Oct 29, 2020Member-onlyMy Boyfriend and I Are Both Biden Voters — But the Election is Still Causing Us to FightWe’re on the same side, but have different approaches to election angst Even though my boyfriend, D., and I are both horrified by the rampant greed, narcissism and ineptitude of President Trump, the election is still causing strife in our household. Unlike in 2016, our discord isn’t because he won’t…Elections5 min read
Published in Forge·Feb 19, 2020Member-onlyIt’s Fine to Have 77,000 Unread EmailsYou can be a productive person without ever aiming for inbox zero — I first realized my inbox was becoming a problem when I missed an acceptance from an editor I’d never worked with before. It was pretty embarrassing to send a groveling apology six weeks after the fact, explaining that her message had gotten lost amid thousands of other unread emails. Not…Guide To Inbox6 min read
Nov 8, 2019Member-onlyHow I Felt When The Card I Sent My Great-Uncle Right Before He Died Got Returned to MeI had just stepped out the door to head to the bus from Atlantic City to New York when my cousin texted me that her father had passed away that morning. …Life4 min read
Sep 24, 2019Member-onlyHow to book readings directly with bookstoresWhether you’re a traditionally published or self-published author, you don’t have to wait for someone else to ask you to give a reading or host a talk or panel at a bookstore. You can do it yourself! …Books5 min read
Jun 5, 2018Member-onlyThe Democratic Party is losing voters like me on gun control by backing pro-gun candidatesThis morning, I proudly voted for Tanzie Youngblood for Congress. I less proudly identify as a member of the Democratic Party, after seeing them choose a candidate in my district for their Red to Blue strategy who’s proved himself lackluster at best on gun control, pro-gun at worst. As a…Politics5 min read
Jun 4, 2018Member-onlyDon’t look back: when online writing disappearsOn Friday, news broke on Twitter that the archives for the website The Frisky had been wiped from the internet (for the moment, you can read some tributes on the site’s official Twitter feed). …Writing6 min read
Jun 3, 2018Member-onlyFive Reasons I Decided to Self-Publish My New BookA few weeks ago, I put out my first self-published anthology, Candy Lovers; Sugar Erotica. Why, after over a decade and 60 anthologies with traditional publishers, did I decide to take this major step? Before I tell you why, I want to be clear about why I didn’t. I didn’t…Self Publishing7 min read
Jun 2, 2018Member-onlyKim Kardashian West’s White House meeting with Trump exposes our sexist, slut-shaming cultureNews of reality TV star Kim Kardashian West’s visit to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump about prison reform and the case of Alice Marie Johnson, who’s served 21 years on a life sentence without parole for a nonviolent drug offense, have been met with incredulous reactions…Kim Kardashian6 min read
May 30, 2018Why this book nerd isn’t going to BEA this yearToday is the first day of Book Expo America, the book publishing trade show more commonly known as BEA. This means it’s also the time of year where if you’re an author or any way related to books professionally, you’ll hear the common question, “Are you going to BEA?” BEA was a bookish wonderland when I first attended This…Books5 min read
May 29, 2018Member-onlyFranchesca Ramsey’s Chapter About Hating Julia Allison Has Crucial Advice on Overcoming Professional JealousyLately reading a single book has taken me several weeks, or longer, which is a frustrating amount of time for someone who considers herself a book nerd. …Career Advice11 min read