Happy Mother’s Day to My Mother, the Writer
I spent the first thirty years of my life trying not to be like my mother. But around my 30th birthday, the realization dawned that, however much I protested, we are in many ways quite similar. My mother was valedictorian of her high school class and a Phi Beta Kappa English Literature major in college. […]
Gold Stories of Today and Yesterday
I read the newspaper differently now because I write historical fiction. Articles that I once would have skipped over intrigue me because of their connection to what I write. On April 30, the Wall Street Journal carried a piece on gold mining in the riverbeds of California. The novel I am currently writing takes place during the California […]
Doing What I Do Best — Procrastinating
In 2003, my work group had just completed the Gallup employee engagement survey. One of the questions on the Gallup survey is “Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?” Well, then, we asked, what does each of us do best? Of course, Gallup had a way to determine the […]
“Family Recipe” — a good Mother’s Day present
If you’re looking for a small Mother’s Day present, try my book “Family Recipe: Sweet and saucy stories, essays, and poems about family life.” Click here for links to where you can buy it. Enjoy! And Happy Mother’s Day.
Take the Plunge! Start a Journal
“The only way to start is just to start – take the plunge.” With these words, I started keeping a journal ten years ago this spring. I’d had a diary when I was a girl, one of those pink books with the gilt edges and cheap metal lock. But I was too afraid of my […]
Jumping Off to the Unknown
Part of my horoscope on my birthday this year read “Develop a way of handling the unexpected, as it will become a regular occurrence for you.” But isn’t this true for everyone? The unexpected becomes expected, because change comes to all of us. Sometimes we seek the change, other times it is foisted upon us. […]
Guest Blogpost on Write Brain Trust: How to Format Your Book for E-Publishing
This week I have a guest post on Write Brain Trust that discusses how I formatted my ebook Family Recipe. Write Brain Trust is a group of writers who help each other with creativity, publishing and marketing issues. We have been exploring the brave new world of e-publishing, and several of us have published digital books […]
Tasting Your Memories
Later this year my husband and I will celebrate our 35th anniversary. We started dating, got serious, and were married all in 1977, so I’ll be celebrating 35th anniversaries of major events in our relationship all year. Last month was the 35th anniversary of our first date. No one remembered it but me. My husband […]
A Six Month Journey in One Day
As I write this, I am visiting family in Washington State, not too far from the end point of the Oregon Trail. I left my home in Kansas City, Missouri, very near Independence – one of several jumping off points for the early emigrants. The rainy spring weather in the Pacific Northwest reminds me of […]
“Family Recipe” anthology now available!
My book Family Recipe: Sweet and saucy stories, essays and poems about family life has now been published by Rickover Publishing. The paperback is available through CreateSpace Amazon And the ebook is available in two formats: Kindle (MOBI) Nook (EPUB) This book would make a wonderful accompaniment to an Easter basket or Mother’s Day present. I […]