It’s August already. I can’t believe how quickly this summer has flown past! I’ve only begun to enjoy all of my favorite things about this season—and I do love summer. In fact, I love all four seasons. With only two exceptions, I’ve lived most of my life in places where the four seasons were evenly spaced with three full months to enjoy each one—the cool, daffodil days of spring; the hot, … [Read more...]

This is Dexter, a rescue-cat. He was found wandering the streets of Chicago and brought to the Red Door Animal Shelter where my daughter, Maya, sometimes volunteers as a foster parent for stray cats. We call her the “Cat Whisperer” for her ability to calm and tame strays like Dexter—and he needed a lot of taming. Big, boisterous and street-smart, Dexter didn’t get along with the other cats and … [Read more...]

The first time I attended a writers’ conference I found out that the novel I’d just written was totally wrong. Plotting, characters, pacing . . . all wrong. The professional editor who taught the course also evaluated the writing sample I’d sent, and by the end of my critique session, I felt like he’d put my manuscript through a paper shredder. After my wounded pride healed, I spent the next year … [Read more...]

You won’t believe where I am. I can hardly believe it myself! Like a wealthy heroine in a 19th century novel, I’m on a Grand Tour of Europe. But this trip isn’t purely for pleasure, although I’m certainly having a lot of fun! My husband Ken and I are here in the Netherlands after a stopover in Copenhagen to watch as our son Benjamin is awarded his PhD in Biblical Studies from the University of … [Read more...]