National Stay Out of the Sun Day vs. National Bikini Day by Debra H. Goldstein When I write conflict into a story or chapter, I must balance different viewpoints, how varied characters react to the same stimulus, and show that the conclusions and behavior of the characters may reflect each one’s personal beliefs. A good […]
Summers on the farm in Kentucky By Cheryl Hollon It’s a new series! The Book Birthday for Still Knife Painting was two days ago and I’m still over the moon in delight! This new series is close to my heart. The setting is in eastern Kentucky where my parents were born and my grandparents were […]
These boots were made for walking By Maggie Toussaint In any other year, June would be chock full of celebrations. Weddings, graduations, milestone anniversaries, retirements, and more would be toasted with family and friends. June 2020 has a much different look, especially for the “elderly.” Everyone keeps talking about the New Normal and like the […]
LEGO: A Family Tradition By Lois Winston One day in 1979 my next-door neighbor Charlie asked if I’d like some LEGO for my sons. He was downsizing into an apartment in the city now that his kids were grown. Tiny plastic bricks weren’t exactly suitable for a toddler and preschooler, but I figured I could […]
PICTURING THE PAST By Diane A.S. Stuckart I admit it. I spend far too much time procrastinating on Facebook when I should be writing my next novel. And, no, I’m not busy promoting my books there. Instead, my preferred hangouts are those pages where followers post all manner of things strange and unusual. (Why? Because, […]
June Storms by Nancy J. Cohen June 1st is the start of our hurricane season in South Florida. This means it’s time to examine our emergency supplies. Due to the coronavirus, we’ve already got in a good stash of canned goods and prepared foods. However, our freezer is full to capacity. Normally at this season, […]
Driving Creatively by Debra H. Goldstein During the past weeks of social distancing, my husband and I fell into the habit of taking a daily drive. We didn’t need masks, gloves or any other personal protective equipment because we stayed in the car – just the two of us. The beauty of the drive was […]
Happy Anniversary By Cheryl Hollon It’s our wedding anniversary month. Over the years, George and I have celebrated in several spectacular but many more mundane ways. The tradition for your first anniversary was to have the top layer of your wedding cake as a dessert. However, George was in the Air Force stationed at Loring […]
Guilt in the Time of Covid-19 By Lois Winston As many of you know by now, I spent most of my professional life as a crafts designer, which explains Anastasia Pollack, the eponymous amateur sleuth of my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. Write what you know, right? For several decades I designed fabric crafts for the […]
Mama Says By Maggie Toussaint With Mother’s Day on May 10, I reflected on life skills my mom taught me. Manners were the first thing she drilled into all of us kids. We had to speak and comport ourselves a certain way. Before you start thinking we were putting on airs, we weren’t. We were […]
