This weekend I was one of 45 authors to participate in the Sacramento Library Foundation’s “Authors on the Move” fundraising event. They raised over $110,000 toward their summer reading program for children’s literacy. This marked the third time I’ve been invited to the event, and each time I’ve enjoyed the festivities. Patrons pay $200 each to have a wonderful 4-course dinner with 3 authors — authors rotate between courses. With 8 people at the table, we have the opportunity to answer any questions they might ask about our book or writing. It’s truly fun, though by the end of the… Read More

I love speaking to kids. They’re usually attentive, interested, and full of questions. So when the opportunity arose to speak during Writer’s Week at my old alma mater, Menlo School, I jumped. Menlo School is a college prep high school (with a middle school for grades 6-8) and honestly, one of the best schools I’ve seen. What I learned there in four years was certainly college prep–I read books that most people read in college, I was pushed to perform at an advanced level. All classes were, essentially, AP classes. They didn’t have any separate AP or honors classes, and… Read More

This is short and not-so-sweet today … because I want to make sure you read Piper Bayard’s fabulous post about her spy! 😉 But I need to just get this out there … ALMOST HUMAN. I really like this show and while there’s a few little problems (some of the dialogue pacing is off), it’s original and fun and I love the actors and the setting. My boys, 13 and 10, love this show and we watch it together. The season finale aired Monday (no spoilers! It was a short 13 episode season, but we haven’t seen the finale yet)… Read More

I was an only child. Wherever my mom went, so did I. My grandparents took me camping often in their trailer, and my grandpa had a cabin in Woodside where I spent many, many weekends either with him and my grandma or with my cousin, Matt. When it was just Dan, me and Katie, travel was relatively easy. Sure, we needed extra clothes, and diapers, and bottles, and a host of other baby supplies, but once we got used to having a third, travel wasn’t all that difficult. Even when Kelly came, it was manageable. Two parents, two kids. Easy,… Read More

Look what came in the mail yesterday! The very first copy of NOTORIOUS, in hardcover. To say I’m excited is an understatement. I am THRILLED. It’s as exciting as when I got my very first book in the mail, THE PREY, back in the end of 2005. It’s very pretty 🙂

  I wrote this little story nearly four years ago for BLOOD LITE II: OVERBITE, the Horror Writers Association anthology. I was very pleased with the quality of all the stories, which are bite-sized tales perfect for when you only have 10-15 minutes to read. I’ll admit, I had a LOT of fun writing something dark and different with a (relatively) unhappy ending. The assignment was essentially to write a “light” horror story. At the time, I was writing the first of my seven deadly sins book and had been reading a lot about demons and possession, so the idea… Read More

I’m going on a road trip with my college-bound daughter and my mom 🙂 Fortunately, my husband is able to hold down the fort with the younger Brennan clan. I suspect they’ll be eating pizza and playing video games. Kelly has applied to a dozen colleges, six on the west coast and six on the east coast. This weekend is Southern Oregon University’s preview weekend for seniors — and it’s one of her top choices. They have a fabulous Theater program, plus very strong art and English programs, which encompasses her interests pretty well. We’re also going to make a… Read More

I’m often asked, “How do you find time to do everything?” And I always respond, “I’m just like any other working mom out there.” When I worked full-time in the capitol, no one asked how I juggled family and work, but it’s a common question now that I’m a full-time writer. I also find it odd that male authors with families rarely get asked the same question, but that’s a whole other topic (and one that’s probably a bit controversial, so for now I’ll steer clear. Feed me a few drinks at a conference, and you’ll hear me wax poetic… Read More

One of my favorite workshops to present is on the Villain’s Journey. I took the title from a paragraph in Christopher Vogler’s THE WRITER’S JOURNEY that said, in short, that the villain is the hero of his own journey. When I read that years ago, everything clicked for me. If I always kept that concept in front of me when I wrote, character motivation was clearer. It wasn’t just the villain and the hero who were on a journey, but every other character who crossed their paths.

I’ve been a fan of GRIMM since the first episode. It had a rocky start, but thankfully TPTB gave it more time, and by the second half of season one, the ratings shot up and the show was renewed. Like CASTLE, GRIMM has among the best writers on television today. The actors on GRIMM are not as strong or seasoned as CASTLE, but they’ve improved. (Except for Silas Weir Mitchell, who rocked from the first episode.) They were mostly relatively unknown (unlike Nathan Fillion) with no major leading roles. The beginning was a bit rough, I think, because the ensemble… Read More