Many of you know that this past November, during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), I completed the first draft of the 2nd book in my historical novel series, Driven. I had a blast placing Emily on a ranch in Wyoming and complicating her life.

Well Finally! This has been one unbelievable year. Like many of you, mine has been an upside-down roller coaster…a lowering of standards while at the same time trying to hold on to what’s essential. Dinners together. A walk outside if it’s not too smoky. Birthday celebrations. Finishing another chapter. Honestly, every time I think about…

The Visit – Many of you know my “thing” about using music to get to the core of something I’m writing. It’s been part of everything I’ve ever published, from Dylan, Nat King Cole, and Beethoven for scenes in Boot Language – to Janis Joplin and Madame Butterfly for my short essays that found homes in literary journals.

From my desk… Here’s a little diversion from the holiday madness that I hope you’ll enjoy! They said what? I love the things people say. The wilder, most impassioned, the better. In fact, I enjoy it so much I have a habit of writing down the pithiest sentence I hear every day. Sometimes it’s something…

OMG, I’m about to send the first book of my historical series, Driven, to my editor. I’m told I may have a thriller on my hands. My first reaction was “Wahhhh?” I guess it’s true…women’s lives were extraordinarily harrowing a hundred years ago. They had no power. No freedom. And there’s no doubt the shadow of…

Hi All! My grandfather used to tell stories of homesteading in northern Wyoming, in the high grassland between the Black Hills and the Bighorn Mountains. His descriptions were painted as a hard life punctuated by beauty: wild mustangs galloping through open prairies; purple spring blossoms that covered the land; the stunning yet treacherous mountains; the…

Hi All! I’m Back! I just returned from New York, where I was doing research for Driven, my historical novel based on my grandmother’s experiences as a Red Cross ambulance driver during WWI. My sister Margery was my travel buddy, and it was thrilling to experience this together – as we searched for evidence of…

Dear posse! I hope you’re all well! Have you heard of the Bay Area Book Festival? It’s held each spring in Berkeley CA, a fun-packed gathering of authors and readers. You’ll hear famous and just-discovered authors (like me!)  That’s right… Other Cool Happenings: I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be speaking on a fabulous panel…

Dear posse! I have always had a love affair with the spoken word – even harbored a secret wish to be a voice-over artist. I’ve spent decades dramatically reading aloud to children and interspersing sound effects as I taught. I can thank my mother and grandmother for that! But when it came time to record…