At the moment, the manuscript of my first novel has seventeen chapters. I’ve submitted most of it to my editing team, three or four chapters at a time, and most of their feedback has been fantastic, and just the right amount of pointing out confusing things or minor errors, and making good suggestions, without making
Read on »childhood
Book review: The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan
Description from the Random House website: Anais Hendricks, fifteen, is in the back of a police car. She is headed for the Panopticon, a home for chronic young offenders. She can’t remember what’s happened, but across town a policewoman lies in a coma and Anais’s school uniform is covered in blood. Raised in foster care
Read on »“And ransom captive Israel…”
We went to church on Christmas Eve afternoon with Jeff’s mom, and it was a simple, lovely, musical service. There was a band, maybe five musicians, and the service began with everyone standing to sing a few well-known hymns. Then everyone sat down, there was another song or two, and then a woman came to
Read on »Happy Anniversary to Scout, Atticus, Harper … and Chris & Harry
Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It is one of very few books that I would recommend to anyone, if they haven’t read it yet. It’s the only book that I recommend to people who don’t read very often. During my husband’s months of unemployment,
Read on »List of things to do… Write a book?!?!?
Last Saturday, I made a list of things I needed to do on Sunday. It looked like this:–> call Grandma A.–> update checkbook (did I get paid this week?) & pay bills–> update Google calendar with game & picture changes–> housecleaning–> switch purse back to black one On Sunday, I saw that Jeff had added
Read on »FreeVerse: Still trying to decide on a title
Only a few hours after my mother died on October 14, 2009, I got up during the night and began writing this poem. I added to it on October 16, but then didn’t really touch it until last week. Then, I decided to type it up on the computer, maybe do some editing as I
Read on »Something about age eight
Last evening after supper, I was alone in the house putting away clean dishes, thinking. Grandma was outside on the patio watching Jeff and the boys toss the football around the backyard. I was drying things and putting them in their places, then loading the dirty supper dishes in the dishwasher, starting to fill it
Read on »Just making a note…
I need to shut down and get to bed VERY SOON, but am making a “mental note” of sorts before the day is completely over. When I woke this morning, I told Jeff I’d just had a bad dream. I didn’t say what about. Later in the day, I kept thinking about it. What I
Read on »Happy anniversary, with a little help from the Flintstones
Jeff and I got married eleven years ago today. Time flies when you’re too damn busy! But we’re all right — we have each other, and we even still like each other most of the time! 😉 I thought of this song and video this morning. I remember that my mom and I both LOVED
Read on »Five books that have influenced me the most: Book 1
A couple months ago, a friend from my book discussion group suggested that members choose the five books that have most influenced / impacted them – not one’s “favorite books” nor necessarily what one considers the “best books” read so far, but books which had some significant, lasting impact on the member’s thinking, ideas, or
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