Dear Readers, Today, June 23, 2022, is the twenty-fifth anniversary of my father’s passing. I am especially missing him today. My dad, Donald Johns, was born and raised in North Dakota in a little farming town called Wing, near Bismarck. The northern winters aggravated his asthma so badly, he missed much school. So, in 1930,…
Dear KIds, Authors, and All Readers, Today, I’d like to share a tidbit from my upcoming Book 4, Saffron Street: Island Danger. It releases this fall. We authors often borrow from our own real-life experiences to bolster our storytelling. I am no exception. Here is the backstory behind the story: First, the story: In Book 4, Botanic Hill…
Dear Kids and All Readers, Are you altruistic? Kids, in case that’s a new word for you, please allow me to become Lanny the Lexicon for a moment and define it for you: Altruism (noun) means being generous; volunteering; helping others–one or more people, animals, or organizations–without expecting anything in return. Altruism is a good deed…
Dear Kids and All Readers, Did you know that Friday, May 13, 2022, was the only Friday the 13th this year? Years that have 365 days and begin on a Saturday will have only one Friday the 13th. 2022 meets those criteria. Our next Friday the 13th won’t happen until January 2023. What’s the big…
Dear Readers, My research for Book 5, Jacaranda Street: Gravestone Image, continues as I seek “the real” Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). I plan to spin a mystery around some aspect of Poe’s life, but the story will be set in present day California. What I have discovered to date is that Poe used his writing…
Dear Kids and All Readers, Those of you who have ever lost a beloved pet will likely understand my blog today. As I grieve my precious dog Jimmy Lambchop’s passing on March 23, I am even more appreciative of the kindness of friends at this time. Recently in the mail arrived a wonderful gift and…
Dear Kids, English Teachers, Librarians, Playgoers, and All Readers, Sometime between April 23 and 26, the “Bard of Avon,” William Shakespeare, was born in 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. The exact day of his birth is not known, but his baptism was recorded in the Parish Register of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford on Wednesday, April…
Dear Readers, As I mentioned in my April 14th blog, my research for Book 5, Jacaranda Street: Gravestone Image, has begun. It will be mystery spun from some aspect of American writer Edgar Allan Poe’s life but set in present day California. He is arguably best known for his poem “The Raven” (1845). I hope…
Dear Readers, As of today, April 14, my Book 4, Saffron Street: Island Danger, is off to the editor! That means many things, but for this moment, it allows me to start thinking about Book 5. My next Botanic Hill Detectives mystery will have a problem wrapped around a long-deceased woman and the American poet,…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, If you read my blogs or my March 31st newsletter, you know that on March 23, my sweet dog, Jimmy Lambchop, passed away. It’s been two weeks and one day since that horrible event. Those of you who have lost a beloved pet know what I’m experiencing: the too-quiet house,…
