Sometimes the cacophony of life in my mind drowns out the voices of my characters, and I cannot write no matter how hard I try. This is a very stressful thing when you are trying to finish a book. I sit in front of a blank page and will the words to appear, but nothing…
Entertainment / Family / Friends / General / Inspirations / Life / Literature / Writing / Writing
This weekend, the first weekend in every October, is the Georgia Romance Writers annual conference, Moonlight and Magnolias. What a wonderful way to recharge those “writing batteries!” I bet if any one of you were there, you would want to run home ASAP and begin your own story, whether it is a romance or not.…
My son, Brian, is moving out on Sunday. He is an adult, setting out on the journey that will be his life. He is going to Nashville, Tennessee, where he will begin the MNPD Academy on October 16. He is going where I cannot go, where I have never been. Be well, my son, and…
General / History / Inspirations / Life / Travel
Before our trip down the Rhine, I had never internalized the real impact of World War II on Europe.I knew the standard history taught to every American child, plus a few stories from my father about that time in his life in Nashville, Tennessee, on the other side of the globe from the actual battlefields.…
Education / General / Life / Obsession of the Week / Parapro
“We’re all in our places With bright, shining faces.” And so a new school year begins. If you want to know where I have been and what has happened to my travelogue, my writing, and my enthusiasm for television and movies, look no farther than the elementary school where I now share responsibility for…
Come and board this ship with me. It is like stepping into a cozy palace, the bright sunlight streaming in through myriad glass walls, giving the impeccably polished brass and flawlessly clean floor a magical glow, while the warm woods and comfortable furnishings invite you to sit with your feet up and stay a while.…
Yes, the love of my life took me there. Years ago, after seeing the ads on Downton Abbey, I mentioned to Steve (husband) that I would like to do a Viking River Cruise. So what happens? We take a Viking River Cruise. Is he the best or what? On June 29 we settled into the…
So here’s the thought process: A friend recommended I change the name “Maisie” of Maisie’s List to something a little easier on the ear. Viewing a list of popular names around 1980, when the character was born, I came across “Christy.” I have a friend named Christy whom I love a lot, and who serves…
Just got off the phone with AT&T, and I need an attitude adjustment. Enjoy! From Emil, the humor master: Do Dogs go to Heaven? Hysterical! Absolutely unreal that this actually happened! These two churches face each other across a busy street.
Welcome to a new day! The news would have us believe that the world is on fire and there is terror and despair in every corner. This is not true. It has never been true. The world is a wonderful, beautiful place, and there are far more good people than bad. I sat in the…
I always worry that my novels are too short. Soul Lost is my longest at 81,000 words, but Megan is much shorter, only 47,000. A book that has not yet seen the light of day, The People of the Green Hills, is more epic in my mind, but on paper it is only 67,000 words.…
One of the things I love about my sons as adults is that they are now the teachers, and I truly enjoy learning from them. Currently my younger son is teaching me about alternative rock, and I’m loving it. Context: I’m working on a new book with a working title of “Maisie’s List.” The protagonist is…
