Not everything in my life revolves around writing, and this past weekend is a prime example. We had guests from Junìn de los Andes in Patagonia, Argentina. They arrived via bicycle. That’s not an unusual occurrence for us—we are hosts for an organization called Warm Showers whose members volunteer to host touring cyclists for a … Continue reading Warm Showers

If you’re a part of the writing community, you’ve probably heard the term “beta reader.” What’s that, you say? Beta readers are part of the writing process. Let’s start from the beginning: When you finish that first rough (and awful!) draft, the rule of thumb is to set it aside for a few weeks, then … Continue reading Beta Me This

I’ve decided I’ve done all I can with Hope. I’m driving myself crazy trying to make it perfect and at this point I’m afraid I may be making things worse instead of better, so after a couple of weeks of self-cajoling I have started querying agents. Tally three weeks in: 10 queries sent, 5 responses … Continue reading Querying

We’ve been exploring Ireland these past couple of weeks, a somewhat leisurely tour of the Emerald Isle starting in Dublin on the first of October. Three days in Dublin where we took a walking tour and a bus tour along with wandering the streets on our own. Then a train ride across to the west … Continue reading Ireland: Beauty and Bitterness

Even though we celebrated three days ago, today is the traditional celebration of what was once known as "Decoration Day." My grandfather used that term, and it aptly fit our task of decorating the graves of soldiers and family. The holiday originated in Waterloo, New York, a village near where I live and adjacent to the … Continue reading Memorial Day