Four holiday survival tips By Maggie Toussaint From the belly-pleasing feast at Thanksgiving to ringing in the New Year, the holiday season is a fast-paced romp of calendar-filling must-dos. It’s easy to feel harried with extra demands on an already full schedule, but fear not, I have cobbled together four stress beating tips to help […]
Talking Traditions By Terry Odell Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It used to be the signal for the beginning of the Christmas/Holiday season, but now we’re lucky if merchants wait until Halloween. For many of us, reading gets put on hold. For others, it’s a way to escape the pressures of the season. For […]
Accents and peculiar word choices By James M Jackson Do you notice accents and peculiar word choices? Not yours, of course, because none of us have accents; it’s the other folks. I’ll soon make my southern migration away from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with its Scandinavian oo’s, spoken through the nose, and sentences that […]
The Appeal of Video Trailers by Nancy J. Cohen Are you a fan of movie trailers? Do you eagerly watch the newest one for the upcoming Star Wars movie? Perhaps viewing a trailer influences you to buy a ticket you’ve been wavering on? Or you may be a dedicated series fan and watch the teaser […]
In the spirit of Halloween… some “spooktacular” research By Karla Brandenburg Congratulations Terri Rinko. Check your email to get your ARC copy! Years ago, I did a cemetery walk as I was researching a novel. My first goal was to collect new character names by reading headstones. My second goal was to “feel” the atmosphere. […]
Beyond the Comfort Zone By Tina Whittle Write what you know, they say. Unfortunately, “what I know” is pretty boring stuff. So I make it a point to expose myself to new and interesting things. I’ve attended the Writer’s Police Academy on multiple occasions, shooting up bad guys in the firearms simulation room and clearing […]
Happy Halloween Memories All of us have gathered to share a memory of Halloween, and we hope you’ll also share one of yours in the comments section for a chance to win our custom tote bag. My husband is a bored aerospace engineer, so our Halloween season begins in August. He begins scouring the yard […]
Fall into Everything By Maggie Toussaint We’re in the season of Fall, but did you know that “season” is not one of the definitions most dictionaries list for the word fall? As a verb, fall has 4 definitions listed in the Oxford Dictionary: 1) to move downward at a rapid rate, often uncontrolled. 2) lose […]
Getting Setting by Terry Odell I’m a huge fan of reading books set familiar settings. I grew up in Los Angeles, and love following Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, and Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole as they cover my old haunting grounds. I recently read a book set in Albuquerque. I’ve visited the city on several occasions, […]
Moving By James M Jackson Later this month I’ll be helping my 92-year-old mother move from the area she’s lived in since age twelve with the exception of years she earned her college degree, one year teaching before my parents were married, and three or four years while my father was earning his masters and […]
