Blog

secondary_page_flower_photo

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.

Her kind of historical fiction

By Carol / 04 November 2014 /

“I’m blown away.” That’s what I thought as I read The Girl on the Mountain, a novel set in the West Virginia mountains at the end of the 19th century. The characters are vivid and…

Read More

How much of historical fiction is history?

By Carol / 20 October 2014 /

The 2014 Man Booker Prize winner was announced this past week. The accolades judging panel chair A.C. Grayling heaped on Richard Flanagan‘s WWII-era novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North, included this seemingly odd…

Read More

The Invention of Wings – Review – Historical Fiction

By Carol / 16 September 2014 /

I’ve been a fan of Sue Monk Kidd since I read The Secret Life of Bees. So when Kidd released her newest novel The Invention of Wings, historical fiction set in the early 19th century, I…

Read More

What is Go Away Home about? Readers weigh in.

By Carol / 16 July 2014 /

One of my college professors spent much of a semester dissecting T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love-Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” I must admit, I left the classroom on most days shaking my head in dismay.…

Read More

Go Away Home – Blog Tour

By Carol / 08 July 2014 /

I’m thrilled to announce the participants in a blog tour for Go Away Home taking place from July 8 – July 25, 2014. Please join me from the comfort of your own chair as I…

Read More

"Wonderful debut novel" – A Writer of History

By Carol / 24 June 2014 /

M.K. Tod started my week off right when she published her review of Go Away Home on her blog A Writer of History. Mary was one of my advance reviewers and I was particularly interested…

Read More

Historical fiction – Short stories & novels

By Carol / 22 April 2014 /

Three books of historical fiction reached the top of my TBR stack this month. Sewing Can Be Dangerous and Other Small Threads by S. L. Mallery is an engaging collection of short stories spanning events…

Read More

Incredible Women in Historical Fiction

By Carol / 17 April 2014 /

As Alex Myers wrote his book Revolutionary, the story of a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight for the Continental army during the Revolutionary war, he found himself wondering what women his…

Read More

Six thoughts on seeking advance book reviews

By Carol / 15 April 2014 /

Laying the foundation for a strong launch. The manuscript of my historical novel Go Away Home was edited and ready to publish in February. With today’s technology, I could have had the book on sale…

Read More

The Art of War – The Art of Loving

By Carol / 26 February 2014 /

Movies, reading & walking across Iowa uncover surprising connections. Art and history, love and war intersect as I continue my virtual trek across Iowa. There can’t be many who haven’t heard about the movie Monuments…

Read More