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Limbo Season

Most days, time does what you expect. It goes by in a predictable way, and you can count on it to link up with a pattern of meals and work and sleeping. Then we hit holidays with the family and all the sudden you’re up to watch Spidey at dawn or assembling a Cozy Coupe in the basement during dinner prep. A moment of a toddler calling “Nonna Nonna Nonna!” expands to fill a lifetime, and a big guy with an axe splits wood that flies across freezing air toward… Continue reading

Lucky Pumpkin

Girl in black with cat, pumpkin, and glowing moonDuring a lovely visit with family this weekend, I had a chance to draw with my granddaughter. Usually she does her own artwork, but this time she dictated what I should draw for her, and then she added the pumpkin lines. Sweet, no? I love a gentle, bit-by-bit collaboration.

Weekends make me feel lucky. Time with family does, too. Writing has its challenges, but it usually allows me a healthy balance of work and life. When I dream, drive, chat with people I care about, take walks, do puzzles, and… Continue reading

Milestones and Priorities

green hillside with cloudsI just finished a milestone revision of my latest novel, and it feels amazing. To stretch my limbs and mark the moment, I took a walk up a sunny hill and honestly, I feel so good. Revising line-by-line is my absolute favorite part of the writing process, and when I get the words right, the ideas sing in my mind.

I’m also fried. Ha! And my to-do list is long.

I’m so thankful for this work and the people who support me. Yes, the world is wild and terrifying right… Continue reading

The Plot of Lies

Sometimes, when I take a break from a novel to write a short story, I end up with a piece that is unlike anything else I’ve ever known. Such is the case with “The Plot of Lies,” a story about writing stories, also known as metafiction. To my delight, the story was picked up by the quirky Canadian online magazine Fleas on the Dog, which is the perfect home for it. Issue 11 is up now, and free, for anyone who wants to pop by and take a look… Continue reading

April Fool’s Day 2022

Red Paper Bird on Foggy SeaThere’s a spider on your back.
That’s what we always told each
other on April Fool’s Day
when I was a kid. I had
a tiny inchworm in my
hair for real this Tuesday night,
and even after a friend
removed it for me, I kept
expecting to feel the bug
dropping down my neck.
Still do.

The Real Waffles

Waffles the Dog

I don’t have a dog, but my daughter does, and he’s a rescue named Waffles. Let me tell you about Waffles. Before Waffles came into our life, I was afraid of dogs. Stop me if I’ve explained this before. My fear dated back to my childhood when my family had a golden retriever named Mike the Dog who jumped on me a lot when I was trying to feed him. Dry dog food, wet dog food, water, and a raw egg would spill down my blue school… Continue reading

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