With the advent of email, FaceTime, Facebook and other social media—the practice of mailing Christmas cards to family and friends has slowed. Or stopped. I can keep in touch with folks I haven’t seen in years simply by clicking my Facebook Timeline. But it doesn’t matter. I continue to write and send an annual newsletter […]
The Annual Christmas Letter: A Family Tradition Read More »
It’s popular to give thanks this time of year. I’m thankful for the basics—God, country, and my health. I’m especially happy for family—a husband who’s put up with me for almost twenty married years. I give thanks for two wonderful children and two wonderful stepchildren, who have given us a total of TEN grandchildren, all
My Thanksgiving Blessings Read More »
Third time’s the charm! Writing a novel takes a little bit of talent, but a lot of practice. Critique partners, beta readers, and a good editor can provide feedback to make a book better. But, sometimes because the novelist simply gets better by writing more, she can see ways to improve the original text. That’s
Betting on Love gets another makeover Read More »
Why do we love the legendary American cowboy? Answer: Because he (or she) is who we want to be. Real cowboys (and cowgirls like Annie Oakley) became romanticized in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, because the public admired the qualities they represented. A book by Duncan Emrich entitled Folklore in the American Land lists these
American Cowboy, the Legend Read More »
I once received a fan letter (yes, I do have a few fans) that said, “I really appreciate the fact that you have written a book about a woman in my age group.” As Baby Boomers retire, they have more free time. And I contend that women readers of romance enjoy books about women like
Writing books for my age group Read More »
First shared in the Gems in the Attic blog, Friday, July 14, 2017. Now I’m blogging at Romance Gems. Novel writers are told to “write what you know.” I suppose that’s why I write books set in Kentucky and enjoyed my vacation last summer to Montana where I visited the setting of my Montana McKenna
Write what you know, they say Read More »
Did you hear? Twenty-three bestselling, award-winning authors have started # RomanceGems, a new blog that opens Feb. 1, Friday. There are #giveaways all month long. Drop by & visit us on Friday. My blog date is the 7th of each month. For now, you can watch this introductory video.
Romance authors start new blog with Rafflecopter Giveaway – #romancegems Read More »
This blog was originally posted October 17, 2013. I made a few changes to update it. I’m reposting because it’s something I need to remind myself all the time. It’s easy to get discouraged as you live your life. If you are a writer whose goal is to publish, your life may be filled with
Back in the day, I sold my first book to Kensington for their Precious Gems line. It was a book I’d worked on for a few years, revised, cut out 30,000 words, and submitted. After that sale, I wrote another book, hoping to sell it to Precious Gems. I did! The Kensington editor named it
Looking Back and Forward: Relaunching the Bluegrass Reunion Series Read More »
It’s been fifty years. I missed my high school reunion this year, but I received the directory of classmates that the reunion committee put together. Near the back, someone had summarized the major events of our senior year: “1968 in the United States was marked by several major historical events. It is often considered to
