I’m thrilled to share that my novel THE LAST HOFFMAN is published and available for purchase in e-book and print format. It’s been quite a journey, but I finally did it! There’s lots of love poured into the writing of this literary fiction/family drama.
Here’s a little ditty that summarizes the story…
“In a floundering 1980s papermill town, awkward widower Floyd Hoffman holds a secret that draws contempt from his teenage son.
Continue reading “Book Release–The Last Hoffman”
I’m nearing a finish line. For the past three years, I’ve been researching and writing my current novel in progress—and it’s almost done. The work must be completed before the end of May which is not so far away now. Continue reading “Seat of the (Author’s) Pants”
We booklovers read for entertainment, but also to see a whisper of ourselves and to feel heard. Stories show us how other people avert disaster, conquer sorrows or live to the fullest. So, what’s in it for the writer? Continue reading “Necessary Voices”
“I like to live always at the beginnings of a life, not at their end.”
This quote by essayist Anaïs Nin (1903-1977) caught my attention recently. While brief, it’s a thoughtful prescription for living that I’ve been mulling over the past few days.
What did Anaïs mean by “at the beginnings of ‘a’ life”? Continue reading “Beginning and Ending”
Failure hurts. We spend untold amounts of energy doing our best to avoid it. The process of failing is doubly painful for those of us raised by women whose worth was measured by their efficacy as housewife and mother. Their children’s accomplishments ticked boxes on their performance appraisal. Our failings were their failings. Perfectionism was the fix. Continue reading “Failure and Failing”
“When you plan a journey, it belongs to you. When you begin a journey, you belong to it.” After reading this African proverb in a friend’s Facebook post, I drew a quick breath and my heart opened up. Words that resonate carry such power.
So often, we engineer plans to orchestrate a project or life event according to our vision how things should go. Sometimes the universe has bigger ideas. Our creation expands beyond what we imagined, and unexpectedly carries us forward on its own energy. We cling, wide-eyed and uncertain, to its sweeping tail. The horizon is obscured by fog and around every corner is a new corner we can’t see around. Continue reading “Belonging to the Journey”
A few weeks ago, I paid a visit to a pair of adorable donkeys named Daisy and Violet. This mother daughter duo lives in a quaint little pasture owned by my lovely friend, Ewa, and her family.
The fall season is truly upon us now, and the garden aspect of our urban homestead is winding down. I took a break from writing to harvest the last green tomatoes — a treat you won’t find at the store. Continue reading “Feeling Nostalgic–Green Tomatoes”
Coddiwomple is a word recently added to my lexicon. It best describes the process by which I found the land farmed by my Irish ancestors. Coddiwomple is an English slang meaning to travel purposefully toward an as-yet-unknown destination. Gratitude and emotion fill me when I reflect on the kindness of strangers who helped me to that end. Continue reading “Locating Land Farmed by My Irish Ancestors”