Giving Away Books

A person can only have so many books in the house, depending of course on the house and how many other people you have to make room for. Eventually, there comes a time when you have to pull a book off the shelf and consider whether it’s time to send it off to...

Where Story Ideas Come From

My friend Lorri must throw fairy dust over the creatures in her back yard, because somehow she gets them to cooperate with having their pictures taken. The squirrels in my yard shoot off as soon as they sense I might be thinking about them. Ever since I started...

Mama Says #33

Almost every Sunday while I talk to my mother, her dog, Tag, has something to say. Usually it’s not very nice. He barks because my brother moves half an inch at his desk three rooms away. He barks because my mother is paying attention to me, not to him. That dog is...

Party On

Did you see the party?! Last Tuesday, I shared a Debutante Story Soiree with novelists Katie Ganshert, Dani Pettrey and Beth Vogt. The fabulous Rel Mollet hosted our event, and Kelli Standish was amazing in her role of technical coordination. We had a blast! Four...

What Color Is Joy?

I was rather hoping for a better show from my irises. Some years they burst forth faster than I can count the blooms. Not this year. Five blooms, and I don’t see any more hopeful stems. I’m sure a better gardener than I—a real one, for instance—could explain the...