Shelter of Leaves is a 2016 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist

March brought a surprise: My book Shelter of Leaves is a 2016 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year finalist for science fiction! Foreword Reviews writes, “These finalists represent the best books published in 2016, and submitted to Foreword Reviews for award consideration, and were narrowed down by Foreword’s editors from over 2,200 individual titles across 65 categories.” Finalists will…

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Triggering a Map of the Imagination

“I’ll draw another mental map and build a city entirely with ice-covered pink stones…” On February 3, I wrote a blog post for the San Diego Book Review, entitled “Triggering a Map of the Imagination.” Check out the excerpt below and let me know what you think! I ride in the cozy car world of dashboard…

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Writing: Early On

“…stories were always with me, floating through my mind, collecting.” On October 28, I wrote a blog post for the San Diego Book Review, entitled “Writing: Early On.” Check out the excerpt below and let me know what you think! My father, a jovial, patient man, made paintings, mostly watercolors and pen and ink drawings. He…

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An Orphan Story

Halfway through scrambled eggs and grits, my quiet morning broke apart. Out front, kids spilled over the sidewalks into the street, yelling and punching each other. Drivers slammed on brakes and hit their horns. The kids ignored them. “Who are they?” I couldn’t take my eyes off the front window. “Orphans, from the Children’s Home…

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