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.

Come confess your sins as a self-Googler

April 25th, 2009

You can read today’s confession–I mean helpful, instructional post–over at The Debutante Ball. Please feel free to make a confession of your own. I promise it will never leave the Internets.

Technorati Tags: Publishing, The Debutante Ball, Writing

The storm is getting worser and worser

April 21st, 2009

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch
P.S. Who’s the second person in that video? He is super cute!
[UPDATE:] I hadn’t seen the original video that this lampoons. Here it is, with some Stephen Colbert thrown in for dessert!

The Colbert Report
Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Colbert Coalition’s Anti-Gay Marriage Ad

colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full [...]

Incredible essay on knowing when (and when not) to quit

April 20th, 2009

Wow. Just wow. Read it.

Technorati Tags: Acting, Never Stopping, Publishing, Quitting, Singing, Succeeding, Writing

The rapper librarian, Linda (not) Mitten, chocolate zucchini bread, and more

April 16th, 2009

I should be sleeping right now because I barely have in the past 48 hours, but I’m too wired because I had such a great time at the Michigan Library Association Spring Institute last night! Hurray! I was up there because they had chosen Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature as [...]

Sometimes you forget what a few great teachers can do

April 13th, 2009

I’ll confess that I’d been warned about the school: shootings, stabbings, every few weeks another story in the local Rochester newspaper about how violent the place was. And here I was on my way there, ready to give a talk to a group of students, not really knowing what to expect.
The guard at [...]

One Rochester report down, one to go

April 8th, 2009

Thank heavens for Adrienne and Eisha. Because they were at the Rochester Teen Book Festival last weekend, and actually had the strength to write a post about it. Which I’m totally stealing now.
Or look at this one, which includes a clip of Wordgirl, with my new pal Jack Ferraiolo doing the [...]

I had such a fantastic time in New York, but–

April 7th, 2009

Here’s today’s math question: How much extra sleep does it take to make up for five nights of extreme sleep deprivation? Show your work.

Technorati Tags: Authors, Rochester Teen Book Festival, Writers

“I’m that girl.”

April 2nd, 2009

See if you can relate to this.
There are times when you feel like you’re being filmed, or photographed, or if you’re somehow living out your own make believe of playing with paper dolls or army men. Suddenly there’s a moment where you realize you’ve stepped past the fantasy, and right that second you are [...]

Look what our pal Barry has been up to!

March 31st, 2009

I try not to be jealous of other writers, and especially writers who are friends of mine, but HOW COOL IS THIS???
It would be like someone coming to me to ask me to write an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess.
The cover is so awesome! And because I am friends with the writer, I’ve already [...]

Come play with some YA authors this Saturday!

March 30th, 2009

I haven’t even bothered unpacking from Dallas last week, because I’m turning right around and flying to New York this week. A day in New York City to have a 3-hour lunch with my editor (it’s our annual lunch, so there’s always a lot to catch up on–even though we just talked two weeks [...]