Dear Readers, we’re less than three weeks away from the official launch of Walnut Street: Phantom Rider on November 9. Here are two more excepts to whet your reading appetite! From Chapter 19, “Papa Mayfield’s Claim” The detectives, the sheriff, and the Mayfield parents search the Phantom Rider’s room in the Rainbow Flats Hotel. …
Hi, Readers, Excerpts continue as we anticipate the release of Walnut Street: Phantom Rider! From Chapter 17, “Dangerous Barn Talk” The six detectives arrived back at the ranch after a productive investigation of Rainbow Flats. Gracie decided to attend to her sticker collection book and headed for the barn’s hayloft, her favorite spot for…
Hello, Movie Lovers! One of my favorite pastimes is watching movies from and studying the history and bios of The Golden Age of Hollywood. As you might guess, I have a book collection to nurture my hobby. There is something timeless and enchanting for me about Hollywood movies from the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s. Many…
Dear Kids and All Readers, For many, summertime is ICE CREAM time. But did you know that the frozen treat has an interesting history? Kathleen Kalb from Facebook’s Cozy Mystery Village (of which I’m a villager) posted some fun historical facts about how ice cream came to be. She got the information from #goodreads in…
Dear Kids and All Readers, Somewhere, in nearly every work of fiction, you’ll find a little piece of the author’s life–added with tongue in cheek or, possibly, to cement the object or idea in immortality. This addition could be something significant like a character’s name, personality trait, or journey, mirroring the author’s. But it could…
Dear Readers, I had the privilege of watching a thought-provoking Zoom symposium today, sponsored in part by the San Diego Public Library Foundation and the Robert Frost Society. It was entitled A Symposium on Poetry and Power: An Online Screening of the Documentary Film, JFK: The Last Speech. Featured were President John F. Kennedy giving…
Dear Kids and All Readers, I just approved the final color version for the cover of Walnut Street: Phantom Rider, Book 3 in my Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries series, launching November 9. I must say that it’s stunning! The cover is being finalized by Dane, designer from eBook Launch, who has done the covers for my…
Hello, Kids and all Readers, I have just returned from Virginia where I helped welcome and care for my second grandchild–a baby boy, this time. Whoohoo! My daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, granddog, and I welcomed Baby Flynn on May 29. He’s a happy, healthy little guy who already has us wrapped around his tiny fingers and…
We’ve arrived at the fifth and final installment of my Post-Pandemic Keeper Habits. Last time, I discussed “Remain Good Friends with my House.” Here is Number Five: 5. Embrace the Writerly Solitude. I have gotten comfortable with the stereotypically solitary writer, holed up at my desk, with my dog and my house cheering me on. Ever hear…
I present to you the fourth installment of my Post-Pandemic Keeper Habits. Last time, I discussed #3, “Revamp the Exercise Routine.” Here comes Number Four: 4. Remain Good Friends with my House. I’ve loved living in my nearly one-hundred-year-old house for three decades. But did I really know it down to its nooks, crannies, and floor…
