One exciting thing about being an author is meeting readers who connect with your books because of their own family histories. After publishing my Prohibition-era novel, Mistaken, I heard from readers who remembered their parents or grandparents telling stories of illegal stills, a family bootlegger, or having worked as federal Prohibition agents. Many of these stories … Read More
“The only constant in life is change.” Whether that quote is attributed to François de La Rochefoucauld (1600s) or Heraclitus of Ephesus (500-400 BC), it doesn’t make it any less true. And it’s never been more true than now. Wait…does that even make sense? What I mean to say is, the statement is true in today’s … Read More
I’m not much for resolutions, but I love to take the first few days of the year to look behind and look ahead. It’s good to look back and count your blessings. It’s also good to look ahead and dream about what might be in store. So, what happened in 2014? I’m only going to hit … Read More
Thank you so much to all of you who joined us last week for The Christmas Chronicles. What I’ve loved most about the three Chronicles events (Hope Chronicles in 2012, Trust Chronicles in 2013, and Christmas Chronicles in 2014) is the spirit of community that has blossomed each time. The five of us are so blessed by … Read More
The Christmas Chronicles is a blog hop between 5 historical romance authors. Our desire is to bring you joy through these letters, grounded in the true spirit of the season, and written from the fictional viewpoints of each book’s heroine. We’re so glad to have you join the event. Each day this week, a new … Read More
Over the years I’ve recommended many writing aids–books to assist with plotting, characters, or navigating the publishing world. Today I want to recommend a book for inspiration. Dancing on the Head of a Pen: The Practice of a Writing Life is a wonderful journey into the heart and mind of a writer. Written by Robert Benson, … Read More
Did you know today is the 25th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake? I doubt folks in the Bay area are celebrating with balloons and cake, but I’ve already seen many of my friends posting the “Where were you when this happened?” type of questions on the internet. Having spent years researching the 1906 San Francisco … Read More
A couple of months ago I decided to do a fun contest. I encouraged readers to send me a photo of someone reading Out of the Ruins for a chance of winning a $25 Starbucks gift card. We’re well past the deadline, so it’s time to choose a winner. Only I can’t. I love them ALL. … Read More
I just returned from the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference, and I’m thrilled to announce that my debut novel, MISTAKEN, took home a Cascade Award in the Published Historical Fiction Category. [In celebration of this win, I’m hosting a special GIVEAWAY. The winner can choose either a copy of Mistaken or my newest release, Out … Read More
Happy Friday, everyone! I wanted to thank all of you who attended my Author Chat Party on Facebook last night. What fun we had! I was able to learn so much about my readers, and hopefully you were able to learn a few things about Out of the Ruins and the Golden Gate Chronicles series. My … Read More