I am humbled. And charmed. It is a good combination, especially around the holidays. Let me start at the beginning: I found a box of oracle blessing cards. There were forty-six in a box and I thought wouldn’t it be fun to offer them to my newsletter friends—the Max Pack—during this season of light and love. I…
I had an editor who felt that trilogies were the perfect size for readers. There was enough time to become involved in the lives of the characters without the relationship between book and reader becoming a bit loopy. She believed readers wandered off if the interconnected story lines went on and on too long. What…
Words rule my life. I understand their power to persuade, to elevate, to devalue, and to heal. They can make me feel as if I am not alone. They allow others to share their insight and wisdom. They help me define my feelings. They become a touchstone. This poem by Donna Ashworth titled “Loss” is…
“Creativity is a tribal experience.” Julia Cameron You want to write. You do write. You spend hours writing . . . but you don’t seem to move forward. You don’t know if what you write is good. One moment you think you are brilliant, and in the next, untalented. And then there this whole business side to…
Have you noticed how many romances deal with siblings of the same sex? And how, when the siblings are all sisters things can be . . . complicated? Or perhaps it is just me. I come from a family where all the children were female. My sisters and I treated our father very well and were close…
This is a proud mama post combined with some there-are-no-coincidences post. My son Andrew is an artist whose work celebrates nature. He creates pieces that honor mountains, skies, capstone, insects and animals, plus pieces celebrating various states. He even throws in a flower every once in awhile. www.naturaltribute.com Now for the story: During the pandemic, Andrew ended…
Most of us are keenly aware of when we feel powerless. It is usually when life upsets us, when we feel we have lost control, when we start to be overwhelmed or even defeated. But most of us, especially myself, ignore what is in our power—where I can act on my behalf for what I want. Ironic, isn’t it? I have a keen…
Austin has a new wine bar—Vintage Books and Wine www.vintagebooksandwine.com It couldn’t be more perfect for me (and you, too, I think). They have wine, a great atmosphere, wine, a good selection of romances, and wine. All books on the shelves are trade paperbacks or hardcovers so my mass market sized books weren’t available. However, they had an…
I first met Kathy at a Kansas book group. I’d been invited to speak and, boom! Just like that, a friendship started. Every time I am in Kansas, Kathy comes to see me. We laugh, we catch up, and she takes a picture of us holding previous year pictures. It is our inside joke and then we laugh about…
I heard growling from my living room today. Tess, who NEVER growls, was focused on the top of the Christmas tree. Apparently, after several days of my newly acquired sequined and beaded stuffed owl being perched there, Tess noticed it. The offending critter. At first, she acted as if one of the wild birds I feed in…