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All We Need is Music, Music, Music…

Pandora may be the greatest invention since sliced bread. Seriously.

I usually have music in the background when I’m writing. Sometimes it’s job is to white-noise away* distractions, sometimes to inspire or motivate or relax. Sometimes it’s just fun to have there, for no particular reason. I used to compile endless mix tapes – then mix CDs, then mix playlists – so that I always had a collection of music for the mood I was in. I spent hours sorting through my music, trying to amass the perfect combination of words, melodies, and emotions so they were there when I needed them – because there’s nothing more annoying than wanting to listen but not having the right stuff to listen to.

Then along came Pandora. What a fabulous thing – to be able to have any kind of music at my fingertips in an instant. And it’s free! I don’t even have to sort through things or figure out what goes with what – the beautiful computer wizards do that for you. Sure, sometimes you have to skip over a song**, but generally speaking, the hours I used to spend sorting can now be spent doing other (translation: productive) things. Things like writing. Or time-wasting. (teehee)
Continue reading All We Need is Music, Music, Music…

Book Review: How to Pick a Religion

Today’s book review is another reference-type book – with a clever title and interesting conceit.  My review copy of How to Pick a Religion was provided courtesy of LuxuryReading.com, which also hosted the original (shorter) post of this book review on March 7 (available here).
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How to Pick a Religion

I am weird I guess, because I enjoy reading/reviewing reference books.  Not dictionaries or how-to guides, but self-proclaimed reference books aimed at helping regular people make regular decisions (like how to tip, how to evaluate the literary canon, etc.).  I also enjoy reviewing snarky things (which so many of those self-proclaimed reference-type books often are).  So imagine my excitement when I saw today’s book on the LuxuryReading.com book review list!
Continue reading Book Review: How to Pick a Religion

Mr. Time is Not My Friend – Unfortunately, He is in Charge Right Now…

It’s true. He’s very mean, very selfish, and very demanding – not qualities I look for in my friends. He’s never around when I need him, runs away at the first sign of difficulty, and quite often stands in my way. Unfortunately, he’s in charge of my life these days.

Sigh.

I wish he was nicer, more giving, more willing to share. It would be wonderful if he would, just once, voluntarily help me out – without my having to beg. I’m not optimistic though. We’ve been together for a long time now, and I just don’t think he’s going to change. I want to leave, I really do – but I don’t know how. It’s the only co-dependent relationship in my life, and it’s killing me…

Teehee.
Continue reading Mr. Time is Not My Friend – Unfortunately, He is in Charge Right Now…

Grr, I Hate it When the Voices in My Head Don’t Cooperate…

It’s true. I really do.

All you writers out there know what I’m talking about – and not just fiction writers, anyone who’s ever had to write anything. You’re in the middle of telling a story (fiction, non-fiction, whatever) and things are clicking along. You have a great character/voice and things are rolling – the words are flowing, there’s something you want to say and the story is advancing appropriately. Then, all of a sudden, BAM! It’s like a shotgun shell to the head. The words just stop coming and you’re left with a gigantic mess.

That’s where I am right now.
Continue reading Grr, I Hate it When the Voices in My Head Don’t Cooperate…

Book Review: Ali in Wonderland

Hello again folks, back again with another memoir – something we haven’t had in a little bit…  My review copy of Ali in Wonderland was provided courtesy of LuxuryReading.com, which also hosted the original (shorter) post of this book review on March 30 (available here).

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Ali in Wonderland

Ali Wentworth has lived quite a life.  I will confess that I did not know who she was when I picked this book for a review – but I did know from the blurb that she was married to George Stephanopoulos and the daughter of Ronald Reagan’s White House Press Secretary.  As a former resident of Washington, DC, how could I resist?  I enjoy memoirs, love reading about DC, and couldn’t imagine how I’d turn down a book with cover blurbs by Kathy Griffin, Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin AND the author’s mom…  Plus the synopsis called it “addictively funny” and included a slew of adjectives I am quite fond of, like “off-the-wall”, “hilarious”, and “borderline insane”.

Will I never learn?
Continue reading Book Review: Ali in Wonderland

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When I Wrote

May 2012
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