historical fiction writer, amateur photographer, retired computer guru and math geek
This past week's weather has been Mother Nature's annual teaser. Deep in our hearts we know it can't last. And it won't. But oh how I wish she would make an exception this year! Even as I write this, temperatures are predicted to plunge and snow is in the forecast.Mother Nature, it's been a hard … Continue reading Has Spring Sprung?
I enjoy reading (and writing) historical fiction and, although I don't have the chops to write mystery, I love a good who-done-it. The Heron Legacy, by Leona Francombe is an exceptional example of both. As a teenager, Charles de la Fontaine loves spending summers with his uncle Theodore, a noted teacher and historian, at Antioch … Continue reading Book Review: “The Heron Legacy,” by Leona Francombe
A long, long time ago (or so it seems) we had winters that started in October and ended around April Fool's Day. With LOTS of snow. Living 20 miles or so from Lake Ontario almost always guarantees that. But lately, that hasn't been so. Call it global warming if you will. Last winter we had … Continue reading A Winter to Remember
Yes, Napoleon is a character in Nostalgia. Yes, he was my ancestor. An yes, that was his name. Go figure. In Nostalgia, Napoleon is Jim's cousin (in real life they were not related) The fictional Napoleon lives next door to Jim. His father, Isaac, is a veteran of the Mexican Wars and a raging alcoholic, … Continue reading Napoleon Bonaparte Drown
I am way overdue for a Nostalgia teaser, so let's talk about Peleg. Captain/Major Peleg Anthony is Jim's nemesis, and he represents the larger antagonistic force of the US Military in the Civil War which refused to recognize PTSD--what they called "nostalgia"--as a legitimate disorder. Back then, men who exhibited signs of "battle fatigue", both … Continue reading “Nostalgia” update
Okay, I admit it. I wouldn’t have read The Circle of Ceridwen if I hadn't seen it offered as a freebie. But I downloaded it, and I read it, and now I'm hooked. Only eleven more books in the series! Of course I am an historical fiction freak, and I do especially love British historical … Continue reading Book Review: “The Circle of Ceridwen” by Octavia Randolph
I don't often think about my brother, Al. He was four years younger than I, in high school when I married and moved to Texas. But as I thought about the book review I planned to post this week, I realized that today--Sunday, December 22--would have been Al's 68th birthday. Born Francis Allen Benton, he … Continue reading In Memoriam
It's a typical cold and snowy December in Central New York. Temps in the 20s and 30s during the day. We've been lucky: we've had about 4 inches of snow in the past week, but north and west of us are measuring their snow in feet, thanks to the notorious lake effect snow off Lakes … Continue reading Winter Getaway
I'm a little late, but I'd like to acknowledge some of the war veterans in my world. First and foremost, my partner, Charlie who served in the US Army from 1966-1969 and was in Vietnam for nine months. Sergeant Charles J. Crary Many of you know of my uncle, Allen Benton, the inspiration for my … Continue reading Honoring Veterans Every Day
Lana Granger is hiding a dark past: seven years ago her father murdered her mother, and Lana helped bury the body. She's changed her name, enrolled at an obscure college in upstate New York, a couple thousand miles from her home in Florida. Her father is in prison, on death row for a crime not … Continue reading Book Review: “In the Blood” by Lisa Unger
Susannah Willey Writes 