I’m sure you’ve heard the adage, “You can’t go home again.” Once I went off to college, I was forever a guest rather than a resident in my parents’ house. I know this isn’t always the way. There are many young adults who either take a while to leave the nest or return when their plans for independence don’t quite …
Location, Location, Location
Can you name what the following novels have in common? The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Of Mice and Men & Cannery Row by John Steinbeck The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins If you said they all have a …
Author, Homesteader, Entrepeneur
I am blessed to be part of a very small, but extremely talented, group of writers. Four of us make up a critique group—two fiction authors and two non-fiction authors. Wendy Cunningham is one of the non-fiction authors. Her book, What If You’re Wrong, is truly a unique work that will draw both believers and non-believers into her story. I …
Birdsongs
Our property is surrounded by natural trees—cottonwood, hackberry, sugarberry, poplar and ash (to name a few). Growth is abundant here, and from spring through fall, everything stays green. It’s a virtual nature preserve for birds. Of course, we’ve planted a few since we’ve been here, too—red maple, birch and redbud. Previous owners planted a couple crepe myrtle (closer to the …
Timing is Everything
Next month, it’ll be two years since we moved to Tennessee. Our house was built in 1994, and though its bones were good, I couldn’t wait to do some updates to make it ours. A friend once said that I like to mark my territory. Maybe a crude way of putting it, but he’s not wrong. The last owners lived …
Plot Twists
It was with a heavy heart that I stepped outside yesterday morning to work on a patch of weeds. My head was swirling with anger and despair, and I felt inadequate to process the ramifications of a country gone crazy. There is nowhere in this world that we can find truth. I don’t pay much attention to the news—don’t judge …
Blog Tour Blessings
Illusions (Apple Hill Book 2), has been on the Celebrate Lit Blog Tour since May 13th. I am incredibly grateful that my publisher grants me this opportunity whenever I have a new book release (all two times!) Unless you’re a writer, you may not understand the importance of book reviews. Amazon reigns as king for book sales, and the more …
A Little Laughter Goes a Long Way
My latest novel, Illusions, is on a blog tour with Celebrate Lit Publicity this week. As you know, the story was inspired by my daughter, Nikki. What you may not know is that Nikki also played a key role in my short story, Tread Lightly, which was published last month in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter is the best …
A New Cast of Characters
Friday was momentous for me. Not having-a-baby or buying-a-first-home momentous. Those are long-term commitments—the baby more so than the house—but long enough to keep me tied to my computer for the next few years. And because of this, I’m not sleeping much. I signed the contract for another book series, and now there are would-be characters invading my dreams, begging …
Read On for a Chance to Win the Ebook Version of Illusions
The setting of a novel is more important than you might think. I’ve read stories set in exotic locales, quaint country sides, and unique time periods (The Seamstress by Allison Pittman has all three). And though I’ve done some traveling in my life, when it came time to choose a setting for my Apple Hill Series, sentiment played a key …
