Clichés. We all use them in everyday conversation. They are shorthand phrases that we employ when we don’t have time to spell out what we mean in greater length. Sometime, often long ago, a clever person coined a word or phrase that was worth repeating. The problem for writers is that readers often see these […]
how Cliché…a Short-Short Story Read More »
Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) is a word you may have heard or read about recently. It originates in Scandinavia, especially in Denmark, and my simplified definition is “all things cozy.” Actually, simplicity is at its core. It means to step away from the complexities of life and embrace whatever it is that brings contentment—making you comfortable
Hygge Hugs…what we need right now Read More »
One of the perks of being a grown-up is giving yourself permission to indulge in some childhood fantasies. And judging how many adults love my middle-grade Zephyr Stone novels, I’d say there’s a fair population of those in touch with their inner younger selves! Now, when the holidays have transformed your home into Willy Wonka’s
Cookies for Breakfast…a New Year’s Diet Read More »
A few years ago, residents of a home in the historic district of our 300-year-old town of Edenton, North Carolina, went against the traditional, “tasteful” grain of most of our outdoor Christmas decorations. They festooned their front-yard, bare-branched tree with strings of multi-colored lights, blinking ropes of lights, and neon-bright dangling lights in what appeared
Gaudia—Gaudy—Joy…to the world! Read More »
Today, as I and most of the world wait on tenterhooks for the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election, I read a news article about the Voyager 1 spacecraft probe, launched back in September 1977. It explained how NASA is instructing it to turn off and on various components to attempt to extend its
Pale Blue Dot…a nonpartisan view on Election Day Read More »
As I face my computer screen to write this month’s Blog post, my mind and heart are filled with the heartbreaking images of so many who have been affected by the recent Hurricane Helene and its path of destruction from Florida through my home state of North Carolina and up into Virginia. Our beloved mountain
Hope…is a tattered flag and the thing with feathers Read More »
Oh, Happy Day! We have sweltered through a miserably hot, muggy, buggy summer here in northeastern North Carolina, but a shining light beams forth on the calendar as brightly as the Harvest Moon: “Fall Begins, September 22!” Although there will be plenty of sweaty days ahead, at least the calendar gives one hope. And, so,
And So It Begins…all things pumpkiny! Read More »
Recently, I’ve been asked why I write books for the middle-grade readership, those roughly between the ages of 9-12. My reply is that this age group, spanning the bridge between childhood and young adulthood, represents the betwixt and between phases of life that we all inhabit throughout our lives. We so often find ourselves in
Betwixt and Between…a different kind of B&B Read More »
Please pardon me while I climb up on my soapbox for a moment and speak of something close to my heart: There are those who eschew efforts by humans to lower our impact on climate change by stating that the earth has always gone through major climatic changes, well before the Industrial Age. They point
Cooling the Fever…of Planet Earth Read More »
In my part of the world, June hails the re-blossoming of the Crape Myrtle tree—that arboreal Queen of Summer with the one-hundred-day reign of blooming beauty. Frothy bouquets in a variety of shades of white, pink, purple, and red decorate the branches of these graceful trees. As in many southern towns in the United States,
Long Live the Queen…of summer Read More »
I’ve been asked, recently, to capsulize my writing journey into a short blurb. As is often the case, I begin with the long version, then whittle it down to something more succinct. So…here’s the long story! When it comes to published work, I’m a late bloomer. Although I’ve enjoyed creating stories since I was a
My Circuitous Journey…as a writer Read More »
(April Iris, Author’s Back Garden) As a writer, I find it useful to explore all types of literary
Say It With Seventeen…haiku inspiration Read More »
After receiving all of our Covid vaccinations and boosters, and after dodging the bullet for four years, my husband and I both finally succumbed to that insidious virus, this past week. I can only guess how ill we would have been had we not been fully vaccinated.The good and the bad of us falling ill
In Sickness and in health…a covid challenge Read More »
Although we feel love throughout the year, it’s the month of February that officially celebrates it, crowned mid-month on Valentine’s Day. For me, a celebration of love includes all of its beautiful forms. In addition to Valentines for our romantic partners, I believe in presenting them to family and friends—including pets who prefer edible ones!
