The Love Haters by Katherine Center

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

I was the fortunate recipient of a coveted "Skip the Line" library loan from my local library's Libby app last week. Imagine my surprise to find a brand new release from one of my favorite romance authors - Katherine Center! I previously read two other books by Center, and enjoyed them, so I jumped right [...]

The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

A retiring novelist creates a small cemetery for her unfinished manuscripts on a small parcel of land she inherited from her father. The land is in the Dominican Republic, her hometown and the setting for many of her stories. Alvarez weaves several stories together to write an incredibly beautiful novel about humanity, love, violence, tradition, and home.

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

Whalefall is like no other book I have ever read. There's a pretty substantial literary history involving humans being swallowed by a whale. This is an effective literary tactic because it reminds us how small we are in the grand scheme of things. I mean, think about it - day after day, we face struggles [...]

When McCarthyism Went After Books

Note: I authored this post for The Banned Bookshelf, a now defunct website - this is my writing. Early in 1953, Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin was conducting a sweeping congressional investigation to find communists among the American "elite." During this time, books by Communists were targeted for removal from State libraries, among others. Once [...]

House of Cotton by Monica Brashears

House of Cotton by Monica Brashears

Monica Brashears is an incredible writer and I look forward to watching what will certainly be an acclaimed and accomplished writing career. There are critics and professors out there who can tell you "why" this story writes itself into your bones, I'm not one of them. All I can tell you is that it does.

The God of All Endings by Jacqueline Holland

The God of All Endings by Jacqueline Holland

The God of All Endings by Jacqueline Holland is described on it's amazon page by Library Journal as "Great for fans of Interview With A Vampire and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue." I knew right then that I was going to read this book and I was going to love this book! The God [...]

Cavalcade: Academy Awards Best Picture 1933

Next up for the Best Picture History Project is Cavalcade (1933) is a film adaptation of Noel Coward's play of the same name. Set in London, the movie follows the upper class Marryot family and their servants, the Bridges through the first 33 years of the 20th century. This was an eventful time for Londoners [...]

Christmas Cookies

Christmas Cookies

Christmas Cookie recipes that my family has enjoyed over the last ten years.

Houseplant Spotlight: Prayer Plant

Houseplant Spotlight: Prayer Plant

This beautiful prayer plant sprouted a beautiful purple flower after a prolific season of growth.

Meet My Co-Writer, Lilac

Lilac has been assisting me today while I work on client blogs. We rescued her and her sister from an animal shelter when they were kittens. Adopt, don’t shop! Visit petfinder.com to find a shelter animal near you. I have no affiliation with Pet Finder.