Morning slips in on silent feet, moving through drowsy trees, stirring a leaf here and there. Within the branches of a blue spruce, something, perhaps a bird, awakens. Darkness is slow to leave; the day is loathe to begin. At last, gathering the shadows around it like a cloak, the dawn glides away, yielding to […]
Mar 18, 2021
It’s All in the Family
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I’ve heard women say, “I don’t want to become my mother as I grow older.” How sad. If someone tells me I’m like my mom, I consider it a huge compliment. My mother and I were best friends. I think you’d have liked her. If you never had that privilege, you can get just a […]
Mar 17, 2021
The Ring, Rain, and Rhododendrons
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Rain and storms are forecast for NW Arkansas and lightning flares in the distance. I’m pretty sure it is raining in Ireland, too, where St. Patrick’s Day originated. They may not have the thunder and lightning, though. While I was there, rain was sometimes hard but never stormy. Each day of my visit to Ireland […]
Mar 13, 2021
No Such Thing
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In a book, there is no such thing as unimportant characters. They are all important and crafting them is a meticulous, fun job. In the Ned McNeil cozy mystery series, Ned, of course, is the protagonist. Then, there’s Cade, Pat, and Jackie. Another person in this series who insisted that I take care to describe […]
Mar 12, 2021
Premonition
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She was a likable older woman, very rich, opinionated, out-spoken, but friendly. Not an aristocratic bone in her body. She was generous too, providing a home for her relatives who had hit some hard times. She was the kind of person you would like to see continue throughout a book of fiction, lending color and […]
Mar 11, 2021
March Madness Murders
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The book could have been called March Madness Murders and that would have fit. Instead, the title is Moonstruck and Murderous which is a good description too. But, what, exactly is “moonstruck”? Another word for moon is luna. And, from that comes lunatic. So, you get the idea. Moonstruck is a somewhat lesser way of […]
