It’s been a strange winter for writing. You’d think winter time would be the best time for writing. No sunshine to beckon you outdoors to put your hands in the dirt and plant something. No Spring Fever to make you want to go fishing or clean something like windows. Unfortunately those are two fevers I never get. I’ve been fishing …
The First Valentine
Hi, everybody. Hope you’re not too stuffed with chocolate candy after Valentine’s Day yesterday. Our preacher was telling us the origin of Valentine’s Day in church today. Br. Fred says that back many moons ago, around 268 A.D. in the Roman Empire, it was decided that men should not marry before they entered the Roman army. But a priest named …
Be Mine, Valentine!
Thanks to all of you who have responded to my newsletter. I always enjoy hearing from you and knowing that you’re doing okay. And it’s great to have you putting your name in the hat for my new book give-away, Hidden, an Amish romance, by Shelley Shepard Gray, and your choice of one of my books, Orchard of Hope, Summer …
Common Sense Dancing
The weathermen were right. The mercury in the thermometer is rising and the ice is disappearing. Now all we have to worry about is the mud. At least next week. Then after that, who knows? In Kentucky you can have winter or spring all in the same week. Sometimes the same day. Keeps things interesting. I sent out a newsletter …
Home at Last with a Severe Case of Baby Withdrawal
I’m back in Kentucky. There’s still snow and ice here. In WV there was just snow. But that nice layer of ice we got first way back last week is frozen hard on the ground here in Kentucky. The roads aren’t too bad unless you get off the main roads. You know, like on the road to my house, but …
What an Honor!
I’m still excited and honored and blessed to know my book, The Outsider, is one of five finalists announced last week by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association for the 2009 Christian Book Award in Fiction. Since 1978 the Christian Book Awarde has honored titles in six categories: Bibles, Bible Reference and Study, Christian Life, Fiction, Children & Youth, and Inspirational …
Ice Is Not Nice & Surprising News
Ice is not nice. Except in a tall glass of tea or in the summer mixed with rock salt to make some creamy homemade banana ice cream. But in the middle of the winter on the trees is not nice. It’s been nasty here in Kentucky. Over 500,000 people without electricity including me for a while and my 88 year-old …
A Chocolate Eating Writer’s Muse
We’re still deep in winter here in Kentucky although we had a beautiful sunshiny day on Friday with the temps rising to near sixty. All of us started dreaming of spring to come. That’s the way it is here in this border state between north and south. Days and sometimes weeks of warmer weather can come to call, but then …
Bumpy Sledding and Writing
Hope all of you had a very good Wednesday. Halfway through the work week and on the downhill slide to Friday. I often wish I had an extra day especially when I’m getting started on a new book. Of course I took today off to spend a snow day with a couple of my grandkids. We haven’t had a lot …
A Story’s Beginning and Dog Adventures
We had a cold few days around this neck of the woods last week. Got down to 3 below, but actually didn’t feel all that bad because the wind didn’t blow much and the sun was shining brightly. The next day when it was 20 something degrees, I actually got colder when I went walking. No sun that day and …