Did My Younger Siblings Ever See Santa?
I’ve written before about how my brother and I got to see Santa Claus when he visited our home one evening just before Christmas. I’ve also written about when my children got to see Santa at their grandparents’ home. My son took the experience in stride, but it took my daughter some time to get […]
Announcing New Website for Readers: Of Books and Nooks
I have teamed up with a group of Kansas City area authors to launch a new website where readers can come together and explore books and more. Of Books and Nooks is ready for your reading enjoyment, so come check us out. Find the profiles of the authors sponsoring this site here. We will be […]
A Picture I Wish I Had: My Son’s Solo
Each year, my kids were in Christmas programs at their school. The programs were held in the church of the parish that operated their Catholic school, and religious Christmas carols made up the bulk of the program. The whole school was in the program. Each class, from kindergarten through eighth grade sang a song or […]
Historical Fiction Giveaway! Thirteen free books
Today I am delighted to announce that I am participating in a holiday giveaway with other historical fiction writers. Some lucky winner will receive a free copy of Lead Me Home as part of this giveaway, along with a dozen other books. All of the authors participating in this event are members of the Historical […]
SAFE THUS FAR Is Now Available!
As I announced in my newsletter on November 19, Safe Thus Far is now available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle formats and on Barnes & Noble for Nook. One fan wrote that she was dropping everything for a day to read Safe Thus Far. After she finished the book, she wrote me again: “I […]
A Story I’ve Mentioned Before: Dropping My Brother on the Porch
November is National Family Stories Month. So we should tell our stories to family and friends. Stories make us who we are. Or sometimes we hope stories don’t influence our lives. Here’s a story I have mentioned before, and it is one I’m glad had no lasting impact. The story dates back to the spring […]
Congratulations to NaNoWriMo Participants This Year! Keep Writing!
Last year in November I posted about my progress on NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), when writers attempt to write a 50,000-word novel in thirty days. I hit the target, then blew past it! I toyed with doing NaNoWriMo again this year. But I decided the timing wasn’t quite right. Last year, I had a […]
Fifteen Days I’m Waiting For
I’m waiting for the day . . . . . . when we can download a comics page with just the strips we like. . . . when my grocery list shops for itself. . . . when the Star Trek food replicator becomes reality. . . . when all the leaves turn brilliant colors […]
SAFE THUS FAR Is Coming Soon!
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that I had sent my novel to beta readers. Their feedback is now in (thank you, betas!), and I am busy polishing the text in response to their comments. In general, their feedback was positive, so I am on track to finish up the book in the next […]
A Dozen Haunting Books for 2021
I have usually devoted at least one October post to “haunting books,” because October is both National Book Month and the month we celebrate Halloween. This year, I have a long list of books I’ve read in the last twelve months that could be considered haunting. I’ve winnowed the group down to a dozen books, […]