Pumpkins, skeletons, and candy corn On Sunday it will be October first. When my kids were young, we loved to decorate for Halloween, and in the beginning I started early. It seemed perfectly normal to me to have a houseful of pumpkins and witches and black cats from the first week of October on. We …Read More

I’ve been waiting months to tell you that DEAD ENDS: Stories from the Gothic South is here–and it finally is! I’ve read every one of the stories, and even wrote one myself. I can’t wait for you to read this book–If you like your stories a little scary this time of year (or any time, …Read More

      Ah, the author photo. It’s that time again for me. Actually it’s been that time for about the last five years. My last one was around 2009. And before that, it was late 2006. Back in the day I believed author photos had to be taken pretty much every other year. But …Read More

  Since I took the summer off I have quite a few photos I haven’t shared on the blog. These are from a lovely summer Sunday I spent in Cincinnati, my home town, with my parents. Most are from the riverfront park. There are some amazing multi-person swings that sit on a ridge  overlooking the …Read More

  I had so many hopes for today’s blog. But here it is after midnight, and I’m only now getting a post together. And that’s with a list on my desktop of things I plan to write about. The truth is that I took today off work, for the most part. Which means I started …Read More

  “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson I’m thinking a lot these days about the interior life–the life that no one else sees. It has to be nurtured and cared for just like our bodies. It’s a …Read More

Happy Saturday! It’s apparently a good news, bad news Saturday for us all who are reading this. The Rapture was supposed to happen today, but I guess there are at least a few hours left. (Personally I’m a “we know not the hour nor the day” kind of person, but some aren’t, I guess.) We …Read More

    Today is one of the most bittersweet days of the year. Despite what the weather people say (we’ll have a high of 90 degrees for the next six days), it’s the first day of autumn. I don’t know about you, but I am welcoming it with sneezes, courtesy of whatever flora is propagating …Read More

    I discovered today that the Road to Perfect is covered in wet tar, lined with brambles, kudzu, and poison ivy, and is policed by dragons flying overhead. You’re probably way ahead of me, and already know that. And what I’m going to say next… The Road to Perfect is nearly impassable because it …Read More

Happy Wednesday! Every other Wednesday I blog over at the Kill Zone blog, with a stellar group of mystery and thriller writers. So I’ll often do a repost here to keep me from going crazier than I already am. Do pop over and visit if you have a chance. I love this post from April. And …Read More