Coming in 2020

Writing elsewhere means NOT writing here. I owe you a Coming in 2020 post because A LOT is happening.

Upcoming Appearances

27 – 31 January 2020 – SAVANNAH GA and JACKSONVILLE FL
10 – 14 February 2020 – AUSTIN TX
13 February 2020 @ 2:30pm – MEMOIR WORKSHOP AT LAKE TRAVIS LIBRARY (part of the Austin Public Library system)
2 – 6 March 2020 – ATLANTA GA
2 March 2020 @ 6pm – JONESBORO GA BOOK CLUB
9 – 14 March 2020 – GREATER WASHINGTON DC
14 March 2020 – KEYNOTE SPEAKER, SHE WINS UNCONFERENCE
23 – 27 March 2020 – GREATER HUDSON VALLEY NY
30 March – 3 April 2020 – GREATER DAYTON/COLUMBUS OH
13 – 17 April 2020 – CAPE COD/RHODE ISLAND
24 – 26 April 2020 – KEYNOTE SPEAKER, ROTARY DISTRICT CONFERENCE in Myrtle Beach, SC

Conferences

I don’t work on the craft of writing as much as I should. Luckily, I have amazing writer friends who encourage me to try new things. I was accepted at the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop in Dayton, Ohio. 350 slots. The workshop sells out in 5 hours. I have to do stand-up comedy in front of someone who works for Conan O’Brien. (screaming with horror)

I hope to make new connections. Try scary things. Jumpstart my words in unexpected directions.

Residencies and Retreats

7 – 21 January 2020 – SABA WRITING RETREAT

When my friend Anne offered her island cottage for writing and reflection, OF COURSE I said yes. I’m looking forward to finishing the pesky second draft of my current novel, networking with an author coach, and spending time with a fellow creator-turned-friend. Oh, and exploring the paradise that is Saba.

26 May – 9 June 2020 – CILL RIALIAG ARTS CENTRE writer-in-residence

For two weeks, I have my own cliffside stone cottage on Ireland‘s southwest coast. Cill Rialiag has operated for 30 years and hosts creators from around the globe. Competition for admission is keen. I am humbled and grateful to have been selected. Most likely, I will work on my next historical fantasy novel featuring Irish revolutionary Thomas Francis Meagher.

4 August – 30 September 2020 – NES ARTIST RESIDENCY writer-in-residence

For over 10 years, NES has operated from Skagastrond on Iceland‘s craggy north coast. I’m staggered to have been given two months in this mythic world. Skagastrond is Iceland’s Country Music Capital. Who knows what THAT will dredge up creatively? 🙂

OTHER BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Stay tuned to this space. I know. I know. I’m a writer. I’m supposed to accrue by-lines by the thousands. I GOT ONE. I can’t wait to share!

What I’ve Been Reading

Current Read: The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne
Previous Read: Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman
Next Read: A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
Recent Reads I Recommend: The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon; Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton; The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar; Twisted Family Values by VC Chickering

Best Things I’ve Read Online

I’ve honestly been too absorbed in impeachment hearings and our crumbling democracy to read much online. Here, I share all the recent articles on how Facebook is contributing to our destruction.

Facebook Ads Are Spreading Lies About Anti-HIV Drug PrEP. The Company Won’t Act by Peter Kane Lawrence for The Guardian

As A Facebook Moderator I Saw the Worst of Humanity. We Need to Be Valued by Chris Gray for The Guardian

Tech Giants Watch Our Every Move Online. Does That Violate Our Human Rights by Julia Carrie Wong in The Guardian

Read Sacha Baron Cohen’s Scathing Attack on Facebook in Full: Greatest Propaganda Machine in History by Sacha Baron Cohen from a speech at the Anti-Defamation League

QUIRKIEST THING I’VE TAKEN UP

I nagged MTM TO DEATH to get a Peloton after he broke his shoulder (again). More about that here.

The bike comes with a subscription for thousands of online fitness classes. (For what it costs, it should come with a personal trainer who lives with me and cooks healthy meals, but I digress.) (No, for what it costs, weight should melt away from simply looking at the dang bike, but I digress again.)

I started meditation classes through Peloton. AND I LOVE IT!

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO? HOW ARE YOU SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS? WHAT ARE YOU READING? LET’S CATCH UP IN THE COMMENTS!