Yesterday I finished reading the fifth book in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series—The Fiery Cross—for the second time. This is the one that begins in 1770, with Clare, Jamie, et al., in North Carolina—embroiled in the War of Regulation, early conflicts preceding the Revolutionary War. As with all the Gabaldon novels, it is an intriguing blend […]
I’m excited that Virginia is for Mysteries: Volume II is available! You can find it at your bookstore of choice. (Barnes & Noble is releasing the book later this month.) IndieBound Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-A-Million I’m honored to have my story “War and Murder at Nimrod Hall” in the anthology. My story is set at historic Nimrod […]
The anthology of nineteen short stories, set in and around the Commonwealth, features Virginia landmarks and locations such as Virginia Wine Country, the Poe Museum, Luray Caverns, Colonial Williamsburg, the Great Dismal Swamp, Nimrod Hall (my story!), the Barter Theater, and Mill Mountain, to name a few. Visit VirginiaIsForMysteries.com to learn more. The stories transport […]
The cyclists are coming! The cyclists are coming! Not that I am a cycling enthusiast, but any event this big piques my interest. Some weeks ago, when I first became aware of the upcoming races, I started noticing bicycles—and they are everywhere! Did you ever count how many clutches of bicycles are fastened to motor […]
I have a long history of public speaking–lectures, workshops, panel presentations-facing with a group of friends or hundreds of strangers makes no difference to me. When I can work from an outline or talking points or questions, no problem. Humorous and lively. When reading aloud in public, the problem is that it is reading! This […]
Exercise. My frequent mentions of walking before breakfast while at Nimrod may have led people to believe that I enjoy exercise. Not so. Walking at Nimrod is necessary because so many hours of the day are spent butt-in-chair. Fortunately, it was also lovely. I have a neighbor who walks every day and works out […]
I have a story in the upcoming collection Virginia is for More Mysteries (Koehler Books, April 2016) titled “War and Murder at Nimrod Hall.” This is a sequel to “Death Comes to Hollywood Cemetery,” which appears in Virginia Is For Mysteries. It follows Clara as she escapes war-torn Richmond in 1862 only to encounter wounded soldiers […]
Running on About My Second Wedding, Evening Street Review, Issue 26, Fall 2020; accepted by borrowed space, July m30, 2019 Pandemic, Potato Soup Journal, online August, 2020. Goddess Mother, Penumbra, Issue 30, Summer 2020, p. 119. Running on About Mom’s Body, Fiction Pool, April 17, 2020, Flash Fiction. Just The Facts, Hawaii Pacific Review, May 13, 2019, Fiction Miserable […]
My Nimrod week this year has included much more waiting than usual. The usual includes waiting for morning coffee and three abundant meals a day. The usual includes waiting for afternoon conferences and workshops and evening readings. Some years—including this one—it’s not unusual to wait for the rain to stop. Because I’ve been […]
So, I’m here at Nimrod for the week, and it is gorgeous as ever in spite of the daily showers and thunderstorms. I arrived with great optimism and enthusiasm for the days ahead. And then it all went to hell in a handcart. First my printer wouldn’t print. It signaled low ink so I replaced […]