But, What To Do?

What to do about the weather? Live with it and adjust as best I can. Today, for example, the thermometer is at an unbelievable -2 degrees. So, on such a morning, a hot cup of Folgers is at hand, you can be sure. In looking at past posts, I came across one from a few […]

To Make a Book

To Make a Book

If you haven’t yet made a book, you should try it. It’s a fun, rewarding activity. I suppose, in a way, journals qualify. After all, the covers are there, but the pages are blank. It’s up to the writer to fill in those blanks with words. Children love making books. In kindergarten, we made dinosaur […]

Building a Mystery

As you know, the protagonist in the Ned McNeil full moon mysteries is interested in old houses and even joined a group in town called the Old Houses Club. A lovely old house in South Carolina was fascinating enough to include it in my book. I changed it a bit and didn’t mention its name. […]

So, That’s the Reason

I sometimes ponder this question: why do I write? Writing takes up hours, days, weeks, months of my life. Writing is pouring my heart and soul into the life of my characters. It is taking words and forming them into a person. But then  (and this is the best part) using only words to make that […]

Catalpa

One night in Oklahoma, several years ago a strong wind came through. Oklahoma’s winds are not to be trifled with and this one was no exception. It wasn’t a twisting, swirling wind of a tornado, but a straight, hard one that blew over a huge catalpa tree that had stood in my parents’ back yard […]

The Raven’s Long Shadow

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.” – Edgar Allan Poe.    Long ago, I memorized The Raven. I was fortunate […]