Author Archives: toby

Declutterizing. Somewhat like an enema.

Posted on February 20, 2012 by toby

I finished my desk declutterizing, and yes, it was somewhat like an enema. (We have lots of people who swear by colonics’ health benefits over here, along with crystals, marijuana as a lifestyle enhancer, etc) Here, in no particular order, … Read More

Posted in Creativity, Domestic Diva, Life, Personal, The Writing Life | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Purging clutter to to Unleash Creativity

Posted on February 17, 2012 by toby

Okay, so you got your Book of Secrets started. You wrote your story and identified themes and stuck spots. You probably then, got a little stuck. (Like I have been, now that I sent off my latest novel.) This is … Read More

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Postbook depression.

Posted on February 12, 2012 by toby

I stayed up until midnight last night finishing a read-though on Stolen in Paradise, my latest book, and then sent it to beta-readers (those intrepid souls who’ve agreed to have a whack at my first draft) at 12:01 a.m. I … Read More

Posted in Uncategorized | 26 Comments

Access to books is a class issue.

Posted on February 6, 2012 by toby

I have not succumbed to temptation and put Blood Orchids exclusively on Amazon.com through their Kindle Select program, and here’s why: Barnes and Noble is now the only thing standing between readers and total domination by Amazon, at least here … Read More

Posted in Uncategorized | 24 Comments

The gift of a grandmother.

Posted on February 4, 2012 by toby

I had two amazing grandmothers. You’ll note the past tense. They’re both gone now, and I still miss them. They couldn’t have been more different but in some scary ways, the same. My grandmother GeeGee was a classic: Republican, Catholic, … Read More

Posted in Life, Personal | Tagged | 5 Comments

Unleashing creativity in 2012- telling your tale.

Posted on January 23, 2012 by toby

Once upon a time, there was born a princess with golden hair, brown eyes, and unquenchable curiosity. About everything. But she was supposed to be a boy. We have the set-up, the conflict… and we’re off and running on my … Read More

Posted in Creativity, Personal, The Writing Life, Therapy | 2 Comments

Why you won’t see some of the best books in bookstores.

Posted on January 22, 2012 by toby

The issues stopping “indie” or self-published authors from being stocked in bookstores is the deadly combination of returnability of and pricing. I can’t explain it as well as Linda Nagata does in this thoughtful piece on her blog, Hahvi.net where … Read More

Posted in Fiction, Hawaii, The Writing Life | 11 Comments

What some people do when they’re moved by your book.

Posted on January 18, 2012 by toby

I posted a blog on the Debatable Value of Twitter   a year or so ago, when I was still a noob with all this social media jazz. I am since a convert to Twitter as the single best outreach tool … Read More

Posted in Uncategorized | 14 Comments

It’s my birthday, and I’ll cry if I want to.

Posted on January 15, 2012 by toby

Yep, the above says it all. 2011 was a tough year for many, and for me and my husband. (see Painless is Feeling Good, The Ring Doesn’t Come Off )  As part of being hopeful about 2012, I accepted an … Read More

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Unleashing creativity begins with a timeline of your past.

Posted on January 7, 2012 by toby

Now that you have your Book of Secrets started, the main and first task to begin is the personal timeline. It’s a plumbline, really, a way to see when and how big decisions were made about your life—by yourself, and … Read More

Posted in Creativity, The Writing Life, Therapy | 8 Comments