A great history trivia question would be: Where did George W. Polk come up with name Rattle and Snap for his plantation? It just doesn’t seem to fit with the opulent time period or majestic mansion. If you’re curious, continue reading and I’ll enlighten you! Where most of these plantations are in well-known areas such as Franklin, Nashville, or Murfreesboro, …

One of the first plantations on my to-tour list was The Carnton Plantation. You would think it was named for its original owner, but that wasn’t the case. This historic house and museum, located in Franklin, Tennessee, was built by Randal McGavock who emigrated from Virginia in 1796 and settled in Nashville. I suppose even back then it was quite …

When I became a middle school teacher, I discovered very quickly that I learned more from teaching a subject than most of my students. Of course, eighth graders aren’t known for their hunger of knowledge—especially U.S. history. But this same holds true for my delving into the plantations of Middle Tennessee. In researching the Belmont Mansion (aka Acklen Hall and …

Welcome back. Today’s plantation has an unusual name, and from everything I’ve read, no one is sure how it came about. It’s the Rippavilla, and is located in Spring Hill, which is slightly southwest of Nashville. Built in 1855, this was the home of Nathaniel and Susan Cheairs. Here is a little interesting tidbit—Nathaniel was the youngest of ten children …

To kick off the release for my newest novel Shadow Dancing, I’m going to highlight a different Middle Tennessee Plantation over the next seven days. Even though my novels are in the contemporary genre, I think the rich Civil War history of this area is fascinating. You may recall that when Book 1 in my Bedford County Series released last …

If you would like the following discussion questions in a Word document to print at home, email me and I will be happy to send it to you!     Discussion Questions for Shadow Dancing What do you think of the book’s title? How does it relate to the story? If you were going to choose a different title, what …

  One of the main themes in Shadow Dancing is the struggle for main character Rebekah Casey to forgive her husband Mitch. I won’t tell you why, because it would be a major spoiler alert. In light of this, I thought it would be appropriate to a devotional on forgiveness for my readers. I’ve not only videotaped myself reading it …

As an author, I often use things from my past to give deeper meaning to my stories. In Illusions, the entire TBI/hospital experience was taken straight from my journals as I walked through the most terrifying experience I’d ever had with my daughter Nikki. I knew firsthand the steps from coma to rehabilitation because I lived it. In Night Songs, …

I know of writers who have every scene laid out before they ever start working on a novel—they’re called Plotters. Then there are others who fly completely by the seat of their pants. I bet you can guess what they’re called. Just in case you don’t get it (or just don’t want to play the game), let me tell you—Pantsers. …