A Celebration of Love…in all its forms Read More »
The New Year is upon us, and it is steeped in tradition. From Japan to North Carolina, folks have unique ways of celebrating this new beginning that returns each year like clockwork. Here are a few interesting ones that I have come across, but I am certain there are as many traditions as there are
Happy New Year…around the World Read More »
For my cousin, Linda, forever open to wonderment December 1, 2023 In December, amidst the lights and twinkling glitter, bopping inflated Santas and Grinches, fluttering flags and brightly lit trees adorning our homes and storefronts—lies the still, quiet heart of the season. Silent night, holy night. The deepest, darkest time of the year (in the
Embracing the Mysteries…of Christmas Read More »
Early morning of November first found me removing all vestiges of Halloween from our outdoor decorations. Down came the witch flag, the cool ghost with his fedora and shades, the arched-back black cat, the tiny ghosts lining the walkway, the little ghost flying from the tree next to the street, the witch windsock, the dangling
A Pause…to give thanks Read More »
“Smoky Mountain Autumn”— photo by K. L. Wood As leaves begin to lose their chlorophyll-green and reveal their true colors, we enter the
True Colors…leaves and people too Read More »
For the fun-in-the-sun of it, my husband planted a row of sunflower seeds along our backyard side-fence. I’ve got to tell you, there’s nothing like watching sunflowers grow for nearly instant gratification! From seeds to nine-foot-tall flowers took only a few summertime weeks. As I watched those beauties grow from seedlings to skyscraping blooms to
Be Like The Sunflower…more lessons from the garden Read More »
As I sweated through a recent session of deadheading my flowers in the midst of this meltingly hot summer, I had a lightbulb moment. Gardening is a perfect metaphor for writing. One can also draw parallels to life, in general (but that’s a blog for another day!) Bear with me, now, as I explain myself.
Seeding, Deadheading, & Weeding…lessons from the garden Read More »
The song, “Carolina Moon”, written in 1924 by Joe Burke and Benny Davis, often floats through my thoughts when I gaze up at a North Carolina moon. I also warmly equate it with my dear mother, born in Swansboro, NC just one year before the song was composed. Legend has it, that it was written
Carolina Moon…keeping shining Read More »
With these months of May and Mother’s Day, and June and Father’s day, I have turned my thoughts to child-rearing. (Sort of…) Kids! Whether they are nine or ninety—what are we going to do with them? They sulk in silence. They sneak off to who-knows-where. They speak some kind of kid-gibberish that we struggle to
Parenting…our protagonists Read More »
Along with spring showers, April brought National Library week, and it put me in mind to ponder libraries and their intrinsic worth. It’s hard to imagine living in a world without public libraries, but truly free (non-fee, non-subscription based, government funded) ones did not exist for American citizens until the first was established in Peterborough,
A Love Note…to libraries Read More »
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, my husband—with his deep Irish heritage—gave me a lovely shamrock plant that sits on the windowsill above my kitchen sink. I’ve been reminded of something important by that emerald-green plant. More on that later in the post… On March 24 and 25, I volunteered, as I have from its inception,
Open and Shut…the shamrock’s lesson Read More »
As Alexander Pope mused back in 1733, “Hope springs eternal…” For me, Spring hopes eternal, and Spring officially arrives in the month of March. Unless you live in the southern hemisphere in which Spring begins in September!) March is the baby of the seasonal year—All pastel pinks, and blues, and lavenders, and yellows, and the
“Hope springs eternal”…and vice versa Read More »
Over the past few months, several within my part of the world have died or had their death anniversaries. These passings have turned my thoughts to the subject of grief and mourning. (Bear with me, now, I promise this post will not be a downer!) With the advent of social media, I have become aware
Moving Forward…not moving on Read More »
I’m sure that many of you may rely on digital calendars, but I love the physical ones with intriguing imagery and the ability to easily glance ahead at what is in store. It is my New Year’s Day tradition to remove the previous year’s calendar from the wall and sit down with it beside my
January…the two-faced month Read More »
Tis the season for hearing Christmas songs played everywhere you go. An annual favorite was recorded by Andy Williams in 1963 and has a line that may spark your curiosity: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…There’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago…” Wait…Ghost stories? At
Ghosts of Christmas Past…seasonal mysteries Read More »
Country fairs have long been a staple of American life, with many books and movies centered around them. Especially those with the added attraction of carnival rides and games, they are often portrayed in equal measure entertaining, delightful, exciting…and creepy. Places where young people try out their flirting and flaunting skills and one’s nerve is
At the Fair…fun, fear, and fantasy Read More »
Here it is! The book cover for my newest novel, the second book in my Zephyr Stone middle grade supernatural mystery series: Zephyr Stone and the Haunted Beach House. I am thrilled with the way artist Laura Hollingsworth caught the “spirit” of the book, and love how cover designer Cassie Torgent linked it to the
“All Will Be Revealed”…a poetic Celebration Read More »
August 1, 2022 I noticed a curious phenomenon this summer. A morning glory plant which “volunteered” in a pot beside my deck, reached out a tendril and entwined itself around a stick propped against the railing. I didn’t plant the morning glory so I assume a breeze or a bird seeded the pot. A climbing
Climbing Higher…growing Bigger Hearts Read More »
Edenton, North Carolina—the town I’ve called home for the past ten years—hugs the shoreline of the Albemarle Sound. It’s in an area that has become known as the Inner Banks. You could set sail from Edenton, head east for about fifty miles, and drop anchor at Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks. Along with my
Sea Glass…Jewels from the Sea Read More »