A Slice of Orange

Apologies if the post title triggers a Loving Spoonful earworm! The Magic of Books It’s Midsummer and I’ve been thinking a lot about magical stories. Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Romantasy, not to mention all the Star Wars-type stories. Have you read any? Do you have a preference? My daughter is currently working her way through Rebecca Yarros’ Romantasy series.…

Life Cycle spring has comeand gonesummer breeze nudgesdense foliage to dance as before, splendor willlast for a whilethis fertile forestwill thrivechange when it’s timewe will grow oldlike the treesour span shorter than most what have we donewith the seed we once were–what have we become? © Neetu Malik Some of Neetu’s Books

Every once in a while I daydream about what it would be like to meet some famous individual from the past. And if I did meet them, what would I say? Once we’d get past the introductions, nice to meet you; how’s the weather? and other such polite niceties, what would I ask them or talk about? Maybe I’d freeze, and my mind would go blank transforming me into a banal idiot. Well, I got to find out…

Deadlines definitely help keep the writing momentum going. But what do you do when you don’t have a deadline? How do you keep up with all the marketing, promoting, and other things writers need to do and still write? It seems during a book launch I’m busy posting, writing blog posts for guest blogs, and pursuing book signing opportunities (which I have two this month – so excited!). I’ve also…

I remember tossing my slide rule into my flower-papered trunk when I graduated… it was a good friend back in the day. Got me through mathematics in college and somehow it survived along with my paisley bell bottoms and Laguna Beach Indian bracelets. It wasn’t a magic wand, but it felt like one. You still had to understand math to make it work. Fast forward to a newsstory I saw recently about how…

I love seasons, and the holidays and admit, a good deal of my life is planned around these moments. You won’t find me wearing white before the first day of spring…or after Labor Day. Not because I believe it should be a rule, or other people shouldn’t, but because I enjoy the ritual of a fresh wardrobe for the next season. And, while the Christmas tree doesn’t go up until after Thanksgiving, and…

A couple of years ago, it’s hard to believe I’m saying that. Even more hard to comprehend that the book I’m about to talk about will be ten years old this year.  Many of you may remember I did something a few people questioned. I published a title a month for a year. Looking back on it, I have mixed emotions. Was it insane? Possibly. Did I fully understand what I was doing? No. Would I ever do…

Today is the day we are Celebrating! In May, 2006, what would become the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, met for the first time in Bethlehem, PA, with four people in attendance. In the twenty years since, the group has grown from a fledgling critique group to a robust community of writers and publishers, offering not just a quarterly online literary journal (Bethlehem Writers Roundtable), an…

Three long weeks. Marla checked her calendar for the fifth time that morning and stared at the next cubicle, vacant, as it had been for twenty-one days. Where was Chet? Her work queue glared at her, each extra file on her screen a reminder that her coworker was shirking his duties. Photo by Austin on Unsplash He wasn’t on vacation. (He’d have bragged.) He’d said nothing about taking a leave.…

Backwater Song they said to remember crawdadsasked me to listen for their songwhen my heart was heavyand my sorrow darkbut I was young, too youngand memories clung tobark and thistle left behind now it’s time I knowto retrace my stepsinto that forestslowly, cautiously, thougheyes closed, feeling onlywith my hands the wayI’ve walked beforemy senses know betterthan my eyes travelled roadsI reach…

My next book, A Whole New Plan, releases this month and there’s a lot to celebrate. It’s my fourth book in my Best-laid Plans series to be released within a two-year window. I’m excited to add to the story world I’ve built and introduce the point of view of yet two more people. The release date is May 26, 2026. You can pre-order the e-book for $1 savings until release day on Amazon. A Little…