Blog
As a curious observer of life, I blog on writing, marketing, my prairie - anything that interests me in the moment. I like to have conversations with readers, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I'll respond.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
The days are breathtakingly hot and humid nationwide this July. Yet in the early morning, as the sun crests the horizon, temperatures are more tolerable and the air still fresh. The more forgiving, early sun…
Did farm women wear corsets in 1913? Is there a particular name for the everyday dresses they wore? How many acres could a farmer plant in a day and what was the equipment like? How…
I’m deep into editing my novel this month. Searching for the best words to create people and places readers will see and remember. Eliminating cliches. Working for copy that is fresh and tight. In the…