Writers write stories they want readers to read. This is certainly true for this writer. I sometimes say that a book takes two to truly come to life. The writer who spills the story out onto the pages and the reader who then invites those words into his or her imagination to experience that story. That’s not to say …
Shaker “Spirit Drawings”
Every Wednesday on my Facebook author page, I do a Shaker Wednesday where I share a little Shaker history from some of the resource books I used when I was writing my Shaker novels. Earlier I had posted a picture of my latest Shaker book, The Refuge, alongside a picture I have of the Shaker Tree of Life. This picture …
Sheltering in Place
“If you’re comfortable with yourself and know yourself, you’re going to shine and radiate, and other people are going to be drawn to you.” –Dolly Parton This sheltering in place is easier for some of us than others. For instance, I already worked at home. I live on this big farm where I can go walking with my two furry …
Finding Spring on a Walk on the Farm
First Sunday Devotional Thoughts. Today was a beautiful spring day in Kentucky. It’s almost as if these fine weekend days are showing up to help lift our spirits in these uncertain and often trying times. That said, I know some of you didn’t have a beautiful sunshiny day but had rain. Perhaps you needed the rain so it was still …
Design a Book Cover & Catch The Refuge on E-book Sale
Sunday I did a cover reveal for my upcoming release, An Appalachian Summer. I loved all the comments since you seemed to really like the cover. Some of you said that yes, a cover either attracted you to a story or didn’t. Most of you liked the pretty purple of Piper’s dress and the rhododendrons. I do have Piper enjoying …
What Question Would You Ask?
“And you still haven’t answered any of my one-hundred ten questions, or my follow ups.” ― Greg Farshtey I think I’ve told you before that the Q & A part of any writing talk I give is my favorite. I don’t have to figure out what I’m going to say for that part of the talk. I just get to …
The Gift of Encouraging Words
Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble. ~Yehuda Berg How many of you, as children, learned the …
38th Kentucky Book Fair on the Way
The Kentucky Book Fair is an innovative book writing affair involving book lovers, readers, and writers, and it’s happening this weekend on Saturday November 16th, at Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. Entrance to the Book Fair is free and plenty of free parking too. Two hundred authors will be there with their books just waiting to talk to …
Weather Matters in Stories Too
Winter is on the way. The weathermen have said that four letter word – snow. They warn that we might see some snowflakes tomorrow. On Halloween. But whether the snowflakes come or not, the frost and freeze is on the way. So far we’ve escaped a killing frost. My flowers are still blooming. I should go out in the rain …
Common Sense, Dancing
Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing. –William James, American Philosopher and Psychologist, 1842-1910 With twin boys, you’d best have a sense of humor and some common sense too, don’t you think? But do any of the rest of you sometimes worry that good …










