It’s first Sunday Hiker Devotional Day. In the spring, hiking in the fields and woods is close to perfect. The grass is sprouting and turning the winter brown world fresh and green. The delicate wood anemones and twin leaf wildflowers pop up through last fall’s carpet of leaves and bloom at the first kiss of the spring sunshine. Walking through …
Creativity is always a leap of faith. You’re faced with a blank page, blank easel, or an empty stage. (Julia Cameron) I’m often asked about the writing process. Of course, every writer has his or her own way to get stories down on paper or computer screen and eventually into a book. But I once invited people to ask …
Happiness is a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. … Nathaniel Hawthorne July 1 was my third adjusted deadline for my current work in progress, An Appalachian Summer. I did not want to request a third extension so I’ve been doing a lot of staring at …
Outtake – a scene or sequence filmed or recorded for a movie or program but not included in the final version. With a deadline looming this weekend I’ve had to stick to business and edit, edit, edit. That’s because, as usual, I used too many words to tell my work in progress, now with an official title, An Appalachian …
“We can learn so much by observing the way our pets rejoice in life’s simplest moments. For a dog, every morning is Christmas morning. Every walk is the best walk; every meal is the best meal. Take time every day to celebrate the many gifts that are hidden in the ordinary events of your life.” – Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer …
I love berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black berries, anything with an ‘errie’ in it! ~Jordin Sparks I went raspberry picking yesterday. The rains keep coming down and the fields are wet. The day was steamy. The field where the raspberries grow in the fence row is chest high with grass since the hay hasn’t been cut yet. But I …
Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that’s why I call you dad, because you are so special to me. (Wade Boggs) Since it’s Father’s Day, I thought this would be a good time to share some Dad pictures and thoughts. My dad has been gone for a number of years but …
For some of my books, the publishers have designed graphics with quotes from the stories. They usually let me pick them out. Sometimes I can find one sentence that I think tells a bit of the story and makes you get a feel for the character or setting. But often I want to include more that one sentence. After all …
“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” ~Frank Herbert Frank Herbert was a science fiction writer best known for his books, Dune and its five sequels. So he did keep going with those stories for a good long while. Here’s another quote along the same line. “A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily …
The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul. ~Alfred Austin Do you have a garden? I’m a farm girl so having a vegetable garden has always felt like a necessity and not a …