Lorijo Metz lives with her husband and little brown dog in a small town in Indiana. Though she has a degree in acting and directing, she much prefers the anonymity of the keyboard, allowing her characters to revel in the spotlight while she sits quietly sipping tea or coffee, nibbling on cookies, and dreaming up ways to complicate their lives. She is the author of Floridius Bloom and the Planet of Gloom, illustrated by Matt Phelan and published by Dial Books for Young Readers; as well as over 30 nonfiction, educational books for kids, published by Powerkids Press. WHEELS is her first middle grade novel and first venture into self-publishing. The book review site, Pocketful of Books, called WHEELS “Brilliant” and said, “It is one I know I’ll re-read, which isn’t something I say about a lot of books.” SFNetcast picked WHEELS as its June, Indie book of the month. In 2013, Lorijo made her début as a lyricist on Owen Duggan’s newest children’s cd, Puppy Dog Jig, for which she wrote the lyrics for the title track.
What’s your character’s story? It may not be what you expect. We all have a story. It changes year to year, month to month, and many times in moments we least expect. It’s the story that pops into your head when someone asks, “How are you?” Notice I say into your head, not out of your…
Raise your hand if you have ever uttered these words: “I would never…!” I said them a few days ago loudly, emphatically, and then added “EVER!” just in case. Shortly afterward, two thoughts occurred to me. The first… How often do we use this sentiment in response to a situation we know absolutely nothing about?…
The Misadventures of Martin Hathaway is a steampunk fantasy with wit to spare. Not only is Glen’s writing clever and fast-paced, her characters are unique and loveable. While Martin Hathaway is an endearingly brave but bumbling hero, Captain Daisy Fitzgerald McNamara is probably the most self-assured female protagonist I’ve ever encountered. And though it’s…
An acquaintance of mine recently took up the challenge to blog every day for the next 100 days. After reading her post announcing this commitment, I have to admit to having rolled my eyes and muttered, “we shall see.” We shall see… I imagined her posting regularly for several days, maybe a week, maybe two,…
Writing may be mentally beneficial, but physically…. it might be better to take up smoking. Sitting in front of a computer all day is fattening, unhealthy, and horrible for your back…not to mention your knees, your hands, and your neck. I could have chosen a healthier career, such as tightrope walking or race car driving. Unfortunately, I…
How do you judge a book? By its cover? Nix that. Now that I read most novels on my iPad (Kindle App), I rarely look at a book’s cover. And now that we’ve gotten that cliché out-of-the-way… I want to know, I really do want to know… How do you judge a book? I started…
Some of the most memorable moments of my life have centered around coffee (coffee, that is, in one of its many forms…i.e. black, with cream, espresso, cappuccino, latte, and even instant). With that in mind, I’ve decided to write a coffee travelog… It’s been more than thirty years, but I still recall the bold, smooth,…
Imagination is fine, but it needs fuel to survive, to grow–to really set it on fire. What is that fuel? Life–the big LIFE–yes, really experiencing it. And to do that, sometimes you’ve just got to Step Away From Your Computer. Whether it’s a visit to your local coffee shop to catch up on world news…
“What makes Kerrion’s writing so compelling is the beautifully flawed characters that find themselves in unexpected relationships…these kind of character level conflicts make Kerrion’s writing so deliciously addictive.”—Noor A Jahangir, Author of The Changeling King “Everything you want in a great story. Love, intrigue, action, betrayal, and understanding.”—Ch’kara Silverwolf, Author of Daughter of Light and…
This might surprise some of you (or maybe not), but I was pretty much a nerd in middle school and high school (as opposed to the super cool person I am now). Thus, my fascination with alien words. A few years ago, I showed my daughter, who was then in 8th grade, a page from…