Serendipity - the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Hannibal Smith of the TV show "The A Team" used to say, "I love it when a plan comes together." I love a good plan, too. It's even more delightful to … [Continue reading]
How much honesty can you take before you break?
September 24, 2013 By 8 Comments
I love my beta readers. Every last one. And I love their honest reactions. You'll never get me to say anything else. At least not on the record. My WWI-era novel has had the benefit of two rounds of beta readers. And it's infinitely better because … [Continue reading]
What can we learn from Fall? New book shares wisdom & gratitude
September 20, 2013 By 8 Comments
Do see fall as the end or the beginning? For me, it's both. The fall equinox arrives this weekend and with it, the end of green leaves and grass and the beginning of reds and golds. I see the end of the flood of produce coming out of our garden … [Continue reading]
Forging paths in the prairie and in writing
September 12, 2013 By 12 Comments
Since my granddaughters were born, I’ve taken them to the prairie every time they visit us. As little ones, they were carried in. As they grew older, I led the way. On her last visit, I encouraged my oldest granddaughter, now four and a half … [Continue reading]
How can you help an author? Here are 11 ideas
September 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Ever wonder how you can help an author friend promote their new book? Chuck Sambuchino offered 11 great ideas in his blog today on Writers In The Storm. His ideas were so good and so easy, I'm re-blogging that post here. How to Support an Author’s … [Continue reading]
Lots of tomatoes? Try this salsa!
August 19, 2013 By 8 Comments
Zucchini has a bad reputation for producing far more than anyone can eat. Not so much in my garden. For us, the producers are cucumbers and tomatoes. Since I'm bringing in a large colander loaded with tomatoes every day, I've kicked into canning … [Continue reading]
Why do we smile?
August 5, 2013 By 16 Comments
Line up for a photo. Someone says, "Say cheese!" Everyone grins. It's automatic, isn't it? But it wasn't always so. Until 1900, smiles in photographs were as rare as hen's teeth. Research into early 20th century photography for the WWI-era novel … [Continue reading]
A bird’s eye view of hawks
August 1, 2013 By 4 Comments
Five years ago, we planted a prairie patch in our front yard. Since then, we've noticed an increase in raptors. We hear more owls hooting in the night. We see more hawks soaring high above. Frequently, I can look to the dead branches at the top of … [Continue reading]
The greatest invention of all time
July 29, 2013 By 16 Comments
We lost electrical power Saturday. A little after noon, the TV went off, the fan stopped turning, the oven stopped heating, the clocks stopped ticking off seconds. In that moment, modern life as we know and love it stopped. We may as well have … [Continue reading]
Tips & Tools for cutting “Crutch” or “Echo” words
July 29, 2013 By 2 Comments
Recently, I blogged about finding and eliminating "crutch" words in my writing. Sharla Rae calls these "Echo" words. In her blog post today at Writers In The Storm, she lists the most common Echo words along with tips for finding and getting rid of … [Continue reading]
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