When I begin down the road to a new story, usually that trip starts with deciding who is going to be walking that road with me. I have to come up with characters to bring my story to life. For my recent release, The Song of Sourwood Mountain, I started with a female character who was going to at some …
Outtakes from The Song of Sourwood Mountain
When writing a book, I, as do all writers, need to keep the focus on the main story and not slide off into side scenes. Sometimes I see these scenes when I’m editing and sometimes my editor points them out. The scenes and paragraphs of extra information aren’t bad, just not necessary to the story. I don’t want a reader …
Down Home Mountain and Country Lingo
One of the things I’ve enjoyed when I head to the hills for a new story is being able to hear my characters talking. I grew up country. Not mountain. But many of the expressions I’ve come across when researching for my Appalachian stories rang with familiarity for me because I’d heard them pert-nigh (pretty near) all my life. I …
A Lesson from Crows – 1st Sunday Devotional
When a crow says an intelligent thing, chickens may laugh at it. This is the laughing of the sand castles at the powerful waves! ~Mehmet Murat Ildan I love birds. I like watching them fly in and out to my birdfeeder. I like it when one of them comes close to my window to perch on the windowsill. I like …
Country Talk
One of the things that’s good when I go to the Kentucky Appalachian Mountains for a story or when I stay in a rural area is that I can let my characters talk country. That’s pretty easy for me since I talk country. Many of the things you might have heard in the hills of Eastern Kentucky back some years …
Sometimes Mysteries Can Be Solved
The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. ~Henry Miller Okay, I love those of you who think I am so tricky that I would never put up a mystery picture that was easy to solve. Sigh. It turns out some mysteries aren’t as …
A Mystery Can Befuddle Us
“The eye is always caught by light, but shadows have more to say.” — Gregory Maguire The first mystery picture has come and tickled the imaginations of many of you. The popular guess was some sort of fabric like a rug, a blanket, a towel, something crocheted, even a couch cover, or a hot pad to set a dish on. …
Editing Then and Now
I’m on to the next step for my work in progress. That’s how it can be for a writer. While one book has just come out for readers. a writer is often putting the finishing touches on a new story. That’s how it was for me with The Song of Sourwood Mountain releasing three weeks ago on May 7th while …
A Day with Avid Readers on Instagram
On Thursday, I had the fun chance to take over the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction Instagram page for a day. Sort of a writer for the day. I shared about my writing with an emphasis on my new book, The Song of Sourwood Mountain. I had earlier been interviewed on Writer’s Desk. You can check out that interview post …
Playing Catch-Up
My theory on housework is, if the item doesn’t multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you? ~Erma Brombeck The last few weeks have been a little busy for me. Well, maybe a lot busy. Whenever I say that I always remember this quote I came across a few …










