by Bethany Maines One of my 2020 goals was to read more books. You would think that with pandemic shut downs that I might have made headway with that goal, but instead I had to pivot to homeschooling, fire-drill mode for several of my firm’s clients, and just generally trying not to freak out. Fortunately, […]
by Bethany Maines “Sam, did you just have Will drive you home so he would pay for our take-out?” Jenna whispered, draping her friend in a throw blanket. “Yes,” Sam whispered back without a hint of guilt. “And if you were a real friend, you would go over there and spill something on him, so […]
by Bethany Maines The pandemic has brought many things surface, but as I work with my roster of usual clients (I’m a graphic designer) I’m caught by surprise at the growing gulf between those who wish to return to “normal” (don’t we all) and those who have pushed forward to embrace technology in an effort […]
by Bethany Maines A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was annoyed/amused that everyone was complaining about being forced to live my life (I only got to go to the grocery store!! Wahhhhh!). But with Mother’s Day just past, I’m actually finding this to be more and more true. People are grumpy, unhappy, short-tempered […]
by Bethany Maines As we, or at least some of us, continue to stay home in attempt to not spread disease several things have become apparent. First and foremost, lighting matters. I mean, I always knew that fluorescent lights sucked, but nothing makes the members of a Zoom meeting ask Dear God, when did Miss […]
by Bethany Maines COVID Update: Social distancing and sheltering-in-place continues, my time spent googling “how to look good on webcam” has increased and Facebook ads have become increasingly applicable. Why, yes, I do want that ridiculous photography gadget. However did you know? I have learned that even with headphones on my daughter yells at her […]
by Bethany Maines Originally I had planned on a post about how technology has impacted my writing, but COVID-19 has a way of derailing things. My long journey from Apple iMac in 1998 to laptops to ipads to composing huge swaths of a novel on my phone has been a constant evolution in an attempt to […]
By Bethany Maines One of the best parts of the Stiletto Gang is hearing about the spectrum of genres that our authors work in. I work in several and I know that can get confusing for readers, so here’s a primer of genres and how they apply to me. Mystery – A detective either professional […]
by Bethany Maines Like the Olympics author readings are cause for applause (from the audience), tears (usually from the author over their story), and gasps of surprise (like when someone literally falls out of their chair). Unlike the Olympics, these events usually go better with alcohol. I recently participated in Noir at the Bar Seattle […]
by Bethany Maines An Unfamiliar Sea officially launches this week! An Unfamiliar Sea is a classic mystery with two sleuths: 28-year-old Tish Yearly and her 79-year-old grandfather Tobias. Tish and Tobias navigate the rocky waters of living together in Tobias’s house on Orcas Island in the San Juan Island of Washington state, solve murders, and […]