I was torn between the names Kemper and Mitzi. In the end, I think Kemper won, but I can't be sure. Why don't I remember my own dog's name? My Christmas present in 1985? Well, that Australian shepherd mixed mutt didn't stay whatever I named her for long. We'd just moved to "the property" in Continue Reading
New Release
How Clearing out Junk Helped Me Find Treasure
When you spend a weekend with a professional organizer who is trying to help authors declutter their spaces, their schedules, and their minds, it gets under your skin, okay? I am already prone to bouts of decluttering frenzies as it is. I mean, I wrote a whole book on one woman's quest to eradicate Continue Reading
Classy Women Wear Heels but I Absolutely Love Invisible Shoes
My feet hurt. You'd think after walking through airports all day, this wouldn't surprise me. Here's the thing. I've worn the same brand of shoes for the past five years. When my old pair got worn out and my daughter said Marshall's had them in stock, I had her grab some. They are not the same. Continue Reading
What Happens When a Great Act Shows Up in the Wrong Decade?
We stepped off the train, and let me tell you, the world's gone crazy! The automobiles! Big, round but with pointy bits. Women in hats and gloves like I've never seen. And enough fabric in the skirts to make three dresses! When we stepped out of the station, Joe tried hailing a cab, but I Continue Reading
My #1 Most Beloved Makeup Tip. Fake Health with Foundation.
"I was hoping to see you feeling better." It wasn't the first time someone had said that. In fact, I was getting pretty sick of hearing it. Just that morning, I'd stood at the mirror and really examined myself. Were my eyes dull? Nope. I might need to pull out a few of my Groucho Marx Continue Reading
A Bear, a Tardis, and a Blue Ox Walk into a Great Mystery
Another Ever After Mystery was ready to release when I got the word that the hero of When the Pilot Falls had gone missing. I mean, seriously? With everything going on, we now have to go hunting for this guy? Well, I did what any reasonable author would do. I made a graphic. Continue Reading
Will Life’s Powerful Storms Make You Stronger or Break You?
I woke up about the time that my wooden stamp collection rattled off the rails on my wall and onto the floor. A second later, my craft table fell over--just as I leaped out of bed. I made it to the doorway of my closet by the time the thing was really getting hard. And strong. Everything in my Continue Reading
Want to Know A Super Cool Secret? Persuade Me to Spill the Beans!
Another day, another bunch of fun launch festivities for A Giant Murder by Marji Laine. This is kind of like what we did for The Last Gasp. A Giant Murder is book two in the Ever After Mystery series from Celebrate Publishing, and the series authors are sharing a fun mini blog hop, all looking Continue Reading
What Does DIY Have to Do with Love & Romance?
"What are we writing about for the release of Flipping Hearts?" I think that's when I went, "Um..." for about half an hour. But then it hit me. Flipping Hearts is about the aftermath of Hurricane Arley and its destruction on Hopper Island. Now, no, it wasn't a devastating hurricane. Only a few Continue Reading
I Think You’ll Gasp at Guilty Party in the Great Slipper Caper
Today is DAY 6 of the release fun for the first book in the Ever After Mysteries, The Last Gasp. I’m extra excited because it’s my book! To celebrate the release, all the Ever After authors are doing a short blog hop, complete with a mini-mystery and prizes. We're trying to discover who stole the Continue Reading
The New Bookstrings Series and Spines & Leaves Release
The idea came to me while on vacation a few years ago. I wanted to write a series of books about bookstores—not a single bookstore and multiple books about that, but about multiple bookstores in small towns across America. My problem? I didn't know what the point would be. What connected those Continue Reading
Trashy Reality Shows: A Media Menace or Guilty Pleasure Time Wasters?
I never saw the first season of Survivor. It didn't appeal to me, but something someone said about it made me curious after the season ended. So, when Season 2 came along, I watched it. That was the one with church elder Rodger and sweet Elizabeth. It was fun, interesting, and I actually enjoyed Continue Reading
