My Laptop Graveyard
I silently cried in eighth grade while staring at the blank computer monitor because I didn’t know how to turn it on. By my junior year of high school, I knew how to turn the computer on, but that was
Madeleine’s Birth Story
Just like in the movies, the night I went into labor began with a storm. Swirling gray and pink clouds were studded with bolts of lightning that had me scurrying—as much as someone nine months pregnant can scurry—up our gravel
Road Trips, Pregnancy, And Fortune Cookie Wisdom
Flare ups of Braxton Hicks prevented us from traveling far on what was to be my last road trip before my daughter’s birth. But I reasoned that since it had taken me twenty-four hours to give birth the first time,
Letter to My Firstborn Daughter
I sit here at the kitchen table, listening to you playing in your crib when you’re supposed to be asleep. But you can get away with just about anything these days, as I contemplate how quickly our lives are going
For Better or . . . For Change
This past weekend, my sister-in-law let us each take a personality quiz on her computer. I got a great kick out of standing behind my husband’s shoulder and mentally (and sometimes verbally) agreeing or disagreeing as he selected various choices. Earlier,
You Might Be Nesting If…
Two weeks ago, my toddler daughter pointed to the kitchen window and said, “It’s waining.” I stopped cooking and glanced over at the speckled glass. “It’s not raining, Baby,” I said. “The window’s just dirty.” To be honest, I could care
I Was Here ~ Leaving Our Mark Through Oral History
Last week I received a letter from a ninety-two-year-old war veteran—written on his forty-five-year-old Smith Corona—which asked if I knew how he could go about recording his life. He shared with me his highlights, his history, and it brought me
Why I Write
My writer friend, Susan Cushman, who hosted me when I went to Memphis for a television interview and book signing last year, tagged me in a blog series that asks three questions. I hope you enjoy my answers and please
The Beginning of Our Lasts
This week, I started the nonfiction audiobook by Anna Quindlen, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake. Of course, I was only half listening due to the fact that my toddler was in the backseat demanding snacks and water and for
Giveaway Time: The Midwife, The Outcast, & The Scarlet Letter!
Hello, friends! Well, this has certainly been the week for giveaways! My publisher's generously offering a giveaway of my newest novel, The Midwife, a copy of my bestselling and award-winning debut, The Outcast, along with a beautiful copy of The