1920 On my thirteenth birthday everything changed. I was up and out early to check my trap lines. The air was full of the sounds and smells of spring: the sweet scent of Ma’s favorite purple lilacs, the sing-song warble of mating orioles. My overalls were soaked to the knees from walking through the hay … Continue reading Teaser: Chapter 1 of “Hope”
Book Review: “Winter Loon” by Susan Bernhard
It was the title that snared me. Ever since I first heard a loon call across a mountain lake, I’ve loved them. It’s a haunting sort of sound that catches you off guard at first but quickly becomes a welcoming call. And haunting is exactly what “Winter Loon” is. Fifteen-year-old Wes Ballot’s mother swears she … Continue reading Book Review: “Winter Loon” by Susan Bernhard
Editing Woes
I’ve just completed the umpteenth edit of Hope and I’m wondering: What more will it take to make this novel publish-worthy? According to my betas and developmental editor I’m getting closer. “Readers want a protagonist who takes charge, who wins against all odds,” is what I’m told. But that’s not what life was like in … Continue reading Editing Woes
Book Review: The Puzzlemaker by Brian Christopher
George Withers is happy with his reclusive life, comfortable living alone in his boyhood home with his collection of intricate puzzle boxes. On weekdays he shuts himself inside his tiny office at the Times where he creates the cryptic crosswords that are the bane of puzzle solvers throughout London. It’s a job he’s been … Continue reading Book Review: The Puzzlemaker by Brian Christopher
My Love-Hate Relationship With Writing
Authors: How many times have you wanted to chuck this whole writing thing? C’mon now, I see you hiding in the corner. Fess up. Maybe it’s the bleak weather, but right now anything to do with writing is the last thing I want to do. Writing has become a chore instead of a passion. Having … Continue reading My Love-Hate Relationship With Writing
Book Review: “Side by Side” and “Becoming Bonnie” by Jenni L.Walsh
Bonnie and Clyde: the gangster and his moll. The nearly two-year crime spree that captured the country’s attention. The bitter end in a hail of gunfire. We’ve all heard the story, watched the movies, maybe even fantasized a glamorous life on the run. But really—who was Bonnie Parker? In Side by Side and Becoming Bonnie, … Continue reading Book Review: “Side by Side” and “Becoming Bonnie” by Jenni L.Walsh
Writing Prompts and Where They Lead You
It's funny where a writing prompt may lead you. The prompt that resulted in the following excerpt suggested I write about something in which I have expertise. But what emerged (don't ask me how) was this story. Not only do I not have any expertise in the subject, I also have no experience in the … Continue reading Writing Prompts and Where They Lead You
