Sunday Poetry: A Special Giveaway
Welcome back to Sunday Poetry, after my short hiatus. Those of you who’ve been following along this past year know this blog began after I heard poet Billy Collins speak at Chautauqua Institution several years ago. I was so impressed that I checked out the Library of Congress site he began, Poetry 180, which was…
Read MoreMy Seventy Book Latest and Greatest Giveaway
My best novels happen when ideas collide. Take two seemingly unrelated but interesting situations, then watch them tango warily around each other until suddenly they’re dancing cheek to cheek, and the plot for a book has begun to form. Today, as I was handling papers and packing books for my move to somewhere this week,…
Read MoreSunday Poetry: A World Made By Displacement
Welcome to Sunday Poetry. If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration of my Sunday poetry blogs here. I’m in the midst of moving, but I couldn’t let this occasion go unmarked. Natasha Trethewey was just named the 19th U.S. poet laureate by the Library of Congress, and I wanted to…
Read MoreAggie Sloan-Wilcox Wants To Know
Some people can not be ignored. Even if you hope they’ll just go away if you send them a smile and a nod, in your heart you know better. They’ll still be hanging around at the end of the day, until finally, they can slip right in and ask a question or, in this…
Read MoreSunday Poetry: On Hiatus
Sunday Poetry will return once our move is completed in a few weeks. Meantime, let us know if you find a poem with particular meaning to you.
Read MoreTidbits
Just a few fun tidbits today. Tidbit One: Some of you have written to learn the fate of Treasure Beach, the “novellini” I wrote last year for Southern Exposure, set between Fortunate Harbor and Sunset Bridge (books two and three of the Happiness Key series.) I’m happy to say that while you can no longer read it at my blog, you…
Read MoreHome: A Moving Target
The last weeks have been packed full of surprises. Unexpected knee surgery. Selling our house to builders who will tear it down and build two where it used to stand, a not uncommon occurrence in Northern Virginia. Our offer accepted on a house in Florida, which, after making plans and finding movers, had to be…
Read MoreSunday Poetry: Honoring Soldiers at Arlington
Welcome to Sunday Poetry. If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration of my Sunday poetry blogs here. Today’s poem, Memorial Day, by Dennis Caraher needs no explanation or introduction. Read it several times. Not only does the poem deserve that, it changes each time I read it and I feel…
Read MoreCongratulations to Brenda Novak and Scott Alexander
Just a reminder that the bidding’s going to end next week at Brenda Novak’s Annual Auction for the Cure of Diabetes. I’m delighted to say my offering of all five of my quilt pattern books (autographed, of course), plus a copy of Sister’s Choice, and a $25 gift certificate for fabric at Connecting Threads, an…
Read MoreLists: Can We Judge a Book By Its Cover Title?
If you read my blog regularly you’ll have noted by now that titles are crucial to me. They are crucial to my publisher, too. Unfortunately we don’t always agree about what’s crucial to sell a book and keep an author happy. I’ll confess that in hindsight I can see that some of my ideas have…
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