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…
From the time they can talk, children ask a multitude of questions about the world and the people around them: Why is the sky blue? How can a tree grow from a seed? Are God and Santa Claus the same person? Around age 5, many parents hand off their children to schools for 12 years…
LADIES – WE STILL DON’T COUNT! — Sure the Church needs us to do all the grunt work, and to keep spreading the word of God — but never in any official capacity. Even the holy women who have dedicated their lives as nuns are suspect, and subject to investigation. The Pope commissioned a council…
In the three years of my grandson’s life, he’s learned to walk, talk, feed himself, get undressed, and use the toilet. He can use a pencil, build Lego structures, ride a balance bike and a three-wheeled scooter, and throw a ball. What have you learned in your last three years? “In this world you’re either…
Seeing a group of children reading a book I wrote just warms my whole heart, all the way to my toes! Cultivating a love for books and education at an early age is the surest way to make sure a student wants to continue to study, and seek a higher education, after mandatory schooling ends. At…
My parents, immigrants to the United States in the 1950s, finished their formal education in Ireland around 6th grade. It was a different time, place, and circumstance. By sixth grade, students were considered literate: most having learned to read, write, and do math. My brothers and I, just one generation removed from our parents’ school…
