Month: September 2025

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My Favorite Piece Of Writing #IWSG

  By IWSG
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
The awesome co-hosts for the October 1 posting of the IWSG are Beth Camp, Crystal Collier, and Cathrina Constantine!

October 1 question – What is the most favorite thing you have written, published or not? And why?

The one I am currently working on.

I have to fall in love with my characters in order to do the best job telling their story. I struggle to write them well until I have become comfortable with their personalities. The last short story I wrote (to be released as part of an anthology in November) took me four attempts before i found the basis of the plot. I’m currently working on the second book in the Edwards Investigations series, and falling back in love with my cast of characters.

But if we’re talking about something that’s already been published, there’s one clear winner.

The Rise of Jake Hennessey stole my heart.

Jake is a gentleman jewel thief. I don’t claim he’s a great one, but he does okay. Most of the time. I got to know him through his interactions with Harmony Duprie, the protagonist of my Harmony Duprie Mysteries.  He tried and failed to win her heart, but remained her friend. At least, until the representatives of a number of legal agencies chased him off.

But The Rise of Jake Hennessey is his chance at a happy ending. And have fun along the way. Set twenty years in the future, I got to invent some unlikely situations to challenge him. Since he’s a morally gray character, I got to explore all aspects of his personality.

Jake had lived with a bulls-eye on his back ever since the time he got caught shoplifting a pair of expensive jeans as a twelve-year-old. Because he never made it out of the store, and it was a first offense, he had gotten off with a warning, but he had also made it onto the blacklist with the local cops. He learned a lot from that experience—about how to not get caught.

The first rule was never steal from a store where he’d need to shop later. As an adult, he’d extended that rule to include the city where he lived. Which meant Oak Grove was off limits, and local officials had no interest in his activities.

Once in a blue moon, a newly hatched FBI agent stumbled across old files and got the notion Jake was the path to establishing their reputation. None of them were more than an inconvenience until their superior called off the hunt. And Harmony had never been dragged into their wild goose chases before.

The Rise of Jake Hennessey

The Rise of Jake Hennessey

I love rooting for the underdog, and that’s part of what makes this book my favorite. Jake was the throwaway character who was never meant to have his own books. In fact, I never intended for him to appear as a speaking character. But he has a way of ruining the best-laid plans.

I’m looking forward to checking out the favorite stories of other authors on this hop. There are plenty to pick from! See the list below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.
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Items I’ve Acquired Along the Way #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

Sept 29, 2025

Tell us about an iconic or weird object in your home.

Let me apologize for the poor quality of the photos.

The lighting is terrible, and the pictures were taken at night with no daylight to brighten the shot.

There are two items to share.

This troll was purchased from a little shop along a back road of Tennessee. (Maggie Valley area, if I remember correctly.) That was over twenty-five years ago. He’s had a few decorations added and lost a few along the way, but we’ve managed to retain his personality.

He has acted as a guardian all these years, in three different homes. We’ve got him moved into a spot where my daughter’s cat can’t get to him.

My second item is what I call a wall sculpture.

It was meant to be a garden sculpture, but I’ve never found an outdoor spot that suited it. So now, she and her little friends reside over my desk, keeping me company.

She was gifted to me by my daughter and lived in her box in my closet until we moved. Even once we arrived in Pennsylvania, it took a bit to find her a home because I was trying to force her to be outside. She didn’t fit anywhere I tried to place her, and when I gave up the effort, she let me know where she wanted to be.

There are other interesting items my husband and I have acquired along the way, but I think these two stand out.

What iconic items do the other authors on this hop have to share? Check them out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

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Sept 29, 2025

Tell us about an iconic or weird object in your home.

 

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The Glories Of Fall #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

September 22, 2025

What do you look forward to as Fall comes up?

I’ve lived where there is no fall.

I grew up in the forest-covered hills of Northwest Pennsylvania, where the trees turned a marvelous multitude of colors each fall. Where we’d go for walks, shuffling our feet, and smelling the essence of the earth as the leaves crumbled beneath our feet. But that isn’t the only type of fall I’ve experienced.

I spent a decade on the Oregon Coast. Because of the off-shore water currents and frequent fog banks, the temperatures remained moderate most of the year. ( I only saw snow reach the shoreline once in the ten years we lived there.)  Most of the trees were evergreens, with no leaves to drop. I spent more time trimming my camellia bushes than raking leaves.

Then there was Florida. No fall there either. And no leaves to rake. But grass to mow all year long.

Wyoming’s fall was short, but at least offered hillsides of glorious gold aspen trees. (Confession: this spot was just south of the Wyoming border in Colorado.)

