The Perfect Study
I’m moving again. Yes, I know I moved recently. Luckily this time I’m only moving steps away. After trying to finish The Color of Light in the prettiest room in the house, (the room where everyone convinced me I could do my best writing), I learned a valuable lesson. Pay attention to your instincts, or the perfect study,…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Black Like Me
Have you read the book, Black Like Me? A best seller in the 60s, it was a big influence in many lives, including my own, for becoming aware of the racism in our society. Black Like Me was written in 1961 by John Howard Griffin, who artificially changed his skin color from white to black…
Read MoreThe Writing Process 2015: When Flash Becomes Flesh or Doesn’t
One morning some months ago I woke up with a flash of a new idea. Not flesh but flash, a moment when something momentous occurs to a character. Flashes aren’t uncommon.Once upon a time I made note of each one, until I realized when I took a second look I no longer found them intriguing. My theory? If a…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Patrick Henry Hughes
In my Sunday Inspirations I like to highlight people who are especially inspiring, people who, like the women in my Goddesses series, have the courage to overcome daunting obstacles in their lives and the compassion to reach out and help others who struggle for respect and survival. This is the story of a young man,…
Read MoreThe Writing Process 2015: Sniffing A Story
I made a New Year’s Resolution for 2015. It’s time to get moving again. The last months have been spent at my computer finishing The Color of Light, book four of my Goddesses Anonymous series. I’m delighted to say I turned it in right on time, but not without spending more hours than expected hunched over my…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Anniversary
In honor of my anniversary today — and to anyone else with one in the month of January — I thought you might enjoy this poem my husband Michael sent me — and this is not our 50th anniversary! We’ll be a little farther south celebrating it this week. I’m going to hold him to…
Read MoreBlogging 2014: What Did I Say That Might Be Worth Repeating?
Another year of Southern Exposure has come and gone. For fun, as Blogging 2014 draws to a close, I thought I’d do a monthly recap of some of the blogs I posted this year. As always on Tuesdays I ignored all the rules and blogged about whatever interested me at the moment.. I hope you’ll enjoy some of…
Read MoreChristmas Dream from my family to yours
Christmas Dream Crazy things, said and done every single day but one Every night should, I believe be the same as Christmas eve Nights should all be silent, days should all slow down An end to the hurry, the noise and the worry And I hope you believe that too It’s Christmas, remember? Does no…
Read MoreChristmas, A Time to Welcome Strangers
Today in honor of Christmas I’m sharing an excerpt from my novel Endless Chain, the second book in my Shenandoah Album series. Endless Chain explores the many ways that we welcome strangers into our lives. In this scene Sam, a minister of a local church and the woman he loves, Elisa and her friend Adoncia, are helping…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: A Golden Box
Last Sunday we saw that goddesses come in all genders, and this Sunday we see they come in all sizes. This sentimental and touching Christmas story tells us what we already know deep down in our hearts. Like a golden box filled with kisses, we have our own box brimming with blessings we cannot see. Those…
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