A Short Story to You From Me by Terry Odell When we founded Booklover’s Bench, we wanted a place to talk to—and listen to—readers. June and July have been very busy months for me, and the stress level has been high. For me, reading has always been an escape, and I thought that I’d share […]
To Nap or Not to Nap by James M Jackson … that is a question I used to struggle with. Now, I am a confirmed napper. My preferred nap lasts 20-30 minutes. If I sleep longer than that, I wake up a grogamuffin—what scientists call sleep inertia—and I waste a bunch of time trying to […]
My Life is a Musical by Karla Brandenburg When I tell someone about the “Song Affliction” illness in my family, I’m amazed at how many other people suffer from this same sickness. You know, that feeling when someone says something and the first thing that comes to mind is a song snippet and you break […]
The Path of the Unexpected By Tina Whittle One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn about being creative is that to fire up the creative juice, you have to put yourself into the path of the unexpected, the unfamiliar, and the radical. You have to afflict your sense of well-being and make yourself […]
Does Summer Change Your Reading Habits? By Terry Odell When I lived in Florida, summer (for me) was the time to stay inside and take advantage of the air conditioning. I used to liken it to being snowed in. Both conditions lend themselves to more time to read. Summer can be a time to relax […]
That’s for the birds by James M Jackson I am a reasonably curious person, which can be a bad thing when I am doing research for a novel. I can easily start gathering information about why mowed grass smells so nice and end up engrossed in reading about the negative effect of warmer oceans on […]
Getting Lost in a Book by Karla Brandenburg Because I work a “day job,” I often find myself juggling time, scheduling what free moments I have available. Except during “busy season.” During busy season, my job doesn’t always allow for extras. It’s a hectic time of year that demands more time, more focus and more […]
Creativity By Tina Whittle One of the most common questions I get asked during interviews is when I started being a writer. It’s also one of the hardest questions to answer. Technically, I’ve been a writer as long as I’ve been writing. But I didn’t know I was a writer – didn’t really understand what […]
Authors are Readers, Too Terry Odell Most of the time, writers sit in rooms all by themselves working on their manuscripts. Or working on a blog post, or some marketing chore, or checking in with social media. It’s usually a solitary work environment. Solitary, not lonely, though, because we have our characters and they’re usually […]
Lists By James M Jackson I am a list-maker. Regardless of whether I became one through genes or social training, I owe this trait to my father. Lists come in two forms: the recording (events, transactions, possessions) and the “to do” list or check list. Each Saturday morning, my father recorded the value of each […]
