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...]

Summer has reached the Wade house!  Boy, we really limped and crawled our way through those final few weeks of the school year.  Last Wednesday I had nothing to pack in my son's lunch except almonds and potato chips.  His Highness had to make an emergency mercy trip to the grocery store, then dash to the school to add a few more items to his lunchbox. Somehow, some way, I got my manuscript … [Read more...]

In the past 15 months, between Ken and me, and my parents, we’ve made four moves, one that involved a farm auction. Uprooting and moving house at any age is not for the faint of heart! But especially at our age! And most especially at my parents' age. Add to that the fact that Ken and I had the bright idea (not!) to move in February in Kansas, from our small-town house into the "big" city. (If you … [Read more...]