Spotting Mistakes
I often write about errors in news writing and believe me, I could post a new story about them every day but I try to pace myself. …
writing
Another Twitter Winner
Still unsure about the value of Twitter? My (free) account paid for itself last week by reuniting me with an old friend. Â …
Tales Out of School
Hundreds of broadcasters have said they’ll write books about behind-the-scenes of radio. Very few have followed through.  I think it’s time. …
“The Nearly Naked Truth – A Fond Walk Down Mammary Lane”
Jeff Mahoney is a longtime writer with the Hamilton Spectator and to have him tell me how much he enjoyed The Naked Truth was a heart-warming compliment. Â Yesterday, his article on the book ran in the paper and online and I was totally tickled by it. Â Here it is:Â …
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What I’ve Learned So Far
The Naked Truth has been out for about a month and a half.  In that time I’ve learned a lot about this new world of ebooks and how to navigate through it.  And I’m pleased to say that as a first-timer, I’m doing alright. …
The Secret to Writing a Book
The Naked Truth is my second book and it’s actually about half the length of my first, Celebrity Tantrums: The Official Dirt.  So people often ask me how I managed to get so much writing done with such a busy life.  Where did I find the time?  What’s the secret?  Whether you’re a prolific and successful writer like Stephen King or a little self-published hopeful like moi, the secret is exactly the same. I’m happy to share it now. …
A “Naked Truth” Review
The Beat Magazine, aka publisher Richard Young, reviewed my book and gave it 4 out of 4 stars. I can hardly say that without shaking my head in a mix of disbelief and gratitude.  Without his permission (!) I’m adding the link to the review here and reprinting the text of it here. …
The Ultimate Cosmo Girl
Helen Gurley Brown died yesterday after a brief illness.  She was 90.  As editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine for 32 years, Brown helped guide and shape young women’s views on sex and relationships.  I know. I was one of them. …
Old Is New Again – House Proud, Sun Media
Ikea means different things to different people. For some, it’s a place to stock up on inexpensive essentials for offspring leaving the nest. For others, it’s the home of organizational inspiration for a closet or a room. And still others see it as the preferred option for in-home kitchen design and installation. Its name conjures up an image as individual as the shopper who straps on a big blue bag and strolls through its Marketplace but there’s one irrefutable fact: Ikea has always first and foremost been about innovative product designs. It can’t be a coincidence that Ikea rhymes with idea. …
Putting it Out There
A fair bit of anxiety has gone into planning to release my little ebook, The Naked Truth. Yesterday I posted the first chapter here and on Facebook and Twitter, just as a preview. One never really knows what will come of such a thing. It isn’t just my writing, it’s a piece of my life I’m putting out there. …
Preview: The Naked Truth
I hope you’re prepared to sit a spell and enjoy a longer than usual blog post today! As promised, here’s a chapter from my forthcoming ebook, The Naked Truth, out September 1st. I flip-flopped on what I should post and finally decided to start at the beginning. This is chapter 1. …
Book Update, Update
So not everybody has an ereader.  This I knew.  However I did not know how many people without ereaders would be interested in reading my little book. Quite a few it seems. …
My Book-to-be
It’s time for an update on my upcoming tome about the summer I spent working at a nudist resort.  Its title is The Naked Truth and it will be an ebook for Kindle (Amazon) and Kobo.  I want to put it through iBooks but I don’t have a Mac – a requirement to upload an ebook.  If I can find a good samaritan with a Mac, I’ll have access to the seller who owns the biggest market share. …
En Route to Self-Publishing
Here’s where my little book currently stands: Â It is about to be professionally edited. Â This is a step that a lot of people skip and boy, does it show. Â You simply cannot edit your own work with the same critical eye that someone else can give it. Â It is not possible. I’ve been writing professionally for much more than a decade now and I don’t submit a thing without having another set of eyes look it over. Â And when they find something and point it out, the piece always ends up better for it. Â Â …
My (Blog) Cup Runneth Over
My webmaster pinpointed the reason why I had a website glitch this week: I ran out of room! Â There were more than 1600 blog posts on this site not to mention photos and other content. Â …
The Latest Quest
I have a bit of a philosophy that’s not written in stone or even fully formed but it goes something like this: If it’s going to work out, it usually comes together pretty easily. Â Or something like that. Â In my experience, pushing and struggling and sweating and wallowing in anxiety doesn’t get me anywhere. Â …
A Bunch of Little Things
Someone in my high school class got the idea that since so many of us are turning 50 this year, we should all get together and share our misery! Â Haha. …
Parroting the Police
At the bottom of virtually every media release from police there is a paragraph where they act like the teacher who makes the whole class stay after school because one kid was chewing gum. Â …