Robin Brande, Author, Dog Lover, Coffee and Chocolate Addict. Living an Interesting Life.

Fiction author Robin Brande talks about writing, reading, and other vital matters

For writers, readers, and independent thinkers–book talk for readers and writers, life chats when we need them, writers’ motivational articles, secret behind-the-scenes stories from the publishing trenches, and more.

Birthday poem for a girl

July 1st, 2009

Okay, I need your help. I’ve been all over the internets these past couple of days searching for a nice, sweet birthday poem for a girl who’s about to turn 11. The trick here is that she’s a German girl who is just learning English, so I can’t be going all Christina Rossetti [...]

Dear not-yet-published writer

June 28th, 2009

This isn’t about me, but it is about something I’ve noticed on various blogs and review sites, and so please consider this a Public Service Announcement:
It’s fun and easy to say clever, mean things about other people’s books. Snark is such a blast. It makes you feel smart and witty and in.
But there [...]

Elizabeth’s Phenomenal Chocolate Zucchini Bread

June 23rd, 2009

At long last!!
First, a little background: Elizabeth is our blog pal here, so everyone wave. (Hi, Elizabeth!) When I was in Lansing, Michigan a few months ago at the Michigan Library Association conference, Elizabeth gifted me with a homemade loaf of this bread. I’m not ashamed to say I ate the [...]

It’s National Give a Friend a Book Day!

June 15th, 2009

You probably didn’t even know that, did you?
In the spirit of things, I’m giving away the following:
3 signed hardback copies of EVOLUTION, ME & OTHER FREAKS OF NATURE
2 audio books of EVOLUTION, ME & OTHER FREAKS OF NATURE
1 audio book of RED GLASS by Laura Resau
1 copy of SONG OF THE SPARROW by [...]

Why some people need to write the funny

June 11th, 2009

I was really amazed by this confessional by Meg Cabot. I don’t know about you, but I really appreciate her honesty.
And since I’m one of the YA authors who believes that funny fiction is important–for many of the reasons she pointed out–you know I loved what she had to say about that.
What [...]

Writers, time to be a little more like Tiger Woods

June 4th, 2009

Here’s another great post by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, this time on that dreaded word, discipline.
I recognize quite a few of the ways she mentions to avoid my work. How about you? But I agree that deadlines really help–and by the way, mine just got pushed up a day to next Thursday, so that’s [...]

Promoting your own books without going broke

June 3rd, 2009

Here’s an interesting post by New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen about how authors can promote their books in the most cost-effective way using today’s opportunities and technologies.
I always find it useful to see what other authors are doing along these lines. And I couldn’t agree more about her point that [...]

I know, I know . . .

June 3rd, 2009

I’m so totally lax with my blogging lately. But I’m on the home stretch of the new novel–due to my agent next Friday–and I’ve promised myself that after that it’s just play, play, play for a while. I’m going to read, cook, swim, watch as much TV as I want–generally pretend I’m a [...]

Wait, I used to want to be Nancy Drew . . .

May 28th, 2009

Or maybe it was her best friend George–can’t remember now.
But anyway, there’s nothing like revisiting some of your childhood favorites to make you wonder why you couldn’t see how cheesy something was. It’s like the experience I had this past weekend watching the Land of the Lost marathon on the SciFi channel. It [...]

How to build a writer from scratch–scientifically

May 26th, 2009

Someone sent me this great post by New York Times columnist David Brooks. Lots to think about here.

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