THE THING ABOUT RESEARCH is the unexpected tidbit you learn along the way. Take my recent trip to the Cascade Raptor Center in Eugene, OR while researching a storyline for Book 8. The Executive Director, Louise Shimmel, arranged for me to spend time with several...
IN THE MIDST OF LOGAN’S NEW WORLD UP HERE ON THE OREGON COAST, I’m having a great time with background research for her ever-evolving story in Book 7. I am continuing to learn about mushrooms, of course, that were introduced in the last book. So far,...
I DIDN’T PLAN IT THIS WAY, but moving to the Oregon coast meant moving Logan with me. As I explored my new neighborhood, which includes miles of paths through an old growth forest and a walking path along a rocky ocean cliff, new story lines and characters...
There is much to say about 2020, but for this post, I’m going to ask readers how they want us, as authors, to write COVID into our stories set in this year? Do you want total realism, realism with a bit of blur when it comes to shut downs, masks, and scary death...
IT’S MUSHROOM SEASON on the Oregon coast and now that SAFE HARBOR: Logan Book 5 is up for Pre-Order on Amazon, I’m diving into fresh ground for Logan’s next adventure. This week, I’m deep into research mode and mushrooms are currently on the...
MEMORIES FORMED AT PIVOTAL TIMES IN MY LIFE often pop up as I’m imagining Logan’s next adventure. FOREST PARK is a good example. When I returned to school as an adult, part of my Anthropology coursework involved collecting the life histories of Vietnamese refugees,...
A self-admitted book addict, Valerie was the kid with the flashlight under her pillow. A life of travel with exposure to many different cultures led to a pervasive interest in people, with degrees & teaching credentials in Cultural Anthropology & English.