historical fiction writer, amateur photographer, retired computer guru and math geek
Marketing can be the toughest part of writing, especially since so many authors are introverts. In the past couple of years, I've done a few book talks and two book fairs and maybe--just maybe--I'm getting comfortable with it. I'm signed up for an authors and crafters show in August and an author meet and greet … Continue reading Getting Out of My Cave
With my first draft of Nostalgia sent out to beta readers, I can finally take a breath and get caught up on my blog by writing a book review, specifically a review of Verity by Colleen Hoover. The story starts when Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling young novelist, is hired to complete the best-selling series written … Continue reading Coming Up For Air
For those of you who wonder where I've been the past few weeks (Hell-o-o-o! Anybody?) I'm hard at work trying to finish a solid draft of Nostalgia and send it out to my beta readers. I promise I'll be back soon. If you'd by chance like to be a beta reader (that means you read … Continue reading Hiatus
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
Susannah Willey Writes 