Writing Obituaries
My 102-year-old cousin died last week. She was the sort of old person I aspire to be. At 97, she decided her walk-up apartment and cooking and cleaning for herself …
New Digs
Welcome to my website. I’ve left some of my very old blog posts here for continuity, but all the non-blog information on these pages is current and up-to-date. As I …
Hello from Scotland
By this time of night, my body still reminds me that it started the wake-up process at 4am thanks to minor lingering jet lag, so this will just be a …
Scotland Research Trip
This Friday, I depart for a research trip in Scotland. Much of it will be family-history related, but not all, and I’m excited about the other parts, too. Two years …
On Writer’s Block
I’ll let you in on a secret: I haven’t written a word in two months. This is a highly unusual state of affairs for me. Even when the words aren’t …
Mastering Writing Craft?
I was skimming through a bunch of blog posts recently, and came across one that said an unnamed “famous” writer had mastered his craft and no longer needed editorial help. …
Three Things on a Friday Afternoon
This topic came up in a random conversation the other day, and I thought it was a fun one to put on the blog, mostly because I’d really love to …
Catching up on Links
Today is one of those rare days when I’m taking an hour to catch up on reading all the cool links I’ve clicked through to and left sitting open on …
Women's Fiction: Your Favourite Quiet Reads
I write what are typically called “quiet books”, women’s fiction with character-driven stories about relationships and the choices we make and human emotions and all that good stuff. Not surprisingly, …
Stopping to Listen
I’m not writing today. I’m tempted. I have a story that’s been talking to me for a couple of weeks now, asserting itself with scene ideas when I’m trying to …