I have been immersed in researching The Oregon Trail and life on the prairie in the U.S. in the mid 1800s for my next book, Pioneer Passage, coming out in December. I have been working hard, creating stories based on diaries of women traveling westward, patiently honing my tale, embroidering it with details, lost in the arduous…
After I heard a presentation by Abigail Disney [yes, a member of that Disney family], I watched a documentary she produced. Pray the Devil Back to Hell tells the story of Christian and Muslim women of Liberia who collaborated across faith traditions to pray and protest. They obtained a meeting with Charles Taylor, a warlord who was elected President of…
authors / creativity / writers
Then this is the book for you! Yup! 1850s English was a very different language from today’s conversational English. Maybe it is not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’ but I wrote my character’s dialogue as they would truly have spoken in 1850-slowly, deliberately and eloquently! It has become a truism, but the fact can’t be overstated:…
These are hot times we live in, only partially attributable to soaring temperatures. If people disagree, it’s not just a difference of opinion, they react like it’s a personal affront, spewing venom, fury, and hatred towards perceived enemies. There is more incite than insight, generating heat and anger, but not warmth or light. Reading an…
Can any of us look at ourselves in the mirror and see what it truly reflects, without our prejudice altering the image there? Do we always focus on the negative and let our eyes go to the thighs that we perceive as too big, or the ‘balcony’ that is too small? Can any of us…
Each year on July 4th, United States citizens celebrate independence. In 1776 in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress drafted and adopted a statement that we call the Declaration of Independence. The thirteen colonies announced liberation from British rule, forming what became the United States of America. But of course, you know that… The holiday inspired me…
Written by my best friend and toughest critic, Jess M. Collen. (aka ‘my first husband’) “It is ridiculous of course for a man to try writing an unbiased review of a book authored by his wife of 40 years. I have lived through the conception, research and writing process with her, with day-by-day becoming season-by-season,…
Retailers and wholesalers will be placing orders! The paperback will be released on September 9th. But I will be getting a few advanced copies and distributing them to reviewers. Calling all readers of historical fiction – in every country! I am sending advance copies of my book (both electronically and in paperback) and seeking reviewers. Let…
We pay more attention to the charge level on our portable electronic devices than we do to our own energy levels. Businesses now accommodate our fondness for phone or laptop usage: Airports have charging stations. Some aircraft have electrical outlets. Coffee shops help us stay plugged in and wired. But, how do we recharge ourselves?…
Eighty enthusiastic students peppered me with questions about the writing process last week. They were third graders at the Munger Hill Elementary School in Westfield Mass. Teacher Deb Chouinard coordinated an author visit with the rest of the third grade teaching team and I was the lucky author. My visit coincided with Mustache Day. In…
Children naturally learn some things. A baby figures out crawling, eating, and talking while older children can learn to build block towers, complete puzzles, or ride bikes. Humans have an amazing drive and capacity to learn. Oscar Wilde astutely opined: “Education is an admirable thing,” although I disagree with his conclusion: “but it is well to remember ……
Yes, it seems like a paradox, but all week I have heard stories of seemingly immutable facts suddenly changing! I was lucky enough to be invited to Harvard University’s graduation ceremonies, to celebrate my friend and co-blogger Joan’s completion of another master’s degree. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, talked about the Berlin Wall, a wall…
