“Matlock has a gift for telling what she calls ‘the secret lives of ordinary people.’”
~Detroit Free Press
Latest Posts
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Where Stories Come From…great slices of my life.
I was traveling down a major boulevard in Mobile in our six passenger Dodge pickup. I love to drive that truck. Apparently one can take the cowgirl out of Oklahoma but not every piece of the cowgirl out of the girl. Anyway, I happened to spy a garden nursery, the small independent sort I have…
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Sidetracked by Ceylon Tea
I had promised myself that I would get here and post something every Monday. As author and teacher Jack Bickham so wisely taught: “Have a regular time and place to work, if you can.” I have the place, and I have even made the time–an hour early each morning before anyone else gets up. Unfortunately…
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Don’t Know Where I’m Going, But I’ll Know When I Get There…
…or writer with a cup of tea and random quotes. I had occasion last week to pick up Dwight V. Swain’s book, Techniques of the Selling Writer. (click here to read my post about writing instruction books at the RWA-Women’s Fiction blog) Mr. Swain gave this definition of fiction: “A story is experience translated into…
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The Secret to a Happy Life
I have been giving some thought to the word happiness. I started off thinking of it because I had one of those days of being quite a Grumpy Girl. You know, one of those days when just every small thing goes wrong, or at least gets on one’s last nerve. I imagine you have experienced…
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Or How One Little Red-Neck Girl became So Fond of Drinking Fine Hot Tea
My novel Cold Tea on a Hot Day was written under a different working title, one that has long since been lost to memory. My publisher rarely has liked a title I’ve chosen. Generally an editor from very high up will call my agent and say: “Marketing doesn’t like the title. We have to have…
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Random Report: of Journals, Notebooks, Christmas Cactus
Jane from the delightful blog, Blondie’s Journal, asked where online did I recently buy a journal. I found a couple that suited me at C. R. Gibson Company. One is a simple black journal, the other a spiral notebook style, imprinted with roses and butterflies, it says: “Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie…
“Matlock writes about generous people striving to live and love well. She does it beautifully.
~ Contra Costa Times
Curtiss Ann Matlock 