on December 15, 2023
Research is definitely of the joys of writing historical mysteries. I love it! My work-in-progress is a sequel to THE RED-HOT BLUES CHANTEUSE and takes place in one of my favorite cities in the world…New Orleans. Since starting THE MAGNOLIA VOODOO BRAWLERS (working title) I’ve been on the hunt for unsavory snippets about any French… Read More
on December 9, 2023
Getting your book launched into the reading world can be overwhelming. So many options, so many decisions, and so easy to miss something. Well never fear, the Paper Lantern Writers are here! Join Ana, Linda Ulleseit, Alina Rubin, and Jonathan Posner at Day Two (Sunday February 4) of THE HISTORY QUILL 2024 Convention as they… Read More
on December 8, 2023
‘Tis the Link List before Christmas and today–on the Paper Lantern Writers blog–I’ve lined up the links of all thirty-eight of the previous PLW Link Lists. There are goodies galore in this list, but who can choose between such bright blogs as Eighty Excellent Online Historical Collections, Fashions for the Ages, Gay Subculture of Regency… Read More
on November 30, 2023
In my recent release THE RED-HOT BLUES CHANTEUSE, I wrote a few delicious chapters set at Alameda, California’s late, great Neptune Beach amusement park. Here’s a little more Neptune Beach history, in a post that was initially published in Linda Bennett Pennell‘s HISTORY IMAGINED. . . . Imagine that it’s April 1919 and you’re a… Read More
on October 16, 2023
As much as I love reading and writing novels, I also love reading and writing a good short story. My latest short story X Marks the Spot comes out in two weeks, in the Paper Lantern Writers Beneath a Midwinter Moon anthology. The whole anthology is a jewel, but I’m really partial to my story,… Read More
on October 13, 2023
Celebrate Friday the 13th with my new Paper Lantern Writers List List—THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! From puppetry to sports competitions to parades to live theater, we all have our favorite entertainments. In this post I capture some of the historic entertainments that made people laugh, cry, sigh, and sweat through the years. Did your favorite entertainment make… Read More
on October 8, 2023
Even if you’ve never heard the famous rhyme about Lizzie Borden, I’m sure you’ve heard about her. Lizzie Borden, c. 1890 In August 1892, Lizzie’s father and stepmother were brutally murdered in their house in Fall River, Massachusetts. The size and shape of the bloody chop marks on the bodies suggested that a… Read More
on June 9, 2023
Happy June 9th, International Archives Day! In the spirit of Fifty Fabulous Online Library Historical Collections, Sixty Sensational Online Historical Archive Collections, and 74 Superlative Online Historical College Collections, I’m celebrating the holiday by sharing Eighty Excellent Online Historical Collections over on the Paper Lantern Writers blog. Enjoy! Eighty Excellent Online Historical Collections
on May 30, 2023
Today on the Paper Lantern Writers blog I’m sharing some of my favorite quotes about writing, starting with this treasure from botanist George Washington Carver: “Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough.” Want more writing wisdom? Check out Goal-Conflict-Disaster. Reaction-Dilemma-Decision. Repeat-Repeat-Repeat
on November 7, 2022
At some moment in my almost thirty-year career in high tech, I came up with a list of reasons “why I would ever quit this job”. The list is short: I’ll quit if my manager starts micro-managing me. I’ll quit if my manager starts jerking me around. And even though I’m not employed by Twitter,… Read More