Be the author, not the reader, of your life.
A flash fiction story (1,000 words) I wrote for NYC Midnight this weekend. My assignment was a fantasy story with a sword and a boat parade. I had a blast writing this one. The muskrats live happily on the banks of the Tumbly River until the beavers arrive. Hamish MuskGregor decides he will not leave…
59 total views, 2 views today
Check out my interview on Bryan Nowak’s All Things Writing Podcast. 333 total views, 1 views today
333 total views, 1 views today
Today, I was interviewed by podcaster and horror writer, Bryan Nowak, on why I write cozy mysteries and why they appeal to readers. I believe that they provide a hint of comfort and restore order to the world every time an amateur sleuth solves a crime. Many of us our armchair detectives who enjoy a…
244 total views
I’ve spent the past year or more immersed in the 1920s and vaudeville while working on a historical mystery series. Everyone seems to pick their favorite era in history and for some reason, mine has always been the Roaring Twenties with the flappers, gin joints, and gangsters. What I wouldn’t give to be a gangster’s…
553 total views, 2 views today
On October 28, 1920, the United States was preparing for a presidential election. It was also the first time women would have the opportunity to vote in an election. Thank goodness we had mansplaining even then to guide us on how to vote. The Danville Daily Messenger from central Kentucky explaining how the ballot would…
560 total views, 5 views today
I love to craft. I crochet, spin yarn, weave, make stuff… My creations don’t always turn out, but they satisfy my need for a creative outlet I often use the repetitiveness of crochet and spinning to brainstorm ideas for my novels or my plan to take over the world. While not everyone wants to write…
470 total views
Yes, I do talk to myself, and no, I don’t answer. Well, let me clarify. This Friday’s writing tip is to read your writing aloud. When I finished my historic mystery novel this year and started the editing process, I read every word. Out loud. I read it aloud to myself (and the two JRTs…
401 total views, 2 views today
This image appeared on the front page of the Abilene Daily Record on November 11,1918. World War I ended and the nation worked to recover. The generation who came of age during World War I and into the Roaring Twenties was often called the Lost Generation because they tended to act recklessly. Hedonism and accumulation…
383 total views, 2 views today
This past month I’ve been teaching research to fourth and fifth graders. I have each of them choosing a topic they have a passion for (sports, social issue, art, etc.), and then they learn more about their topic using the internet, databases, and books. Their final project must be a creative representation and two minute…
438 total views, 5 views today
