Hello, All Readers, especially Educators, Families, and Kids, Feel like you’re getting hit over the head daily—maybe hourly—by social media noise, conflicting news about world events, and the rapid rise of AI? Like me, you might find yourself wondering whether the truth is actually out there. What’s real, what’s false, and what sits somewhere…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, When I was growing up, summer meant that I suddenly had more time to read. What a gift! I hope children everywhere feel the same way. My TBR pile included Nancy Drew, Phyllis A. Whitney mysteries, and a sprinkling of the Hardy Boys adventures, along with any other whodunits I…
Hello, Adult Readers, Are you aware that today, March 15, is called “The Ides of March“? So, what are “ides,” and who really cares? Well, I do, having an inquiring mind for interesting historical tidbits that my Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries might embrace! Turns out that “ides” refers to the first full moon in a…
Hello, Kids, and All Readers, Can you name all eight of Santa’s reindeer–not counting Rudolph, who is the ninth? Go ahead. I’ll wait. . . . If you’re grinning because you remembered them, did you rely on the 1949 song “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” with the verses, “You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and…
Dear Adult Readers–Be Forewarned! This news blog post may be too scary for some children or inappropriate for anyone dealing with the death of a loved one. Otherwise, in my opinion, it is perfect for Halloween! Read at your own risk or pleasure, depending on your circumstances, and preferably by candlelight or the glow of…
Dear Readers, For better or for worse, we live in an age of identity and accountability. How often have you started to log into a site only to hear or read, “Let’s be sure it’s really you”? Next, you receive a text or email with the magic code to enter and confirm you are you.…
Hello, Adult Readers and Scary Story Aficionados! Withered leaves rattle in the chilly wind before their death-drop. October shuffles to its end. Darkness descends sooner now, encouraging owls and bats to fly about the countryside in search of earlier feasts. Jack-o’-lanterns glow and burn to ward off evil spirits. Some trick-or-treaters venture forth while others decide to huddle indoors with a bowl of popcorn, some candy, and a book or movie to elude banshees on the…
Dear Kids and All Readers, She drives a roadster (first maroon, then blue), is a force for good, unafraid to speak up, and delivers the baddies to Chief Pete McGinnis with time left over to get to Ned Nickerson’s college football game without a hair out of place. And she’s been doing all that for…
Hello, dear Readers of all ages, Kids, I know you read children’s books. But adults, do you? Reading does not always have to be a progression to increasing difficulty for adults with a creeping fear that if they pause and glance back, they will lose ground and suddenly “de-mature.” Try pausing sometime. You will survive.…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, You might say I’ve gone “raven mad” lately. I refer to the bird, not my mental state! Research for my Book 5, Jacaranda Street: Gravestone Image, has taken me to many sites about Edgar Allan Poe and ravens. I can’t seem to get enough of either topic. But for today,…
