I was re-drafting my query today for my novel HURT and got a brainstorm: What if this character dunnit, not the original? Oh, stop, I told myself, but it was too late. I was thinking about it. Then I started to write the thoughts down. And I realized that this potential revision could solve a number of niggling problems I had with the story. It could strengthen a couple of weak characters, cast light on others' motivations, take out the tired old serial-killer motif and focus on a…

I'm one of those people who is impossible to buy for. I have to make lists for people, but often I have no idea what I want, myself. Other than writing time, and no one wants to believe that that is ALL I want. I don't quite understand - if I ask for it, I must want it, right? - but whatever.

So I asked for things for Christmas, but ended up returning them because 1) they weren't quite what I needed (yes, I'm also one of those people who only asks for necessary things) and 2) we were…