April Davila - Author
Long before genetic engineering existed, famed horticulturalist Luther Burbank (1849-1926) was hard at work tinkering with Mother Nature’s creations. He maintained two massive gardens north of San Francisco, in Sebastopol and Santa Rosa, where he … [Continue reading] about The Santa Rosa Plum
Driving through the town of Gilroy on highway 152, visitors will notice a strong, savory aroma wafting through the air – the distinct smell of the stinking rose. In 1952, twenty-two year old Don Christopher devoted a 10-acre plot of land to the … [Continue reading] about Garlic in California
I never consciously chose to set all my stories in California, but after a decade or so of writing I stepped back and realized that everything I write takes place here. The only explanation I can give is that this is my home and it is full of … [Continue reading] about Because California is Awesome
My family and I just got back from a pretty epic vacation. We started in Lyon, France where we caught the final games of the Women's World Cup, then traveled down to Italy for a week. My kids are in this sweet spot where they're old enough … [Continue reading] about Keeping Your Writing Skills Strong While You’re on Vacation
Using the Scrivener split screen function is one of my favorite little tricks. It's so super easy, but a lot of writers don't know it's there. Let's review. Say you're typing away and want to take a look at something you've written in another … [Continue reading] about Using Split Screen in Scrivener
In January I blogged about what I thought was the final edit of my forthcoming novel. My editor had sent me some notes, I had my beta-reader do one more pass, and I busted my butt to make a fair number of changes to the doc. Then I handed it off, … [Continue reading] about Finding the Better Word
As writers, I suppose we all hope that readers will be so enthralled with our stories that setting them down is simply unthinkable. But as a reader, I often stop reading books before I'm finished with them. I've noticed my daughter does the same, but … [Continue reading] about Reasons I Stopped Reading Your Book