I spent a “girls day out” yesterday with my cousin Linda, and we ventured out of Pennsylvania down to Delaware to visit Winterthur, the historic estate that was once the home of the DuPont family. The house, all 175 rooms of it, is now a museum, primarily devoted to American furniture and household art. WeContinue reading “Life is in the Strangeness and the Details”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
This is Not a Book Review
I am currently caught up in reading The Lost Ones, a new novel by Ace Atkins. It was not a book I picked up by choice; I am reading it to review for Suspense Magazine. After the first couple of pages I was sure I wouldn’t like it. It’s set in rural Mississippi. The mainContinue reading “This is Not a Book Review”
What Makes a Good Book?
Besides writing and editing, I spend a lot of time reading. I review novels for Suspense Magazine, and just finished judging books for a contest put on by Oklahoma Romance Writers. I also try to read books that I choose myself, just for enjoyment. What makes a good book? For me, a good book isContinue reading “What Makes a Good Book?”
Sequel to “The Gate House”
I just got the news today that I will be offered a contract for publication of the sequel to “The Gate House,” tentatively titled “Lydia’s Story.”Nara Blake, the main character from “The Gate House,” moves on to new adventures in the next book, when she is given the diaries that belonged to her great-grandmother LydiaContinue reading “Sequel to “The Gate House””
One Out and One on the Way
Now that “The Gate House” is available again, as both as e-book and in print, I am turning my attention the my next book, tentatively titled “Lydia’s Story.” The manuscript is finished, and I am hoping to have news about a publisher soon. I describe “Lydia’s Story” as a sequel/prequel to “The Gate House.” ItContinue reading “One Out and One on the Way”
Is it good to take a break from writing?
I traveled to Chicago last week-end to be involved in one of my other loves — singing. With rehearsals close to eight hours a day, there was little time for writing. I managed a few lines in my journal before gong to sleep, but that was all. But did I forget about writing? No. IContinue reading “Is it good to take a break from writing?”
Still Pretending
I became a writer because I love to pretend. I was an only child until I was almost five, and we lived on a farm seven miles from a town nobody (almost) has heard of. We had no TV, but we had books and I had an imagination. I often entertained myself my making upContinue reading “Still Pretending”
Missing Papayas
In my book The Gate House, the main character Nara has moved to England after growing up on a island in the Caribbean. Besides the warm weather and the ability to wear sandals everyday, Nara misses the tropical fruit. She often laments, while preparing the full English breakfast for guests at her aunt’s bed andContinue reading “Missing Papayas”
A Good Book I Read Lately
“Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it’s a letdown, they won’t buy any more. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.” MICKEY SPILLANE I am a sucker for a good mystery, especially one set in Italy. BesidesContinue reading “A Good Book I Read Lately”
Solving Mysteries at the Library
I spent yesterday afternoon hanging out with the reference librarian at Haverford Township Free Library in Pennsylvania. Although spending time at a library is not a new experience, this was a special event. As a member of Sisters in Crime, an organization that promotes writers and readers of quality crime fiction, I participated in thisContinue reading “Solving Mysteries at the Library”