Random Photos: When the Cares of the World Hit Hard
As I scrolled through old photographs recently, I came across pictures of my father taken on the beach at Port Townsend, Washington, in August 2006. This was my first visit to my parents’ new home—what would be their last home—in Port Ludlow, Washington. What strikes me about these pictures is that my father looks like […]
A Curmudgeonly Author’s Take on Social Media
It’s been awhile since I wrote about my likes and dislikes on social media. (But see here and here and here.) During the pandemic, social media has been the only way for an indie author to market books, so I have been forced to use it and to explore some new channels. But I’m finding […]
Moving Memories From Two Years Ago
In recent weeks, my Microsoft OneDrive memory feed has reminded me of our move into our new home in late July 2019. I had this blog on hiatus for a couple of weeks in that time frame, so I didn’t post about some of our moving experiences. There was some doubt about whether the new […]
Fort Boise
In my current work-in-progress, which takes place in 1864, some of my characters are traveling toward Fort Boise. In 1864, Fort Boise was in its second location, where the current city of Boise, Idaho, is located. In 1834, the original Fort Boise began as a fur trading post on the Snake River, near what is […]
When the Work-in-Progress Progresses Slowly
All writers have times when their writing moves slowly, and I am in one of those times. It feels like I have been editing my work-in-progress forever. Maybe I should have expected this—the first draft came together very quickly during NaNoWriMo last November. A quick first draft probably means there are a lot of gaps […]
A Driving Tour of California, 1967
I only recall one summer driving trip in my childhood to California. We made a Christmas driving trip in December 1965, right before my maternal grandfather died (though at the time I didn’t know he was so ill). And my brother and I flew to California—either with or without our mother—for summer visits with my […]
Evolution of the American Flag
The United States just celebrated its 245th birthday on Sunday, July 4, 2021. In recognition of this event, last week I created a graphic to use in promoting my novel, Lead Me Home. I used an image of the current U.S. flag in the graphic, but that got me thinking about what flag the United […]
2021 Historical Novel Society Conference
Last week I attended my first Historical Novel Society conference. I’ve been to other writing conferences in the past, but this was special, because historical fiction writers are my tribe. The conference was virtual, and the sessions were recorded and will be posted for attendees to review, so I have only just begun to tap […]
William S. Ladd: Tycoon in 1860s Oregon
One of the story lines in the novel I am working on now involves a businessman in 1864 seeking to increase his investments in the burgeoning new state of Oregon. Readers of my earlier novels will remember Caleb (Mac) McDougall. As he explores his business opportunities, it seems that every time he turns around he […]
Return to Normal: Good and Bad
Last month I wrote about reopenings. Those have continued apace, and my life is slowly returning to pre-pandemic patterns. I no longer gear up for trips to the grocery store or drugstore as if I were heading into battle. I don’t even wear a mask in most stores. I go to Mass each weekend. I’ve […]