of Place and Time
The current novel in progress (which has at last got a working title, Arrows of Mercy. Or perhaps it should be Mercy's Arrows... Arrows in the Hand...? Oh dear) ranks as the most research-intensive work I've ever tackled, barring only my first 18th century novel,...
Sent
I hovered over that SEND button for a few extra minutes this morning, my mind spinning through familiar pages, scenes, and chapters. Was there one more thing I should've (would've could've) changed? Should I hold off clicking that button-of-no-return for a few more...
First Things First
So what's been happening since I signed my first book contract back in March? My deadline is June 15th, and I'm reading the manuscript over one more time, out loud, before I send it in. A week ago I received and answered a 12 page Author and Book Questionnaire, which...
What I hold in my hand
I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me. Psalm 57:2 One beautiful old translation of this verse says, "He will perform the cause I hold in my hand." That makes it very real to me today. The very thing "I hold in my hand" -- my work today,...
People of the Standing Stone — Oneida Nation Research
The story I'm working on now is partly set among the Oneida tribe of western New York. Their name, Oneida (Onyota’a:ká:) is translated as People of the Standing Stone. The Oneidas are one of the Six Nations that make up the Iroquois Confederacy, or League, now and...
Mystery
Sometimes I'm jarred out of my novel in progress enough to wonder where it all came from, this plot, these characters, this setting.It happened again this week. These are the sorts of questions that race through my head whenever it does: How (and why) did this story...
Why I write (one of the reasons)
There's an author of historical fiction I admire. Most of his works are set during the 18th century, a time period in US history I find pivotal, alluring, and chock full of excellent story possibilities. The author is James Alexander Thom. I recently read his...
Fever
Did you know that in treating fevers doctors used to recommend (or even insist) that the patient's head be shaved? I wasn't aware of this fact until relatively recently, when I encountered it portrayed in a novel set in the 18th century. I've done a bit of reading on...
The Messenger by Siri Mitchell
I've been a fan of Siri Mitchell's writing since the first book of hers I read, The Cubicle Next Door. It's rare that a contemporary set story draws me in and makes me connect with the characters as deeply as Siri managed to with Cubicle. So when I learned she wrote...
All Work and No Pray….
Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.This quote from St. Augustine is taped beside my desktop monitor, so I'll be reminded of it daily. While I value a strong work ethic, and desire to give my all to whatever creative...
