So, it’s been a looooong time since I last posted. Sorry, Guys! (That is if you were waiting with baited breath.) How do you bait breath, anyhow? I’m guessing not with worms. I have been writing (working on my novel), just not posting. I’m also halfway finished with a book review of The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. It’s such a heavy book that I’ve felt a bit intimidated writing about it. So watch for that review in the…
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend was, for me, a moving experience. On the surface, it’s a simple story–Budo, Max’s imaginary friend, details their life together. Budo advises Max on the ways of the elementary school world. Max is a smart child who resides somewhere on the autism spectrum and often cannot express himself or understand the motivations of others. That’s when he turns to Budo for help. I thought Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend would be a simple, albeit poignant,…
As some of you know, I have been working on a novel with a service dog for, like, forever. So when the publisher of Hero Dogs contacted me with an advanced reading copy of Hero Dogs, I was excited. After participating in the Oklahoma City bombing rescue effort, Wilma Melville was so moved that she devoted her life to developing a crack-shot team of search and rescue dogs. Her life’s work is the subject of the book Hero Dogs. Before…
So, 2019 has dawned, and that means it’s time for another Book Challenge by Erin! For any of you unfamiliar with Book Challenge by Erin, it’s a reading challenge in which you select books based on categories that change each round, twice a year. You can then go to the Facebook group and chat about what you’re reading. You can find out more and sign up here: https://bit.ly/2GZmDDn. (I can’t hyperlink at the moment; WordPress revamped its format, and now…
It was with pleasure that I read this insightful review of Sing, Unburied, Sing from Trish Reviews by the Book. Trish discusses Ward’s use of ghost to give a voice to the voiceless slaves of the South whose lives were brutally stolen from them. Trish also discusses the metaphor of journey in the novel. I recommend that you read her insightful blog post. In Jesmyn Ward’s novel, the unburied who yearn to be heard are the ghosts of the slaves…
Today I’m very happy to guest post on the blog of P.K. Adams, a writer of historical fiction. Her novel The Greenest Branch explores the life of the first woman German physician. Please hop on over and read my guest post “The Power of a Woman.” Who is your favorite woman of history? Let’s hear it for the power of a woman!
Trick or Treat Book Blog Hop Trick or Treat Reads Several authors are giving away FREE books on Halloween! Patricia Lynne, one of the brains behind the twitter chat #StoryDam, hosts this annual Halloween book giveaway at her blog. Just for you! You can read more about it by clicking here, but if you just want to grab your free books, then click on the link below on October 31st. Click here on Halloween to get FREE Books! I am one of the…
Black Creek Crossing by John Saul Based on the blurb, I was expecting Black Creek Crossing to be ghostlit, but it turned out to be more of a witch novel. Or more precisely, a ghost-witch book. A witch from the days of Colonial times makes her presence known, but she is also a ghost because, well, she died 300 years ago. Unfortunately, also residing in this haunted New England house is an entity of pure, unadulterated evil who encourages men to…
Reading Highlights We’re nearing the end of Book Challenge by Erin 9.0, so I thought I’d provide some reading highlights with notes I made. For a complete list of books I read for this challenge, go here. Below are a few books in various categories I thought especially worth mentioning. (I’ve read all ten books for the initial challenge, and I’m now working on the bonus round.) Okay, here we go. 10 points: Read a book that starts with the…
Welcome to my DIY Writing Retreat! Open the door and enter my hideaway solo DIY writing retreat. Oh, and what is a DIY Writing Retreat? I often attend a writing conference in the fall; for two years I reveled in the Better Books craft retreat (and, in fact, after that excellent retreat last year I decided to rewrite my novel for the fourth time. But this year I felt I knew where I was headed with my book, and…
Burning Ridge, book 4 of the Timber Creek K-9 mystery series, tells the story of Mattie and Robo–canine detective and canine partner–as they trace the events leading up to a burned corpse in the mountains. As usual, love interest Cole (Mattie’s, not Robo’s) plays an important part in the novel. In book 4, Mattie struggles with her past as a foster child and survivor of abuse and looks forward to reconnecting with her brother. Cole is there to offer…
It’s book challenge time again! Book Challenge by Erin 9.0 is here! Below are the categories with my selections. For more information and to join in the fun, check out Erin’s Facebook page. 5 points: Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages Less by Andrew Greer A failed novelist of a certain age unceremoniously dumped by his partner. Won the Pulitzer! 10 points: Read a book that starts with the letter “N” The Ninth Hour by Alice…
Going AWOL Hi Dear Readers! I missed you! How are you all doing? Did you notice I’d gone AWOL? I’ve been AWOL from Pen In Her Hand for two months now. I didn’t even realize it had been that long. What, you may ask, have I been up to? Well, I’ve been focusing more on novel writing. I’ve been working on a YA novel, which has now changed to Upper Middle Grade mostly because workshop readers told me my book…