May the fourth be with you! Here's to another Star Wars Day. Any plans for the occasion this year? Originally, I had thoughts about hitting Disney's Hollywood Studios today, but between independent work, part-time work, and school, my family wouldn't arrive until after 7 pm. Instead, as I go about...

So Spring Break is booked. Only, I'm not heading for rest and relaxation. Instead, I have another set of author visits coming up in New Jersey. Very excited to share The Secret Path of Ned the Ninja with more kids, and I get to bring Energizer Bunny Girl with me....

Wow, my ornament countdown is going well, huh? (Sigh) Still, I have an exciting sight.... My co-author, Melissa, has put all three of our Secret Path of Ned the Ninja books (autographed) together with a hachimaki (karate style head band) and bound it all with a bow. They are for...

The first of my "It's a Jen ornament!" collection in this Countdown to Christmas is the most recent one: Saturn. Every year, my forever friend Jen gives me a unique ornament that wows me. I have so many on my tree, and this year they have me more sentimental than...

The thing about a big move is that when you unbox all your Christmas stuff, you can't go into autopilot mode while decorating. Sure, the wreath can go on the front door, but where to put the motion figures? That's why I love my tree. All my old ornaments sprinkled...

December is a season of countdowns this year. There is the usual countdown to Christmas...but this year there is the twist of a first Christmas in Florida. There is the countdown to The Force Awakens on December 18th. Yes, of course I have my tickets! And there is the countdown...

So, I don't know what my eyeliner looks like right now, because the following link from SocialChive had me in tears: Five boys with real empathy Because that's what reducing bullying is all about--just a bit of empathy. I hope you'll check out the video and I hope you'll wear...

I hate to be this blunt about it, but ... moving sucks. Especially long distance. I mean, really. If I were to fill you in on all the little details about how much it sucked moving down to Florida, this would be a rather depressing post. So I'll just leave...

As a newbie living in Florida, I would like to know three things: 1) When is the moving truck finally going to arrive with my stuff? 2) Why has it rained and stormed every day since I got here? 3) Where, oh where, does a Floridian writer go to pound...

So there's Ned, and we have a feeling he would be smiling even bigger if he wasn't so nervous over the lovely Adrianna to his left! But they are both pleased over this new story, which has Ned continuing to grow in many ways--but not without some hefty growing pains...

You know that feeling that comes over you in a flash when you are 'done' - body, mind, and soul? Maybe you have walked the mall or worked all day long, then ran errands, and now it's 98 degrees outside, 100% humidity, your feet are killing you and all you...

Without going into the nitty-gritty details of how and why I got here, I became a Florida resident last week. And the truth is, no matter how much I hem and haw and wish I could find a super-fast wormhole back to New Jersey, I am lucky to have a...

I try to manipulate my life the same way I write: If I'm not happy with the way something is going, I want to edit it. Sometimes that's easy. Other times, it's impossible and nothing but a waste of mental energy. Truthfully, there is only so much we have control...

From time to time, I promote a book on my social media sites. This one: Last night I began re-reading it. Bill Kane was a friend, mentor, client at the dojo where I work, and father to a wonderful co-worker. He passed away a few days ago and was one...

It's been a whole year since nine wordsmiths joined forces to get the word out about their unique brands of YA Speculative Fiction. I'm proud to be one of them. I've loved reading and sharing everyone's work. I've been inspired by everyone's varied talents. However, the best thing about being...

Ned Herts is back! Well, he will be shortly ... October 15th to be exact! Yep, Ned is back, Cracker Jack, too. Unfortunately, so is Jared "Beck the Bonebreaker" Beck. And Tora Khan? Will he show up? That's what Ned is starting to wonder.... www.nedtheninja.com

I learned a new word today: Erinaceous. It means someone or something that looks resembles a hedgehog. No, really! Of course, this word lends itself to some fun sentences: - Hey there, hotpants ... you're looking rather erinaceous tonight. - If you hadn't walked by me so erinaceously, we might...

There are a lot of things I don't have these days--some big, some small--some important, some so not! One thing I do have, big and important, is the unconditional love of my parents. They are still around, still together, and still care about the wellbeing of their children even more...

Like many, I'm shocked, upset, and cringing over the loss of Robin Williams. We all ask the same questions, trying to navigate the hows, whys, and why couldn'ts. At first, I saw quite a bit of idiocy on social media and in the media at large. Maybe idiocy is putting...

As a speculative fiction writer, I deal with and live for fantastic worlds and unlikely stories. Sometimes, as a writer, you throw yourself plot curve balls to break writer's block or move the action in a new direction. Sometimes you simply want to throw the unexpected at readers. Sometimes such...

Sometimes, when it seems like you've lost far more than you've gained, it's tough to "look on the bright side" of things ... to see a silver lining of sorts. In fact, sometimes you just want to punch the person who suggests you do so. Of course, people don't express...

Congratulations to fellow Infinite Ink Author, Nicole Ciacchella, on the release of her third and final book in the Contributor series! Please check out her dystopian YA series! The final book in the post-apocalyptic and dystopian young adult/new adult Contributor trilogy. Disillusioned and angry at the revelation of the Free...

The day has come. A new book is waiting for me on my Kindle tonight! The third and final book of Zoe Cannon's Internal Defense series, No Return, launched today. If you haven't read this YA dystopian series yet, please give it a try. Lead character Becca is a complex...

There's a discussion happening on Twitter on Many 1st, and it's all about diversity in books. Why do we need it? How can we get more of it? How can you be a part of it? #WeNeedDiverseBooks. I love writing about different races, species, and cultures in my fantasy series....

I've been waiting for this one! Fellow Infinite Ink author, Zoe Cannon, has revealed the cover for No Return -- the third book of her Internal Defense Trilogy. If you haven't read the first two books, I highly recommend them! Please read on to learn more about the amazing Zoe...