• The weekend

    March 9, 2014 /

    I just got invited to do an essay based on a recent talk on raising the stakes. I’m excited about it, not to mention flattered. We got our cherry tree planted in the bit of sunshine we had between storms.…

  • confetti thoughts

    March 5, 2014 /

    I hate the phrase, “Man Cave.” Hate it. Irritates me beyond reason, and I couldn’t tell you why. Okay, I could. It’s because it’s idiotic. Is the woman supposed to be stay out? And is the man supposed to be…

  • Back in the saddle

    March 4, 2014 /

    The writers retreat was amazing. Just amazing. Here’s a set of the photos on flickr. I took my camera, but I grabbed the wrong charger, so all of these were taken with my phone. I only figured out using the…

  • Headthunk, headthunk, headthunk

    February 25, 2014 /

    Oh whatta week it’s been. Dad’s been moved to another hospital. Oh wait. Maybe I should bring you up to date. When my folks were at their last day of a timeshare, dad fell and dislocated his hip. Only he…

  • Ideas whizzing along

    February 22, 2014 /

    I had a story idea today. First line of something. Possibly a story. I want to write a story. I don’t particularly have time for this, but I’m curious to see what it is. Trouble is, I have no flipping…

  • The day that got lost

    February 10, 2014 /

    This morning I started out a little late as school was canceled again (but not tomorrow!) and did some laundry, fed the children, and then got a call from the GI doc for the boy. They could see him today…

  • The Cipher

    February 9, 2014 /

    I finished my revision of The Cipher for reissue and sent it off to my editor. I feel like I made HUGE changes, and yet, most of the book is the same. The changes are minor, and yet I feel…

  • shoring up

    February 5, 2014 /

    I’ve been shoring up the characterizations in The Cipher, as I’ve mentioned before. On thing that I noticed, in a happy way, is that the character of Edgar and the way I wrote him reminds me of Red Reddington on…

  • the news that is

    January 30, 2014 /

    I know, I’m not really posting much this week. The boy continues to be sick. I have been working on The Cipher for reissue. The weather has been very nice, and generally things have continued to plod along. We got…

  • What you can tell me

    January 21, 2014 /

    As you know, Belle Bridge books is reissuing the Crosspointe Chronicles. I’m in the process of going over The Cipher (I always liked this book–all the books, really) but I’m finding that I’m making some significant changes in some scenes…