Over the Tuscan Moon – Part 3- Agriturismo
We bade farewell to our hosts. Our agriturismo visit was not too far away, but it was a day to look out at the land. We scheduled a long midday break in Siena. The town did not disappoint…
Over the Tuscan Moon Part 2 – Lucca
10/25 Firenze/San Miniato/Lucca Chet and I chose the Arno Valley route, a series of side roads that would wind us about 60 kilometers toward Lucca. On the road, we passed a truck of terrified Holsteins, eyes bulging and ears pinned back, peering out through the...
Over the Tuscan Moon – Part 1
Our bucket list had always included a month in Tuscany. Chet and I are fascinated with the Renaissance, and how it changed Europe. Italy October 16 to November 8, 2017 MILANO More is more. Money and power ooze from the DNA of this city. Civic sensibilities...
Into Dark Corridors: A Tale of Hands, Heart and Home
Abandoned Hearth The old abandoned house —sometimes life presents something so large, so outrageous, that it ends of changing everything. What in the world drove a single mother to bulldoze a canyon, cut a house in half, and tow it up the hill? Most house renovations...
The Talking Dead
Are you listening? The voices beyond the veil are many – pleading, guiding, advising, sometimes warning us. At times they come through very clearly, almost like an email. Other nights it’s a flash, static, or just a feeling. Sadness, fear, even anger may come through...Of Barns and Beauties
Mt. Washington lies in the heart of Los Angeles, bordered by the ditch that provided water to the first settlers. The old homes span generations, and creative restoration is a neighborhood pastime. Enjoy this music video by my former neighbor, Danette Christine, as...Previews of Into Dark Corridors
Connie’s story is so personal, funny, heartbreaking, and honest. It was incredibly hard to put down because I wanted to know what happened next! Having grown up in a family of home builders, I am very familiar with the process, saw the photos, and visited the home...
Into Dark Corridors: A Tale of Hands, Heart and Home
PROLOGUE SPRING 1986 Two policemen crawled through the opening, following her. Flashlights lit a thirty–year collection of cobwebs, some gray and matted, others silky white with fresh prey folded into delicate netting. To the side, desiccated remains, soft white fur...
Terror on the High Seas
Storm clouds floated by – either clearing away or threatening more to come. We strolled on the wet sand with our two golden retrievers. Perhaps a dozen people and a few dogs were out between the rains. Ten–month old Clifford leaps and dives like a dolphin,...
Dreams We See
In Islands of Deception: Lying with the Enemy, the main character changes his identity. The first step is to convert to Christianity and find a community. I have no idea what my dad might have actually done about conversion because he never admitted his original...
Real People & Imaginary Friends
As a Historical Fiction novelist, I’m constantly blending facts and imaginary scenes. For me, the bits just tumble around like marbles in my head. Then I had my first conversations with readers. Readers came up to me asking, “What is real, and what did you make up?”...
Intimate Moments
Our most intimate thoughts and experiences are often expressed in our characters. They are our closest confidantes, reminding us of loved ones, people who have hurt us, and sometime, ourselves. Significant events in their lives matter to us, or we would...
What is Imagination?
How do dreams and imagination tell a story? I wanted a very quiet and confining opening to Islands of Deception, something that would provide a stark contrast between the security of life in Holland and the perils of being a spy in the…
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