The Canebrake Don’t ever go into the canebrake at night When the wind is wild and the moon shines bright. When the birds are still and the river moans, And the cane stalks rattle like old, dry bones. You might encounter an Anjeofust, A strange, weird critter the color of dust, Or a Benleeb or […]

Was It That Old Moon?
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 […]

Kin and Shirttail Kin
Ancestors are fascinating people. You have them. I have them. Each ancestor has a story and, from their stories, we arrive and write our own stories to pass on. These people are our kinfolk, but then, there are shirttail kin. These are the people who are related to our relatives and who narrowly miss being […]

I Heard a Little Voice
I talk to the characters in my books. They have personalities and minds of their own. Sometimes, it’s a struggle to decide which would fit best in the story I’m writing–my thoughts or my character’s. Usually, my character is right. Me: Ned, I don’t believe you would go off hunting for an Indian message tree […]

Don’t Get Ahead of Yourself
Don’t get ahead of yourself. Have you ever heard that phrase? I’ve been thinking a lot about it this morning. To me, it means thinking or fearing something may be true or will happen. It’s easy to over-think, to wonder and worry, not only about the future, but about what’s happening right now! Americans haven’t […]


