To celebrate today’s debut of my first Amish novel, SUMMER OF SECRETS, I’m going to give you some trivia about the Amish in Missouri, where my new Seasons of the Heart series is set. Researching these books and meeting these fascinating people has been a learning experience in many ways. Did you know . . [...]

As I did this morning’s Tarot meditation, a habit I’ve revived with the new year to regain some balance in my life, I asked the question “How shall I focus myself today?” This strong, positive card came up at the center of my spread. I love the DruidCraft Tarot deck (and this image is used [...]

As 2011 comes to a close, I find myself resembling the remark, “the hurrier I go, the behinder I get,” and I have to wonder why. Is it me, or is life spinning past us at a faster pace than we’ve ever known before? Or is there just more work to do? Back in the [...]

How do you feel about writing contests? Recently, a new member of a writers org I belong to lost her contest virginity and came away feeling, well—traumatized. Several other members consoled her on the email loop, about the vagaries of scores and the obvious incompetence of (or at least the lack of consistency among) judges [...]