So this week I’m hanging out with friends from Odyssey for a writing retreat focused on finding our joy in writing. It’s so easy for publishing and deadlines and craft and pressures both internal and external to steal that joy, so periodically we come back together to encourage one another. I am *so* lucky to […]
Email newsletter going out tomorrow
Hi all, Make sure you’re signed up for my email newsletter, because tomorrow I’m sending out a short story to the list. Inky Black Sea features a Venetian, a sea captain, and a very mysterious occurrence. If you sign up through February 15th, I’ll hand-deliver the story to you so you won’t miss out. Alex
40 Days of Challenge, or Breathing through the Uncertainty
As some of you may already know from my post on social media, this Sunday I started a 40 Day Yoga Challenge through my local studio. Most of the folks who signed up are committing to an hour a day at the studio, but since I’ll be traveling during some of the time, I’ll be […]
Kerry Schafer Talks Fiction Without Labels
Hi all, my good friend and writing partner Kerry Schafer stopped by the blog today to talk about writing books that don’t fit in boxes. Thought you guys would enjoy. Take it away, Kerry. ___________________ I’m not a fan of labels. Whenever anybody says to me something along the lines of, “Oh, you’re a nurse/mother/counselor/survivor” […]
Waking Up The Braincells, or a Long Winter’s Nap
In high tradition of me, I took the week of Christmas off, and worked only half-time on the week of New Year’s. This was wonderful and terrible. The glorious consequences: *I experienced Plants vs. Zombies 2 on the iPad. For hours. The chicken zombies were particularly fearsome, but I slayed them all. Well, except in […]
Interview in Which I Talk Novels, Biology, and Benedict Cumberbatch
Brandon Sears interviewed me today over at Every Read Thing. I may have mentioned my grandfather, some cool science books and a certain actor from Sherlock. Click on the link for all the details here: https://everyreadthing.com/2014/01/06/interview-alex-hughes/
Interview with Jennifer Estep (and Giveaway!)
I’m excited today to welcome Jennifer Estep, one of my favorite authors, to the blog to celebrate the release of The Spider, the new Gin Blanco book in the Elemental Assassins series. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. First off, the information about the book. Then, the interview. How did I […]
Good morning!
Good morning, dear readers. It’s a happy day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I’m feeling good. (Pause for Buble video: I’m Feeling Good. Thanks, Michael.) I went out and got myself a light alarm clock–one that wakes you up with gradually-increasing light and then bird chirps, which is amazing. I’d highly recommend […]
Untangling the Plot
This week deserves a picture of a sad kitten tangled up in yarn. My muse & I have been unraveling plot tangles for days. This involves lots of staring at whiteboards, hitting my head against the wall, and playing with yarn. Yes, I knit. Yes, it’s useful for plotting, and not a bad metaphor either. […]
One of My Favorite Short Stories… Shared with You
Tomorrow I’m sending out my first email newsletter in several months, in which I share one of my favorite short stories ever, The Carousel. The Carousel is very short (only 700 words) but it’s creepy and rich and wonderfully tragic. I love this little story. And even better, it arrived in my head as a complete […]
