Stern, Thorough, Memorable

Stern, Thorough, Memorable

He was stern, thorough, and I still remember him after a distance of several decades. He was a short man, fairly round with a thatch of white hair. He was born and raised in England and he spoke with a British accent. His name was Mr. Stone. He was my first piano teacher. Every week, […]

When Winter Was Memorable

When Winter Was Memorable

It’s cold this morning. You may live in parts of the world where twenty-three degrees would be considered a heat wave, but I’m not. I live in NW Arkansas and it’s cold! Rain that surely must be ice is on the streets, a dusting of snow like spilled flour, drifts across grass and pavement. I […]

Famous First Lines

When you pick up a book, what attracts you first? The cover picture or do you open to the first page and read the first line? Here are the first lines from each of my seven books, The Darcy and Flora series and the Ned McNeil series. The third Ned book, Moonstruck and Murderous, is not […]

Moonlight Can Be MIghty Mysterious

Moonlight Can Be MIghty Mysterious

Snowlight from below, moonlight from above made a fairyland of the street, turning it into a silent, shimmering, unfamiliar place. It was like a pathway to tomorrow or, maybe, to yesterday, away from the mundane into the marvelous. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see an elf or a leprechaun dancing from tree shadow to […]

Possibilities in Two Tiny Hands

Possibilities in Two Tiny Hands

It has been a long time since my son was born, and even a lot of years since my grandchildren were born, but I still remember the anticipation as we waited to see whether we’d have a girl or a boy. Then, what would that child be, his special talents and likes and dislikes? This […]

Spring or Winter or Something Else?

Spring or Winter or Something Else?

Yesterday the temperature was not bad; it was windy, sort of like spring. Last night, a noisy thunderstorm blew in and now? Snow! The yards are covered with white. Will it continue? Only time will tell. It’s interesting to watch and snow always makes things prettier. It also makes driving more treacherous. Nemo left little […]