Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Nickels, Pickles and Chewing Gum

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Getting my 8 year-old granddaughter to memorize something to exercise her brain wasn't my intention, but it sure turned out to be fun for us both. Choo'n Gum As I drove her to my house for a sleepover, we heard this song with the silliest lyrics ever on Kids Place Live. Choo'n Gum, sung by Teresa Brewer with Jimmy Lytell & the Dixieland All Stars, was a Billboard hit in 1950: "A wing zingy … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Zilka Joseph

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WHAT? Poetry, some hybrid forms, a little prose WHY? It springs naturally from a source that is beyond my comprehension, almost like a meditation or prayer, or a consciousness thinking aloud in something like an interior monologue. When something starts up in my mind— a bubbling, a rumbling, an itch, an ache, a desperation, anger, compassion, a vision or an unexpected insight or maybe all of … [Read more...]

Why Reader Reviews Matter to Authors

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A tsunami of books One book every five minutes. That's the estimated rate of books published by the click of a button on Amazon every day since the self-publishing boom. That's a tsunami of books! How can an author ever expect readers will find their book? This is why reader reviews are so important. Amazon's algorithms. Authors don't ask readers to post reviews to feed their ego - they need them … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Paula Treick DeBoard

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WHAT? I write realistic fiction. Sometimes my books are filed under “mystery” or “thriller,” but when I’m writing, I’m thinking about the people involved—usually families at a point of crisis. My own term for this is “family drama.” I write about the ways that humans get tangled up in situations or secrets and then try to untangle themselves. These days, I’m gearing up for the publication … [Read more...]

Dining in the Dark – A Sensory Experience

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When my husband first told me he wanted to eat at NOX Dine in the Dark restaurant in Singapore, I thought he was crazy. Dining in the dark? Imagine eating a three course meal in total blindness. Why would anyone want to do that? Heightened expectations Well, I'm so glad I did. It turned out to be educating in many ways. NOX was the highlight of our holiday, a relaxing, freeing, and yet humbling … [Read more...]