With my interest in genealogy, you might think I’d call myself Irish, or Scots-Irish, or even Welsh. But I don’t. I’m an American born to American parents. My family tree is so rooted in America no one remembers who came over (until I did the research, of course.) But we know someone did. We’re Americans,…
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Writing Globally
Recently on Twitter I saw this picture: American Politics Abroad And it immediately reminded me how many people we met while in Ireland who asked about how we felt about the Clintons or about Obama or Bush. They wanted to know how Americans felt, and I quite honestly said that I didn’t feel right speaking for…
Birth Order and Fictional Characters
My Ellis Island Characters So far I’ve avoided birth order with my series, pretty much anyway. Grace McCaffery was an only child until she was an adult. Of course, she did work as a nanny for four children, so there was some sibling rivalry there that she had to work to understand, but basically she…
Puppy Tales
Let’s see if a cute puppy gets me more comments. 😉 My Puppy Tales [bctt tweet=”Who puts their dog on their family tree?”] The first puppy I had was a family dog named Boots. I remember going with my parents and sisters to pick out a puppy from someone who had a litter. I must…
Why I Chose to Write About Ellis Island
You would be surprised how many times people ask me that question. Well, maybe you aren’t surprised. Maybe you would ask it yourself because you are curious how an author decides what to write about. Fair enough. But it surprises me because…why wouldn’t I? Ellis Island is iconic. Immigrants to the island passed by The…
My Pet Peeve About Other Writers
This Embarrasses Me About Other Writers It’s gotten to the point that I can’t ignore it. One of these days I just might say something, but so far I haven’t figured out how to say it. So for now, I’ll just explain here on my blog.[bctt tweet=”Find out what I dislike about some fellow authors….
Still Here!
Yes, I am. The Life of a Writer I like blogging. I know some writers dread it, but for me, it’s a way to communicate directly with readers. It takes a looooong time to publish a book. A blog lets me publish something sooner. And I get to write about anything, although on this blog…
Our Ancestors’ Memories
This Book Made Me Think I just finished The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Actually, I listened to an audiobook that was titled Sophia’s Secret, because it was later retitled. It’s the same book. A novelist gets caught up in her fictional world. That’s not unusual, believe me. But in this story these are her…
The Journey to Bring Readers Sofia’s Tune
A Canceled Book Contract It happens far more often in the publishing industry than you might think. At first I was crushed, but it happened a few years ago and I’ve recovered. 😉 It was a business decision, but one that I felt was unfair to readers who liked the series and wanted to see…
10 Irish Books: Reading Your Way Through St. Patrick’s Day
[bctt tweet=”10 Irish Books for St. Patrick’s Day!”] About St. Patrick There are many history books and some fiction choices. If you really want to know the man, start with his writings. Two exist: St. Patrick’s Confession and his Letters to the Soldiers of Coroticus. The letter is shorter and meant as an excommunication for…