A strong female character begins with a woman who has experienced life and grown from the lessons learned. Through adversity, she’s been wounded; taken note of what caused the mental, physical, or spiritual infliction; explored how to heal; and applied the techniques. When others fall, she’s still standing, and when she does bottom out, she’s […]
Ownerless treasure—that’s what Nazis called the jewelry, artwork, and coins they stole from Jewish people. They began plundering this “ownerless” treasure before World War II, and as the war progressed, they stored these valuable items in caves, mines, and castles across Europe. Fifteen years ago, my husband and I visited the alpine lake district in […]
Today I’m excited to reveal my book cover for The Amish Widow’s Rescue. I love the covers for this book series, although this one is more somber than the rest. I have some behind the scenes pictures from this cover shoot, and the funniest part occurred when they were setting up. The model was getting […]
There was just something special about Hart County, Kentucky. Almost three years ago, when I was first researching Amish communities for my editor, I read a very brief blurb about the Amish of Hart County. It really wasn’t much more than a few sentences, but they sure stuck with me! I remember reading that a […]
There’s an old writing adage out there, and it goes something like this: Write what you know. This rule used to intimidate me. A lot. When I first began my writing journey, I was a young mother with two toddlers. I’d married my high school sweetheart and the jobs I’d held were nothing to write […]
Cast your book as a movie – who would play your main characters and why? If Bringing Maggie Home appeared on the Big Screen, I would like to see Olympia Dukakis as Hazel. The actress’s appearance and spunk match Hazel perfectly. Margaret Diane would be best played by Sandra Bullock because I think Sandra could […]
With all the craziness in the country today, it’s a wonder why people are so fascinated with the simplistic lifestyle of the Amish. Their simple existence is a mystery to most, and their quiet way of living is something most of us can only hope for. Well most of us wouldn’t dream of living without […]
With our luggage in hand, my ten-year-old son and I sat in an empty train station at midnight in Gainesville, Georgia, hoping that when we did finally see or hear a train approaching, it would actually stop for us. Who travels by long-distance passenger train in the modern world? As best I could tell, adventurers […]
Many Sparrows is my fifth published novel, so I’ve written long enough now to know my first drafts always come out overwritten, screaming with the need to be trimmed (or whacked like a jungle of kudzu). Many Sparrows was no exception. One scene in the first half of the book hit the cutting room floor, […]
I’m a relative newcomer to the Pacific Northwest. I was born and raised in Southern California, attended college in San Jose, Irvine, and Long Beach, California. My police career was spent in Long Beach, and it was there that I patrolled the streets with a badge and in uniform. But four years ago, I made […]