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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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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The Secret Life of Adirondack Chairs

I’ve always had a thing for Adirondack chairs. For me, they represent a way of life that is tranquil, comfortable, elegant and somewhat mysterious. Let me explain. As a kid growing up in west Texas, I remember sturdy metal lawn chairs. The kind that rock back and forth a little when you sit in them. They were practical…

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