The Story Behind The Story
In case you’re one of the few people who’ve managed to miss my news, THE TESTAMENT OF HAROLD’S WIFE is coming out September 25 from Kensington Books. I thought you might enjoy the real-life stories that gave life to this novel. There were two completely different...
Unfinished Stories
Nancy’s husband sent a picture two days before she died. In that one, she wore a white sleeveless nightgown. Her grown sons leaned over either side of her, a hospice tray with a cup of applesauce in the foreground. She was sleeping. Perhaps she’d slipped into the...
Our Recalcitrant Robot
We were recently with our daughter's family. They have two kids, two dogs--one of which is a Labrador retriever--and astonishingly immaculate hardwood floors. We have no little kids at home, one Labrador retriever, and hardwood floors that make people wonder if we’re...
Heroism: It All Counts, Right?
I’ve spent a couple of years trying to figure out how my very smart dog—who can remember and break into any place food is stored—can have such an extremely short memory. Every day, when Scout the Lab sees the horrible menace of the mail truck as it stops in front of...
I Hope You Dance
Do you remember Lee Ann Womack's hit song "I Hope You Dance?" One of the lines goes, "… And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance." Here's a story that I hope makes you not only want to dance, but just as importantly, to extend your hand to...
All I (Don’t) Know
This happened before the election, when I wasn't so worried about the country. My daughter and son-in-law claimed they still have only a three-year old girl and a six-year old boy, but they lied. They suddenly have nine kids, maybe more. I know this because my husband...
REMEMBER MY BEAUTIES Publication Day
I’m excited to let you know that Remember My Beauties is published today. I think this novel will particularly appeal to animal lovers as well as to readers who are interested in how people with the best of intentions can make a mess of everything and the surprising...
It’s A Small Town Thing
Here’s what I love about this small university town I’ve lived in so long: the townies. Half are university professors and staff, and half work the businesses and services of our tree-lined, brick-paved uptown with its intersecting Main Street and High Street. We...
The Colonel, My Sister, and The Barber at the Base
Here’s a sweet story. My parents retired south from New England where they’d grown up, married, raised their family and had a huge network of friends. They moved primarily because my Dad developed a particular loathing for snow. This isn’t really the point, I just...