Last night I attended the monthly meeting of my local writers group (ACFW-Minnesota). Everyone shared what they were working on or celebrating, we discussed plotting, and then we hung out and talked for an hour after the official meeting ended. It’s so satisfying to spend time with people who “get” you! Then today, I stumbled across something I’d somehow missed before. I … [Read more...]
Discovering the Forgotten War
This year World War II is going to get a lot of attention. On May 8, 1945 it will be the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. But thinking about World War II also makes remember the often forgotten war. The Spanish Civil War ... ever heard of it? Yeah, I hadn't really either. Beyond hearing about a For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, I didn't … [Read more...]
Christmas Candy Cane Traditions
Since it's Christmas morning, I wanted to introduce you to our newest family Christmas tradition -- one that grew out of writing a book. In my latest book, Where Treetops Glisten, the heroine in my novella works at a candy shop that opened in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1912. The name's changed (today it's McCords), but they still make the same Christmas candy canes the same way they were made a … [Read more...]
The Holly and the Ivy
For some reason, the Christmas carol, “The Holly and the Ivy” has been going through my head for weeks, and for the life of me, I could not recall any other words of the song. Thinking of holly and ivy caused me to pause and wonder why we sing about it in the first place and how it relates to Christmas. I read that holly and ivy have been a mainstay of British Christmas decorations since at least … [Read more...]
Fort Phantom Hill
About 15 minutes from where I work, there are wonderful old remains of an authentic 1850's Texas fort. And with a name like Fort Phantom Hill, I thought it would be the perfect topic for blog the week after Halloween. In November of 1851, five companies of the 5th Infantry were dispatched to establish a post on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River at a place known as Phantom Hill. It was built to … [Read more...]