Turning a Page

On April 8, I was honored to speak as the guest author at the Chatsworth Women’s Club “Meet the Author Luncheon” in Chatsworth, California — an annual event hosted by the club’s literary committee. Proceeds from the event were donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. Chatsworth is where I moved with my family when my…

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Wine & Words & Writer’s Whimsy

Last week, I was invited to discuss my novel, Finding Tranquility Base, with the members of the Wine & Words Book Club at Mitchell’s Bookshop in Agoura Hills, California. The group, led by Christine Harris of Espresso in Italy, meets monthly on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in the bookstore. Now this is a group after…

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Finding Your True North Voice

I’ve heard it can take years for a writer to find their true voice. That unmistakable tone that speaks louder than mere words, shines brighter than the North Star on a cloudless summer night, and stands head and shoulders above all the spurious voices she’s worn before that never really suited her. It’s the voice that…

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Happy New Year

In this new year, may you have a deep understanding of your true value and worth, an absolute faith in your unlimited potential, peace of mind in the midst of uncertainty, the confidence to let go when you need to, acceptance to replace your resistance, gratitude to open your heart, the strength to meet your…

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When at a Loss for Words, Just Say “Wella, Wella, Wella”

My family likes to play games at holiday get-togethers. Card games, word games, board games, practical jokes. It’s all good. One year at Christmas we purchased the party board game called Cranium. Mom and I were in a showdown with my aunt and my cousin, and I had about thirty seconds to get Mom to guess my impression…

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Of Naked Men & Serendipitous Detours

I was recently invited to discuss my novel with a book club in San Diego. And since I can drive there in only a couple of hours, I thought it would be fun to go in person instead of meeting by Skype. My daughter Jennifer moved about forty miles north of San Diego a few…

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November Announcements

On Monday, November 11th, I am looking forward to meeting with a lovely ladies group who call themselves the “Nine Women of Faith” (though two were missing for this photo). They started out as a bible study group that eventually morphed into a book club. The group is headed by literary publicist Tricia van Dockum…

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The Color of a Memory

Referring to my novel, Finding Tranquility Base, a reader recently asked me how I could remember so many details about West Texas when I haven’t lived there for many years. I’m not sure I have the answer for this other than to say that when I experience something provocative, my memory backs it up into…

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Shoot for the Moon

Last Saturday morning I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and dragged myself downstairs for a drink of cold water. I had a busy day ahead, so I wasn’t getting up to stay up. I just needed to quench my thirst and go back to sleep. But once in the kitchen I looked out the window…

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The Value of Things

When I was fourteen, my entire freshman English lit class watched the movie Romeo & Juliet together. Some of the kids in my class teased me about looking a little like Juliet and for the next week they added an extra “et” to the end of my name to make it three syllables so it rhymed…

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