Montana winters are long. We feel it most acutely after the tease of a January thaw, followed by the deep freeze of February. It’s not the same as the joyful anticipation of the holiday season, but rather a desperate questioning of “When?” When will warmth finally return to release the … Read More
What Happens If … A Novel’s Beginnings
An idea for a new series has been wandering around my brain for almost a year now. These ideas always begin the same way: What happens if … Images float around. A tall, big-boned woman with a shovel pouring the first clumps on her husband’s coffin before handing the tool … Read More
Characters – What lies beneath?
You know the moment. The controlled fury as you long to tell your nemesis exactly what you think of her. But there are a dozen of your co-workers or friends standing around you, so you simply say, “Thank you.” You may be a skilled politician, so only the two of … Read More
Reclaim Your Time to Read and Relax
The summer can be a gift if you let it be one. Hot days, remembering childhood summers, or a vacation in the mountains can remind you of the time to read and relax you once had. A strenuous hike can make you feel like your mind has been cleansed of … Read More
Book Research for the Beck Family Saga
As a lifelong learner, my curiosity has been an asset as I developed the Beck Family Saga. Each book has required research into topics that weren’t usually on my radar. Rosie the Riveter is familiar to many people. (She’s even got her own national park in Richmond, California: (https://www.nps.gov/rori/index.htm). The … Read More
The Christmas Blues
This may seem like an odd topic for an author who promises to inspire, but bear with me. For better or worse, the Christmas holiday, along with Hanukah and Kwanzaa, are tied with the fading of the light in the Northern Hemisphere. I, along with others who need sunlight in … Read More
Western Wind: Random Thoughts
Wind drove women in the sod houses on the plains mad. Even mad enough to take their own lives. “OOOOk-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain,” per Oscar Hammerstein II. Pilots learn to take off in the wind in Great Falls, MT, the windiest city in America according … Read More
The World As It Is: Real Life
My tagline is Real Life, Real Problems, Real Love. I believe that infusing a love story with more than just the romance is vital for a powerful book. After all, we live in a world that has more than it’s fair share of problems, especially as I write this, the … Read More
Women’s Fiction in Color
I’m sure you’ve been affected by what is going on in this country like everyone else. Covid-19 has been eclipsed by riots on the nightly news, June’s elections were merely a blip. There are days I can ignore it all and write (because it is what I am good at), … Read More
Valentines Made with Love
Being single on Valentine’s Day is very difficult. It’s as if the world is mocking you, telling you that you have a missing limb of some kind. You may be alone due to choice or circumstance, but in reality, you are complete just the way you are. Whether you’re single … Read More