Dear Readers of Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets, Thank you so much for taking your time, effort, and money to get your hands on a copy of my debut Middle Grade book! Some of you have also been so kind as to review it on Amazon and/or GoodReads. (It’s not too late–hint, hint! https://amzn.to/3ad9T6T and https://goodreads.com/book/show/46306620-nutmeg-street).…
Dear Readers, Today, I want to share with you how I came up with the primary settings in Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets. My story takes place in the Pacific coastal resort town of Las Palmitas (“the little palm trees”). It is a quainter, much less populated version of palm-filled San Diego, California, USA, where I grew…
Dear Readers and Loyal Newsletter Subscribers, Drum roll, please! . . . We are on the brink of the release on FEBRUARY 1 of Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets, Book 1 in my Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries series! At this time, I would like to share with you what motivated me way back in 2013–and still motivates me–to…
Dear Readers and Other Visionaries, To clarify, the only time I have 2020 vision is while wearing my eyeglasses! Actually, that’s not even the kind of vision I mean here. I’m talking about my vision for the New Year, appropriately, 2020. Some might call a vision a resolution or goal, but I prefer vision in…
Dear Readers and Holiday Revelers, There is nothing quite like a great book to relax by the fireside during the holidays. My recommendation is A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens (1812-1870), with the unforgettable character Ebenezer Scrooge. (You can get the eBook on Amazon Kindle for $0.99. The Audible version is available for free. Wow! Merry…
Dear Kids and all Writers, Need inspiration for writing? Check out this true story . . . As I was decorating my home for the holidays recently, my mind transported me back to the late 1990s. My daughter was in high school then. Despite it being a weekend that December day and so close to…
Dear Readers of All Ages, You’ve probably heard the term or maybe even the song, “Pennies from Heaven.” The pennies represent unexpected good fortune or a windfall. Yesterday, I received dollars from Heaven. Emphasis on “Heaven.” I was at the check-out counter in a grocery store where I seldom shop. I had never signed up for…
Dear Kids and All Readers, The season when many of us focus more intently on our blessings has arrived. Years ago, when I was still a classroom teacher and raising a child, I taught my students and my daughter the value of saying thank you, especially for gifts they receive at this time of year…
Dear Readers, Classroom Teachers, Reading Specialists, Librarians, Audiophiles, and Others, I have spent some time this week listening to voices. No, not the ones in my head! Rather, these are voice snippets from ACX, a company that produces audiobooks. Having listened to over 150 samples, I have narrowed my search down to about seven for…
Dear Readers and Other Heartthrobs, As I write this, it’s November 11th, the 25th Anniversary of my successful open-heart surgery! It was a six-hour, critical operation that repaired a too-long-undiagnosed congenital birth abnormality called “atrial septal defect.” You might know this as “a hole in the heart.” Basically, all those years, my heart had no…