But here I am, less than twenty miles from where I grew up.

.And here we are, with fall hastily taking over. I wasn’t ready for it this year. The first hints of color graced the oak and maple trees in the first week of September. A reminder to hurry and finish the tasks I’ve put off all summer.

At the same time, I’m falling in love again with the little plot of land I call mine. Or rather, I like to think I’ve been given the privilege of taking care of it, even if for a short time. The maple behind the house has already turned orange, and when the morning sun’s rays hit it, it’s enough to make me stop and soak in the momentary beauty.

It won’t be long now until the hillsides turn into a patchwork of color. The tourists will arrive as well, to glimpse the wonder. But unless they take the right back roads, they’ll miss the best views.

So, my answer is simple. What do I look forward to? It’s the glory of the wooded hillsides, and the display Mother Earth shares with us.

How about our other authors? What do they look forward to? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

P.S. For those of you in the Lancaster PA area, Saturday the 27th, I will be taking part in the Books Books Books event at the Wyndham Expo Center Barn. I’ll be in spot 145. Stop by and say hi!

September 22, 2025

What do you look forward to as Fall comes up?

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Feelings in Flowers #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

September 15, 2025

Victorians had a whole language around flowers. Do you have a favorite bloom?

Do you know what it means? What does it mean to you?

At least he’d already sent Duprie a gift: an expensive bouquet that the saleslady assured him was correct for the occasion. Something about the language of flowers and pink camellias.
The Fall of Jake Hennessey

I’ve played with the language of flowers in several of my stories. Which was perfect for Harmony Duprie, as she was fascinated by the era. (She lived in a Victorian-era house and was remodeling another.)

What is my favorite bloom? It’s lilacs. I love the delicate blooms, the soft scent. There were four large lilac bushes on my parents’ property. (But they predated my parents’ ownership of the home.) I planted two of them when we moved into the home where we are now. They haven’t bloomed yet, but the one very old bush by the corner of the house has. (Not every year, but I’m hoping I can bring it back to better health.)

I looked up the meaning, and the results were confusing.

Some lore associates lilacs with young love and first loves, which makes sense as they are one of the first flowers of spring. But it was also common for widows to wear lilacs as corsage in remembrance of their deceased husbands. Some sites I researched indicated it was dependent on the shade of purple, others were mute on the topic.

What do lilacs mean to me? I associate them with spring and new beginnings. Plus, I love the way they make a room smell. Barely noticeable, but comforting.

What about the other authors  who join this hop? What is their favorite flower? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

September 15, 2025

Victorians had a whole language around flowers. Do you have a favorite bloom? Do you know what it means? What does it mean to you?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Great Websites for Writers #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Sept 8, 2025

It’s been awhile since we’ve done this. Have you come across any great new websites for writers?

Or maybe share an old favorite.

I have a confession. I’ve been slacking. Despite being “mostly” retired, I have less time than ever. It’s a “me” thing, and I can think of a million reasons to justify my behavior. Distractions are everywhere, and my resistance is limited.

Perhaps I’m burnt out. Too many people expect too many things. I had dreams of sitting under the old maple in my backyard to write, but it hasn’t happened. It took me over 4 months to write a 10,000 word short story. Losing my office space didn’t help, but it isn’t entirely to blame, either. Still, it’s hard to go into a writing trance when people are constantly walking by my desk.

And most “new” writing websites I stumble across seem to do nothing but regurgitate old information. Everyone’s an expert, and no one’s an expert.

So, I have no great revelation to share.

Most of the “new” websites I’ve discovered are research related. What federal agency was in charge of nuclear plants in the mid-1980s? What did the Pittsburgh Civic Center’s skyboxes look like? And in what year did Jethro Tull play there? (oops—rabbit hole!)

How about an old favorite?

I use ProWritingAid for the desktop weekly (or more.) With a lifetime subscription that was gifted to me, It’s my go-to for checking grammar, punctuation, and other writing elements. (Gotta watch their advice on commas. the software often gets confused.)

Bring your story to life image with knight and dragon coming out of a book

But I do have something to offer. Long ago, I signed up for emails from the magazine Writer’s Digest. Last week, they offered a list of top websites for writers. The link is below. Lots of interesting looking sites. I haven’t visited all of them, naturally!

https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-101-best-websites-for-writers?utm_medium=email&utm_source=WDG+-+NL+-+Newsletter&oly_enc_id=0384C3289756G7O

I’m looking forward to seeing the pages our other authors suggest. Check out their posts by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

Sept 8, 2025

It’s been awhile since we’ve done this. Have you come across any great new websites for writers?

Or maybe share an old favorite.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter