Janet Alcorn

Suspense | Horror | Romance

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  • Home
  • Blog
  • Writing
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Janet Alcorn
  • Books and Reading,  What's On Your Bookshelf

    The monthly book roundup

    August 18, 2023 /

    We’re talkin’ books this week, because it’s time for the monthly What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge (hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb). A light reading month Not an exciting reading month here at Camp WTF. I finished re-listening to Charlaine Harris’ Lily Bard series for the umpty-gazillionth time. A couple of them got me through the General Unpleasantness known as colonoscopy prep. I should probably create a Goodreads list of the best books for this particular occasion, because, trust me, distraction is necessary. Colonoscopy prep pro tip: drink Mountain Dew on fasting day. All that sugar and caffeine really helps with suppressing appetite. And you thought you wouldn’t learn anything useful on this…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Green box with white silhouette of woman on phone and text reading, "I decided staying up all night and finishing my book was more important than being mentally present today."

    The monthly book post–and a great tool for readers

    November 18, 2022

    Fire near my old neighborhood, books, and more memes

    June 18, 2022

    Let’s talk books!

    November 18, 2023
  • Arizona,  Photos,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Visiting Willcox, Arizona + a few updates

    August 12, 2023 /
    Mural and lettering on side of grey stucco building. Painting of steam train in on tracks in desert landscape writing: "1880, Greetings from Willcox Arizona, Cattle Capital of the World."

    This week we’ll visit the tiny desert town of Willcox, Arizona, and I’ll share a few updates since I haven’t done a Weekend Coffee Share (hosted by Natalie the Explorer) post in a couple of weeks. So come on in, grab a drink, put your feet up on the coffee table, and let’s chat. [Update: there’s no Weekend Coffee Share this week. Oh, well–enjoy the visit to Willcox anyway.] Weekly weather whining I whine so much about weather on here, I’ve decided to make it an official feature, at least during the inferno months. I’m happy to report our summer temperatures have been a little more bearable the last few…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Saguaro National Park East during a wet monsoon

    August 26, 2022

    Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum + how the hell did I get this old? (Weekend Coffee Share #28)

    March 4, 2022

    Hot rocks and cool coatis: a visit to Chiricahua National Monument

    August 25, 2023
  • IWSG,  Writing

    Finding balance as an author

    August 1, 2023 /
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    In this month’s post for the IWSG, let’s talk about finding balance as an author. How do we choose how best to spend our limited time and energy when there are approximately 40 gazillion author-related tasks clamoring for our attention? But first: In case you’re new here, the first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writers Support Group day, on which we insecure writers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are Kate Larkindale, Diane Burton, Shannon Lawrence–and me! This will be my third time co-hosting the monthly IWSG blog hop, and it’s always a blast. Come on in and join the party! We IWSG-ers are…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Celebrating 4 years in the IWSG

    September 5, 2023
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    Dispatch from the query trenches

    March 4, 2026
    Round-headed cartoon person staring angrily at computer

    Blurbs, pitches, loglines, and other book marketing necessities I suck at (#IWSG)

    November 3, 2021
  • Books and Reading,  Weekend Coffee Share,  What's On Your Bookshelf

    In which I am ambushed by the embodiment of pure evil (and there are books)

    July 21, 2023 /

    The summer doldrums continue here at Camp WTF. I used up most of my vacation time roaming around Michigan in May, and it’s too hot to do much of anything here in Tucson except migrate between my air-conditioned house and air-conditioned office, whine about the heat, and count the days till October (72 according to Google. I’m too lazy to count them myself). Fortunately, it’s time for the monthly What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge (hosted by  Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb), so I have some content for this week’s update besides whining about the weather. This post is also part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a (cold) treat,…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Podcast appearance, Michigan trip, and books

    June 17, 2023

    2023: My Year in Books

    January 20, 2024

    Writing news and the monthly book post

    December 16, 2022
  • Arizona,  Weekend Coffee Share

    A Visit to Mission San Xavier del Bac

    July 14, 2023 /

    I visited Mission San Xavier del Bac back in April when my friend Laurel was visiting. I shared a few pictures in my April roundup but then I got busy with May travel and June recovery, so I never posted the rest of them. Since I’ve done absolutely nothing interesting for yet another week, I’m going to trot out the rest of them for this week’s Weekend Coffee Share (hosted by Natalie the Explorer). Here we go: What is Mission San Xavier del Bac? I know you’ll be surprised to learn that it’s… a mission! A Spanish Catholic one, to be precise. Founded in 1692, it’s located about 10 miles…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Hot rocks and cool coatis: a visit to Chiricahua National Monument

    August 25, 2023

    Flowers and Sunsets–and a Tragedy on my Campus

    October 7, 2022
    Creosote, teddy bear cholla, ocotillo, and saguaros in foreground with rust-brown colored mountain in background in late afternoon light

    New story published, Organ Pipe Cactus trip, blog recap, recap, and New Years memes (Weekend Coffee Share #20)

    January 8, 2022
  • IWSG,  Writing

    Where do I get my writing ideas?

