Josiebrown

LATEST ARTICLES ( 170 )

• Seriously, I Wasn't in a Holiday Mood Until I Heard Andree Belle Sing SANTA...

  

  It's been a bah-humbug week. If the weather weren't so beautiful, I think I'd be even further down in the dumps. My Grinchy demeanor was even getting on The... Read more

  Posted on 24 December 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• 7 Days of Santa! Day 3: Norman Rockwell 1927

  

  ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SANTA...Norman Rockwell, one of America's foremost illustrators, created this for a 1927 cover for the Saturday Evening Post. In it, one... Read more

  Posted on 22 December 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Yes, You Will Love SHERLOCK HOLMES 2: GAME OF SHADOWS. Here's Why...

  

  As much as I adored the first Guy Ritchie-directed SHERLOCK HOLMES (who wouldn't? Victorian London at its steampunkiest, Ritchie action sequences choreographed... Read more

  Posted on 21 December 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• 7 Days of Santa! Day 2: Norman Rockwell 1921

  

  ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SANTA: The now renowned American illustrator, Norman Rockwell, created this for a 1921 cover for the Saturday Evening Post. The note... Read more

  Posted on 19 December 2011 ART & DESIGN, BOOKS, CULTURE

• 7 Days of Santa! Day 1: Norman Rockwell 1926

  

  The notion of a jolly ol' elf dropping in through our fireplaces on Christmas Eve with gifts for all good little boys and girls (they are all good, though,... Read more

  Posted on 18 December 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Elizabeth Taylor: Jewels Weren't Her Career, but They Made Her Star Sparkle...

  

  Sotheby's has just auctioned off Elizabeth Taylor's treasure chest (no pun intended) of jewels. The booty (sorry!) fetched $117 million, including a necklace... Read more

  Posted on 14 December 2011 CULTURE, FASHION, LIFESTYLE

• San Francisco Has Its Own Version of Jardin Des Tuileries...

  

  That old adage "be careful what you wish for" never scared me, possibly because when I set my mind to something, it comes true. Read more

  Posted on 13 December 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• I Miss Trafalgar Square at Night...

  

  Filled with crowds who are laughing, smiling, chilled-- And headed to a pub. Preferably Chandos. You'll find me upstairs, in the corner hugging a window seat,... Read more

  Posted on 13 December 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• What Writers Should Do When They Are in the 99% (of Publishing's Many Norms):...

  

  Because of a very fortunate turn of events this year in my writing career, I was asked to speak to other authors who had been my support system in the ups and... Read more

  Posted on 11 December 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Best. Beach. Ever. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Near Big Sur, CA

  

  Time for a little eye candy! One of my favorite all-time beaches is Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, near Big Sur, California. I've been there at sunset, as wel... Read more

  Posted on 15 November 2011 DESTINATIONS, TRAVEL

• NaNoWriMo Tips: You Can Read Them Here, in Order...

  

  Books don't just fall out of the sky. We who create stories take a lot of time and effort to craft intricate plots, engaging characters, and dialog that, we... Read more

  Posted on 08 November 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• NaNoWriMo Tip #7: Chapter Doesn't Work? Fix It in "post."

  

  Both my husband and I have broadcast backgrounds. One very important lesson we learned in those previous gigs serves us well when we're editing text articles or... Read more

  Posted on 07 November 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• NaNoWriMo Tip #6: When Your "backstory" Should Be the Story.

  

  During National Novel Writing Month, many an aspiring novelist will start with a great character. He will know his hero backwards and forward, as if he is his... Read more

  Posted on 06 November 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• NaNoWriMo Tip #5: Show, Don't Tell.

  

  Because your goal each day of National Novel Writing Month is a word count, it's very easy to fall into a common trap: writing long passages of narration or... Read more

  Posted on 05 November 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• NaNoWriMo Tip #4: Meet Your Word Count First; Edit It Later.

  

  One analogy about the tips you often hear regarding National Novel Writing Month is to imagine your your sentences as strands of spaghetti that you toss onto th... Read more

  Posted on 04 November 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• NaNoWriMo Tip #3: Don't Give Up.

  

  Despite the fact that it is only Day 3 of National Novel Writing Month, I'm willing to bet that, before the clock strikes midnight tonight, one-tenth of everyon... Read more

  Posted on 03 November 2011 BOOKS

• 10 Very Broad Hints That Sarah Jessica Parker is Wearing the Wrong Hat...

  

  Ya gotta love Sarah Jessica Parker. Not only is she the consumate fashionista, she is also too often a much better actress than the roles she chooses. Case in... Read more

  Posted on 03 November 2011 BOOKS

• NaNoWriMo Tip #2: Outline the Plot Your Story.

  

  I am forever amazed at authors who tell me that they write their books without first outlining the plot of their stories. Usually the conversation goes somethin... Read more

  Posted on 02 November 2011 BOOKS, CULTURE

• NaNoWriMo Tip #1: Treat It Like a Career.

  

  Happy National Novel Writing Month! I've been blessed to have impressed enough book editors to have them bid, win, work with me and publish five novels and thre... Read more

  Posted on 02 November 2011 BOOKS

• We Have a Winner...

  

  Thanks, all 116 correct entrants, for making my $50 Fandango Bucks contest for the launch of The Housewife Assassin's Handbook a total success. The winning entr... Read more

  Posted on 02 November 2011 BOOKS