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Category: Writing Process

Why Keep a Book After You’ve Read It?

Why Keep a Book After You’ve Read It?

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“A man’s bookcase will tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about him.” – Walter Mosley Last year, I was having a conversation with friends in a bookstore/café, back when we were actually able to gather in bookstore/cafés and have conversations with friends, when one of them asked the question, “Why keep a book after you’ve read it?” The conversation drifted to other topics without any real discussion, but it’s an interesting question, one I’ve returned to since while…

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6 Empty Nest Episodes Every Golden Girls Fan Should See

6 Empty Nest Episodes Every Golden Girls Fan Should See

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I was recently corresponding with one of the hosts of the Enough Wicker podcast, who admitted to having never seen an episode of The Golden Girls spinoff series, Empty Nest. I can’t say I was terribly surprised. The reasons for this could be plentiful. A lot of Golden Girls fans have discovered – and fallen in love with – the show in more recent years through reruns, DVDs, and streaming, not during the original run, when the two shows were paired together on…

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What Qualifies You to Write a Golden Girls Book Anyway?

What Qualifies You to Write a Golden Girls Book Anyway?

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My life has been immersed with The Golden Girls this year. While this differs little from my life any other year, it’s taken on considerably more heft since January. If you know me, follow my social media presence, or have looked around this website, you probably already know the following: I recently signed a contract with Globe Pequot, a division of Rowman and Littlefield, to publish what I tentatively titled Isn’t Danny Thomas One? The Definitive Golden Girls Reference Guide. The title could…

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My Book Came Out During a Pandemic

My Book Came Out During a Pandemic

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A quick update on my writing career, Sophia Petrillo style. Picture it: Charleston, West Virginia, December 2019. After years of trying, an aspiring author releases his first book. It’s a book about West Virginia’s independent bookstores, with profiles of all the state’s shops and contributions from wonderful authors and booksellers. He launches it Fayetteville, WV, where he’s wrapping up a monthlong writer’s residency, and the response is strong. So are sales. The momentum carries forward into the early months of…

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How to Throw a Book Launch Party

How to Throw a Book Launch Party

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In December, I had the pleasure of hosting my first-ever book launch party. After years of aspiring to be a published author, I’ll admit to plenty of daydreaming about what a book launch party would look like. I envisioned my friends gathered around my local independent bookshop, sipping wine and eating finger foods, while I regaled them with stories about the process of writing my novel.  Things didn’t quite happen in that manner exactly, but I did have a very…

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I Turned My Basement Into a Book-Themed Bar

I Turned My Basement Into a Book-Themed Bar

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“This is what I want,” I said as I sipped a delicious Great Gatsby (champagne, orange bitters, orange peel, sugar cube) inside Battery Park Book Exchange, a champagne bar/bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina. In February 2019, I moved into a house that had a rather nondescript basement brimming with possibility: a wood-burning fireplace flanked by tall built-in bookshelves, a buffet space with cabinetry above and below, and plenty of empty space with which I had no idea what to do….

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A Look Ahead: Gearing Up for a Busy 2020

A Look Ahead: Gearing Up for a Busy 2020

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It’s been a bit quiet on the website lately, but I’m happy to say it hasn’t been because of inactivity. Several past periods of quietness could have been attributed to that, but not this time! In fact, I’m heading into the most active time I’ve had since launching this writing career so many years ago. I thought I’d provide a few updates. New River Gorge Creative Residency I have been selected as one of three creatives for the New River…

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Guilty Pleasure Reads

Guilty Pleasure Reads

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I was recently discussing with a friend guilty pleasures in terms of entertainment – books, music, television, etc. The fact is, there isn’t too much entertainment I consume that I feel guilty about. I don’t shy away from my love of old sitcoms, folk music, and, as I’ve often been told, things little old ladies would like.  In fact, the older I get, the more abundantly clear it is that I inherited a lot of my personality traits from my…

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Am I Even a Writer?

Am I Even a Writer?

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Pity, party of one. I’ve been in one hell of a terrible slump for probably a year or more, trying and failing to pump some life into a lagging writing career. I’m happy to report that I’m emerging from it, but it’s been a rather dreary time. I thought I’d share a little about why I’ve been feeling this way. Perhaps it’ll help other writers trying to dig their way out of the hole. My slump came to a head…

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Prolific and Diverse

Prolific and Diverse

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  "Learning to be prolific would be high on my list of the most valuable writing skills a professional writer can have." – Brent Hartinger The quote above, which Brent Hartinger recently made on his Facebook page, landed in my newsfeed at the most convenient time – a time when I was yet again questioning my future as a writer. As I’ve documented plenty of times on the blog, my journey has been stalled by rejection after rejection, even after…

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