Researching A Novel: All Those Things I Had to Learn
In two months A Family of Strangers will grace your favorite bookstore. Next week my good friend Kylie Logan/Casey Daniels will tell you a bit about the fun of preparing for her book launch in May. I’m not launching yet, but I thought you might enjoy some of the “behind-the-scenes” action that took place while…
Read MoreNovels That Have Changed the World
Notre Dame Cathedral has been through a lot, more than most of us realize. Among other atrocities, Hitler once slated the great cathedral for demolition. Before that it survived clueless remodeling, environmental decay and revolutionary ransacking, too. And, of course, this week the world almost lost it for good. In all the many articles about…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: How Far?
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong, because someday in your life, you will have been all of these.” –George Washington Carver
Read MoreStarting From Scratch
This morning as I scooped homemade yogurt into a plastic container to enjoy for the rest of the week, I thought about all the things I do the long way, starting from scratch. Granted, making homemade yogurt in the Instant Pot is as easy as slipping on flip flops. I do it, at least partially,…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Be thankful
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, never, have enough.” -Oprah We spent 13 years in the Washington D.C. area before moving to Florida, and this time of year I miss the resplendent cherry trees that are blooming now, not…
Read MoreDeath, Rebirth, and the Easy Life
“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” Theodore Roosevelt Book ideas, like everything else in life,…
Read MoreSpring Break
Some weeks lend themselves to saying very little on the blog. My youngest son and oldest grandson are visiting on spring break, and I’m having so much fun with them. Nothing beats catching up with family, and spring is SW Florida’s busiest time of year. Yesterday we stood in line for 30″ just to buy…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Welcome Spring!
“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” -Pablo Neruda Spring has sprung here in Florida — actually a few weeks ago — and I hope that you are least well on your way to the warmth and vitality of this season. Our lanai is filled with pots of cherry…
Read MoreA Writer’s Journey: Jenny Brown
The only writer’s group I belong to these days is Novelists Inc. Each member is a multi-published commercial fiction author. NINC has a fabulous conference every fall, and no matter how well-published we are as individuals, we always have much to learn. NINC also has a listserv, and recently the following post appeared there. I…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of the Irish out there, as well as those who are Irish in spirit. Since my Mother’s maiden name was Kelley, I’m certainly blessed with substantial Irish genes, and at this time of the year they love to come out and dance a jig or two. The photo above…
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