Janet Fox

Lately I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what motivates a protagonist to action. Lisa Cron, in her terrific craft book STORY GENIUS, describes what she calls the character’s “misbelief” – a belief that has been the source of much agony for the character. Others refer to this characteristic as a “back-story wound”, or… Read more »

When my son was younger I told him that he should keep two words in mind as he went out in the world: be nice. Now I would change those words to be kind. There’s nothing wrong with nice. My mother would have used the word correct. (Which is one reason I’ve come to dislike… Read more »

Anne Nesbet’s historical novel, CLOUD AND WALLFISH, about the Berlin Wall is receiving wide acclaim, including a Horn Book starred review. “In an intricately plotted novel full of espionage and intrigue, friendship and family, Anne Nesbet cracks history wide open and gets right to the heart of what it feels like to be an outsider… Read more »

Hi all! I have a couple of big events coming up this November. I hope to see you at one or the other! But first, the winner of my Rafflecopter giveaway (drumroll, please……): a Rafflecopter giveaway If you plan to attend the Texas Book Festival (in Austin, Texas), here’s my schedule: On Saturday, November 5,… Read more »

” ‘Hainted, it is, with grindings and screeches…’ page 23, THE CHARMED CHILDREN OF ROOKSKILL CASTLE. Ghost. Phantom, apparition, spook. Commonly thought to be the spirit of a dead person appearing in lifelike form. The Scots, it turns out, are very into ghosts. The word wraith first appears in 18th century Scottish romantic literature; the… Read more »

This week I have a special treat for all you tricksters – and a special guest. Christine Hayes, author of MOTHMAN’S CURSE, has written us a tantalizing guest post – and she’s attached a great giveaway of her own! Here’s Christine: There’s something irresistible about a mystery, and cryptids may be one of the most… Read more »

What is it about castles, especially the ancient castles of the British Isles? I love them, and so, it seems, do many of you. Here’s my guess as to why they are fascinating: they’re big and elaborate; they’re old and so have plenty of interesting history; and many of them are apparently haunted. As I… Read more »

October is one of my favorite months. I love the fall colors, the crisp air, the anticipation of holidays. And I’ve always been a fan of the “spooktacular” aspects of Halloween. So, this October, as I’m celebrating a little more than 6 months of THE CHARMED CHILDREN OF ROOKSKILL CASTLE, I’m running a spooktacular and… Read more »

I met Christina Diaz Gonzalez the year that both of our debuts launched, 2010. Hers, THE RED UMBRELLA, is a stunning historical novel that I adored. Now she’s working in new territory, with books that blend fantasy with elements of mysteries and thrillers. Her latest, RETURN FIRE, is out now! Please give readers a brief… Read more »

Every so often, I like to revisit the topic of what social media we all “should” be using. (Here’s my caveat: there are no hard and fast rules; things change quickly in this realm; do what feels right for you.) Social media serves several functions: you connect there with friends and colleagues you connect there… Read more »