    July 5, 2023 /
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    Where do you get your ideas? People ask writers that question so often it’s become a cliché, yet it usually elicits interesting answers. So I thought I’d share a little about how I get my weird and wacky story ideas. But first: In case you’re new here, the first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writers Support Group day, on which we insecure writers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre. We’re also given an optional question we can answer in our posts. This month’s question is: Where do your writing ideas predominantly come from? The origin stories…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    My story became an audio drama (#IWSG)

    April 6, 2022
    Cover of Rattlesnake by C. Lee McKenzie

    An interview with author C. Lee McKenzie

    December 6, 2023
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    New year, new writing progress

    January 31, 2023
  • Weekend Coffee Share,  What's Been on Your Calendar

    The June wrap-up, or how I spent 30 days doing virtually nothing

    July 1, 2023 /

    If you’ve been hanging out in my demented corner of the interwebs for very long, you know I participate in a monthly blog hop called What’s Been on Your Calendar (hosted by Sue, Debbie, Donna, and Jo), in which we post highlights from the month just past. So, what did I do in June? Nothing. OK, there’s this week’s post taken care of. See you next week. Just kidding. Sort of. I really didn’t do much in June. After the craziness that was May, I wanted to curl up in a sunny window with a stack of books for the rest of the summer. I wasn’t quite that lazy, but this may be…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Flowers and birds and whining about the heat

    June 24, 2023

    In which I am ambushed by the embodiment of pure evil (and there are books)

    July 21, 2023

    Joshua Tree Forest, writing news, books, and more pandemic memes (Weekend Coffee Share #30)

    March 18, 2022
  • Garden,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Flowers and birds and whining about the heat

    June 24, 2023 /

    Last week I finished sharing the Michigan pics, just in time to start my annual whining about the heat. We’ve had a much cooler than normal spring, so the abomination you’re about to behold is several weeks late in coming. I’d rather it didn’t show up at all. To avoid spontaneous combustion, I plan to spend the weekend sitting under an AC vent with a book. Does anyone in a cooler climate need a house sitter? Please???? Don’t worry–I won’t spend the entire post whining about the heat (just most of it). But before I resume whining: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    New Orleans and Spring in the Garden

    May 7, 2022

    The weekly update: bobcat sighting, books, garden pix, and a small batch of memes

    May 21, 2022

    We love our striped roses (#FOTD)

    August 11, 2021
  • Books and Reading,  Photos,  Travel,  Weekend Coffee Share,  What's On Your Bookshelf

    Podcast appearance, Michigan trip, and books

    June 17, 2023 /

    This post is a hodgepodge–my podcast appearance, the last of the pictures from my trip to Michigan, and what I’ve been reading lately. But before we get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and What’s On Your Bookshelf, hosted by  Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. I’m on the Big Blend Radio podcast! Last month I appeared on the Big Blend Radio podcast, along with other authors whose stories appeared in the Trouble in Tucson anthology. More details in this post. Last batch of pix from the Michigan trip In my last two…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Cars on freeway heading into wall of clouds and dust

    Risking my life for new bookcases

    August 19, 2022
    Stack of books to help you write better, including Bird by Bird, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Thanks, But This Isn't For Us, Structuring Your Novel, Stephen King's On Writing, and Revision & Self-Editing

    Books to Help You Write Better: A Writer’s Reading List

    October 28, 2023
    Las Vegas Sphere lit up like a yellow emoji with a surprised face

    Pics of the Las Vegas Sphere – and books

    October 20, 2023
  • Photos,  Travel,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area, Michigan

    June 9, 2023 /

    Happy Friday! It’s time for part 3 of the Michigan trip report (see part 1 and part 2), a visit to Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area on Saginaw Bay. I’m going to milk my trip for all I can on here, because it’s the only interesting thing I’ve done in ages. So get ready for: birds! But first: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s look at some water birds! The lay of the land Nayanquing Point is marshland on the edge of Saginaw Bay. We found this place by accident–we saw a road sign for…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Orange sky with silhouetted desert mountains

    Saying goodbye to summer (Weekend Coffee Share #4)

    September 4, 2021
    Yellow building with cream arched doorway and brown door with brick walkway and garden in front, national park shield on outside wall, labeled Tumacácori National Historical Park

    Tumacácori National Historical Park (Weekend Coffee Share #5)

    September 11, 2021
    Black and white high contrast photo of an early 20th century building set against a sky dotted with clouds.

    Bisbee noir and a bit of non-news (Weekend Coffee Share #7)

    September 24, 2021
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