There’s just something about music that deeply touches my soul. I’ve often been asked about my writing style, and one of the sparks that generates writing within me comes from listening to and singing songs that “tell stories”. There are so many songwriters that have touched my soul with their beautiful words and music. Their […]

There’s nothing like that tingle… that intense feeling of excitement that flows over and through you when a new character is “born”. For weeks, a subtle idea hides deep in your subconscious; swimming around and trying to break free. And then at the most unexpected moment, he or she appears… right there on the page […]

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now, from win and lose, but still somehow, it’s clouds illusions I recall, I really don’t know clouds at all. ~ Joni Mitchell I really believe clouds were created for the writer and the dreamer in all of us. For as long as I can remember, every time […]

Tonight, as the rain continues to fall, the thirsty ground quickly soaks up these precious drops of moisture and stores what it needs to survive during the long, hot days of summer. As the rain pelts against the window panes, I watch mesmerized as large droplets slowly slide down the glass. The sound of the rain soothes and comforts me, and […]

What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers.  ~Logan Pearsall Smith, “All Trivia,” Afterthoughts, 1931 Each day, I try and remember that writing is a process that takes time… time and patience. Time to develop the plot, time for the characters to “become” real ( always makes me […]

I’m preparing the last lesson for my summer writing class, and once again I read through John Steinbeck’s short story, “The Chrysanthemums”.  I read and sigh at the beauty of the writing, of the words, of the vivid portrayal of the characters. I rediscover  a major influence in my life, in my writing. To take […]

I have a song stuck in my head…”START SPREADING THE NEWS”. Why? It could be because I just got the news that Ghost of Johanna won Honorable Mention at the New York Book Festival!!! Blessings abound!!! I must pause and say… Thank you, Lord, for your constant love and for the many blessings you have […]

The average person picks up a book at the book store, thumbs through it, reads the back cover, and then makes a hasty decision as to whether to purchase the book or not. I know because I’m one those “people” who tends to select novels by authors that I’m familiar with.  Also, I’m often very […]