COOKING KEEPS ME OUT OF TROUBLE when I’m not dreaming up trouble for Logan to get into. With Fall and Winter in the air, I was craving baked apples. The best variety of apple for this is a Rome Beauty, but you can’t find them in the grocery stores anymore....
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...
I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THANKSGIVING because of its non-denominational, universal nature. Every culture and religion encourages gratitude. I am grateful for so many things, I can’t begin to list them here, but they include this amazing planet we live on, family,...
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...
TODAY WAS ANOTHER JOYFUL DAY in my life as a writer! I spent the day with a violinist who shared her love of music, her instrument and many of the ins and outs of being a musician and how individual and unique each musician is. Some compose, some play, some struggle,...
I MUST BE IN A SOUP MOOD this month, just saw my last post featured one of my favorites, pho, although I usually go out for that one – you’ve got to have that great, homemade beef broth for good pho. I like making this with leftover roast chicken –...
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.