I worked for a big, three-initial company for twenty years as a writer, editor, and publications manager. With 15 writers as direct reports and more competing demands on my time than I can remember, I lived by my calendar and became so proficient in juggling that I considered a career in the circus. During that time, the company invested heavily in agile. Not gonna lie, I rather liked the methodology. Seven years ago, I left the company and began writing novels. Or as I like

How I shop for clothes for the main character of The Wheel of the Year Mysteries.

Tarot doesn’t behave the same way in fiction as it does in real life. That’s where things get interesting. In my previous blog post, I mentioned that The Wheel of the Year Mysteries really has four main characters: Maren, a witch Cyrus, her tech-billionaire partner A shadowy villain, who self-identifies as Alexander the Great, determined to keep them apart … and Tarot. Maren and Cyrus follow their instincts. Villains follow their ambitions. Tarot follows its own rules. When T

Maren Lilienthal, Cyrus Harper, and a mysterious adversary from The Wheel of the Year Mysteries hold Tarot cards that unveil their destinies and intentions: Maren with the Wheel of Fortune, Cyrus with the Knight of Pentacles, and the shadowy figure with the Magician card, foretelling a tale of magick love, and looming conflict. Fifteen years ago, I had an idea for a mystery novel. The sleuth would be a witch. The problem? I had no idea how a witch would actually solve the cri

I'm using organization as a theme to improve creativity and productivity.

Years ago, I read an article on happiness. The author posed a simple question: If someone gave you $10,000, would you buy a car or take a vacation? (Yes, it was that long ago—back when $10k could still buy a car.) The advice was clear: choose the vacation. A car starts to disappoint you the minute you leave the lot. Dings, spills, depreciation—it’s all downhill. But even the worst vacation becomes a lifelong story. The memories—good, bad, or catastrophic—grow more entertainin