Hi, I’m Hailey. This is not a photo of my beautiful library, nor is this a photo of me, and, actually, my name is *technically* not Hailey, but you probably figured that out by now.

My mission is to get you the information you need to write a book.

I’ve worked in various media in NYC for almost two decades. It hasn’t been pretty, and is getting more generic and less vibrant all the time.

These industries need new ideas, content, and people, with fresh outlooks and abilities.

That’s where you come in.

This blog is primarily about learning to write a book by reading books written by experts, but there may be the occasional mention of a video, workshop, or online class.

And movies: I’ll sometimes use a movie reference because they will be familiar to most people.

Stories are stories.

How this site is organized & how to find the book review you’d like: New? Start Here

My favorite works of fiction include: The Secret History, all Harry all Potter all the way, The Golden Compass, Jitterbug Perfume, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The English Patient, The Goldfinch ( except for …Vegas) most Neil Gaiman, and not much Margaret Atwood, as I am a contrarian freak. Also, the nightmares.

Favorite non-fiction: Salt, Outliers, Gulp, Freakonomics, Quiet, and several other books with one-word names, followed by a fairly long and awkward subtitle.

I love cats, carbs, and introversion. I like small, cute dogs, but big, loud ones scare me.

I enjoy lip balm, home renovation, stargazing, and airplanes.