The summer stories you all sent me when you entered my newsletter contest were the best. Thank you so much. I enjoyed strolling down memory lane with those of you who told about years past and I smiled thinking about the fun some of you were having this very summer. I have plenty of summer memories too. Some from when …
Oh, the Memories of Summers Past
I love the stories you readers share with me whenever I send out a newsletter and have a giveaway. As I say in the newsletter, stories aren’t necessary to enter the drawing for the prizes (this time B&N gift cards and one of my books) but they are fun. It’s a treat for me to read your stories and I …
Unplugged = Treasured Summer Times
“Life is truly lived in the moments of simplicity!” ― Avijeet Das Readers have been sharing with me some of the favorite summers. Summer is such a special time of amazing vacations, summer camps, times at the pool or beach, and so much more. But sometimes we take a deep breath and remember times that might not be considered exciting or …
Fake Cockroaches and Summer Camp
I sent out a newsletter last week with a question asking readers to share a best summer memory. It’s been fun reading about what has made summers special for you all. Some have loved a certain summer because that’s when they met their husband to be. Others have loved summers because that’s when they gave birth to one of their …
Bookstores Equal Good Times
“I love walking into a bookstore. It’s like all my friends are sitting on shelves, waving their pages at me.” ― Tahereh Mafi Do you like spending time in a bookstore? I do. Sometimes I go knowing the book I want to find and carry home with me. Other times, I don’t have a specific book in mind. I want …
The Power of Words
“The tongue has no bones but is strong enough to break a heart. So be careful with your words.” ~Anonymous Words. As a writer, I love them. They are how I share stories with readers. As a reader, I love them. They are how I dive into stories and go off on adventures with characters or how I find out about …
Summertime Memories of Vacation Bible School
“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” (Forest E. Witcraft) Since churches all around are having Bible Schools this month and I let Jocie …
Bible School Time in Hollyhill
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill. It’s Bible School time in Holly County. That’s great for Dad’s paper since all the churches have been putting ads in the Hollyhill Banner to get kids to show up at their Bible Schools. I know some kids that make the rounds of Bible Schools in the summer. I used to go to two …
Did You Go on a Honeymoon?
When you Google the word honeymoon, up pops 266,000,000 potential links. I was just trying to find the origin of the word, but I could have found many, many great places for a honeymoon. No, I didn’t just get married. I’m not even writing about a honeymoon. Well, wait a minute. On second thought, I do sort of have a …
What’s Your Question?
What makes us human, I think, is an ability to ask questions, a consequence of our sophisticated spoken language. ~Jane Goodall I invited you all to ask me a question about me or my writing last week. And a couple of you took me up on it. Whenever I give a talk about my books, the part I always like …








