Nope. Didn’t win. Except, maybe I did in a way. Oh, I don’t have one of those sparkly glass awards to sit on my desk, but I sure as shooting felt like a winner last week at the Christy Award Gala and in the days following. MY WINS: I got to wear a fancy dress.Continue reading “The Joy of NOT Winning a Christy Award”
Category Archives: Love
Daddies & Daughters
Last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting Sharon Robinson, baseball great Jackie Robinson’s daughter. I HOPE you already know what a huge impact Jackie Robinson had on the civil rights movement by breaking the color barrier in sports when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. But you may not know that he went onContinue reading “Daddies & Daughters”
Becoming Mrs. Lewis – Book Review
After finishing Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan I don’t want to start reading another book. That’s the greatest compliment I can pay a story. I just want to savor this gorgeous novel and starting anything else will dilute it in my memory. Which means I’ll eventually have to read it again. I’ve long admiredContinue reading “Becoming Mrs. Lewis – Book Review”
A Bookish Anniversary
Five years ago today my first full-length novel released. On the Sunday before, I held a launch party at my church with a reading, book sale, beans & cornbread supper, bluegrass music, and even some square dancing. It was pretty awesome. And not just because I was finally an honest-to-goodness author. It was wonderful becauseContinue reading “A Bookish Anniversary”
Book Review – My Dearest Dietrich
When I saw that Amanda Barratt was tackling a novel about Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s ill-fated love, I knew I wanted to read it! While I was familiar with the pastor’s part in the conspiracy to kill Adolph Hitler and his ultimate martyrdom, I had no idea he’d been engaged. Let me begin by saying this wasContinue reading “Book Review – My Dearest Dietrich”
Appalachian Thursday – WV Quiz Results
Last Thursday was WV Day. To celebrate, I sent out a quiz to help readers determine if they could pass as a Mountaineer. The results were interesting! The first question was whether or not you’ve ever used an outhouse. I was amazed that almost EVERYONE who took the survey had done so–92%. Only one personContinue reading “Appalachian Thursday – WV Quiz Results”
Appalachian Thursday – Mother’s Day Started in WV
Yup. That’s right. The woman who invented Mother’s Day was born in Grafton, WV. Anna Jarvis campaigned for the holiday in honor of her own mother Anna Reeves Jarvis. Mother Anna was a social activist who organized Mother’s Day Work Clubs during the second half of the nineteenth century. The clubs raised money to helpContinue reading “Appalachian Thursday – Mother’s Day Started in WV”
An Anniversary Reflection
On Saturday, my husband and I celebrated 23 years of marriage. That means, as of next year, I will have been married for half my life. My wedding day feels like yesterday AND a lifetime ago. It wasn’t fancy–shoot, it was in the (literally) one-room country church I grew up attending. And if you wantContinue reading “An Anniversary Reflection”
Show Don’t Tell (a new take)
It’s a common refrain among writers. Don’t tell readers what’s happening–show them. Imagine the difference between watching a movie and having someone tell you about it. The telling can get tedious fast, but watching it . . . And so, when writing a story, the trick is to pull readers into the action so thatContinue reading “Show Don’t Tell (a new take)”
Live Like You’re Dying
You’ve probably heard the advice to live like you’re dying . . . because you are. And it’s true, so far as it goes. We’re all going to die one day. One day. You know it, I know it, we all know it. Or do we? I have a friend who has a fatal illness. She’sContinue reading “Live Like You’re Dying”
