One of the questions authors are frequently asked is, where do our ideas come from. My answer? Everywhere! It seems different for me for each book. Since many of my readers have told me that Candle in the Darkness is their favorite book, here’s the story of how that novel came about. It started when my musician husband, Ken, performed at a Civil War re-enactment with the “Yankee Brass Band.” I … [Read more...]

If you live in Michigan—as I do—you just can’t miss “Tulip Time” in Holland. Tulips and klompen (wooden shoes) are everywhere, as you can see from this sign posted in the public library. This year I watched the parades and Dutch dancers for the very first time—and what fun! The young people seem to really enjoy dressing up in traditional Dutch costumes and putting on a show. The Holland High … [Read more...]

One of my favorite ways to nourish my creativity is to feed off the creative gifts of others. I do this by reading a good novel or going to a concert or to the art museum, seeing a play or going to a quilt show. Last Thursday my creativity had a veritable Thanksgiving Day feast when my husband and I and three family members went to see an original ballet entitled “It is Well.” It was performed by … [Read more...]

What is one of your treasured possessions? An interviewer recently asked me that question, and at first I wondered if it was a trick. We’re not supposed to “store up for ourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,” are we? I pondered the question for a while and came to the conclusion that I was overanalyzing it. Interviewers are probably just as … [Read more...]

I just drove down to the post office to mail an old, worn-out pair of shoelaces to a cat! It had to be one of the weirdest packages I’ve ever sent. But Dexter, who is my “grand-cat,” was lost without those shoelaces and overjoyed to have them back. Before you think I’ve gone off the deep end, here’s the story. I’ve written about Dexter before—how he was a homeless, rescue cat that no one wanted. … [Read more...]