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 »