organizing, the planning and preparations. Just as the land scours itself in spring and fall, so do I. Just this week I finished the grand reorganization of my library, alphabetizing all the books shoved on top of the existing volumes and culling from the shelves those that wish to migrate to other [...]
Fall is definitely in the air around our neighborhood and so is the excitement surrounding this month's author, Carlos K. Marshall, whose debut achievement - God's Mighty Men The Christian Man's Guide to Love, Leadership and Life, is aimed at providing young Black men in our society with the support and foundation they need to achieve success in their personal and working lives. Janet Irvin: Welcome, Carlos. Let's start with getting to know you better. Can you share with us some of your early [...]
When the leaves begin to fall and the prairie turns brown and gold, I stare from the porch, unable to resist the urge to strap on a backpack and wander into the unknown. Amid the demands of life in the 21st Century, there are days I wish a wizard would turn up at my door, invite himself for tea, and invite me to go adventuring. Of course, our suburban lawns and urban landscapes rarely lend themselves to such fanciful walks, but the mind is a [...]
This author of the month feature is among the most fun activities I do in my writing life. Every interview yields new information about the writing life and expands my horizons to include writers of every genre. This month is no exception. I'm so pleased to welcome September's authors, sisters Mary Newman and Constance Kirker, who have written books about food and the cultural history behind its use. These amazing food gurus have serious academic credentials, a passion for travel and adventure, and a deep [...]
No way to sugarcoat this truth, for me personally, it's been a shitty summer. Three rounds of antibiotics for various unusual infections followed by a Mohs procedure (www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/mohs-surgery) for skin cancer that ended up costing me most of my left nostril and resulted in complicated facial reconstruction, which is not over yet. If my last name were Scrooge, I'd scream Bah, humbug! The combination of these events entombed me in a very dark hole. I've been digging myself up ever since. For a flaming [...]
August 2022...We might be in the dog days of summer, but I'm so excited to feature my first celebrity chef and author, Keith D. Jones, as the subject of this month's author interview. I admit to being a 'food snob,' not in the sense that I have to have gourmet meals, no, but in the vein of healthy, fresh ingredients prepared with love and care and a touch of the creative. That's exactly what Keith brings to his table -- a dedication to eating healthy [...]
READY? What's that old line about "the world being too much with us"? Sometimes the obstacles laid along the road create a wall too high to scale. Sometimes they force us to confront truths we would rather avoid. If you're a little like me, maybe they cause you to contemplate, if only for a moment, running away, and summer provides the opportune moment to try a faux escape. After all, it's July, summer's highpoint in the northern hemisphere. In this month of heat, humidity, and [...]
July is sizzling and so is A FEIGNED MADNESS, the historical fiction debut novel of this month's featured author Tonya Mitchell. The novel tells the story of undercover reporter Nellie Bly’s ten harrowing days inside a women’s insane asylum in 1887. Mitchell has a degree in journalism from Indiana University. Her short fiction has appeared in a variety of publications, including The Copperfield Review and Glimmer and Other Stories. Our author confesses to being an Anglophile with a particular fascination for all things Victorian. She [...]
The absolute BEST prize for a writing contest is publication, and Central Ohio Fiction Writers have that. Sharpen your ideas, flex your fingers, and start writing! And pass the word to all your writing friends!
Welcome, June, and welcome to crime writer, Shamus award-winning author, and fellow Ohio University grad (Go, Bobcats!) Trace Conger, whose novels explore murder in the crime, thriller, and suspense genres. I've had the opportunity to share space with Trace at Mulberry Street Books in Lebanon, Ohio, and pick his brain a little about the writing process and this writing adventure we share. He is the author of the Conner Harding and Mr. Finn series Janet Irvin: Trace, let's talk about choosing this writing path. [...]