My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that? –Bob Hope I’m guessing most of you do have up your Christmas tree, but I’m confessing that I don’t. But when I do get it up this weekend, I hope, it …
1st Sunday Devotional – Winter Beauty
“It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it.” ~John Burroughs Winter hasn’t shown up on the calendar, but it has shown up around here in the air. No snow to notice yet, but that too will come. In …
A Penny in Your Pocket
Do you have a penny in your pocket? Odds are, you have a jar or dish full of pennies somewhere in your house that you don’t bother to count. According to a news article I came across on the internet, there are approximately 130 billion pennies currently in circulation or hiding out in those piggy banks at your house. That’s …
A Dog Can Be a Writer’s Best Friend
Several years ago I did an online Q & A about Animals and Authors. That was before my previous dog, Oscar, died of bone cancer way before I was ready to say goodbye. I hope you like this journey back in time to when Oscar was my best dog and always ready to support my writing efforts. 🙂 Quid Pro …
So Many Reasons to Be Thankful
There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American. ~O. Henry Thanksgiving is a …
How about Some Q & A Time?
“Be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid.” – H.W. Fowler (1858-1933) I’ve been eyebrow deep in words this week as I finish up word by word, sentence by sentence edits on my spring release, In the Shadow of the River. Eyebrow deep sounds more accurate than knee deep in the case of editing. Of course, I have already edited the …
Which Cover Was a Favorite?
“I always think that it’s wrong to put images of my protagonists on the cover of my novels because readers can identify with characters only if they are given the chance to imagine them independently.” ― Orhan Pamuk, The Innocence of Objects Cover art is so much fun to see and to talk about. We’ve all been told that you …
Cover Reveal – In the Shadow of the River
Seeing the artwork for the cover of a new book is always a highlight. I’ve already shared this new cover for In the Shadow of the River in my newsletter. I’ve shared it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. So if you are on my email list or see me out there on some social media sites, you’ve probably already seen …
1st Sunday Devotionals – Frankie, a Good Dog Some of the Time
“Dogs are great. Bad dogs, if you can really call them that, are perhaps the greatest of them all.”—John Grogan Any of you who follow me here on my blog or my Facebook page, know Frankie. I wouldn’t call him a “bad” dog. Instead I like to say he’s a good dog some of the time and as the years …
The Inspiration for River to Redemption
With River to Redemption one of the books that is part of Baker Book Store’s Big Haul Sale, I decided to share an article about my initial inspiration for the story. This Man Named Louis Story ideas can come from a myriad of places. Sometimes an idea can just spring up out of nowhere. Other times a writer knows exactly where she …










