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
What This Writer Learned From Pulling Weeds
Every day, before my toddler’s nap, we walk out to the garden hand in hand. She loves to sniff the tomatoes and pop them off the vines when they are nothing but hard green marbles, barely sprouted from the yellowing flower.
Ten (FUN!) Things To Do In The Last Ten Weeks Of Pregnancy
This week, my husband and I watched home videos. In them, our toddler-age daughter was a chubby infant, usually scrunched faced and fussing, which was her default mode for the first ten months of life. I have to admit, those videos
What I’ve Learned Since The Outcast’s Release + Double Audiobook Giveaway!
I once heard that launching a novel does not change your life, but it has. Almost one year ago—July 1, 2013—my debut, The Outcast, was born, and in many ways I feel like I was reborn right along with it. Honestly,
My Happy Place + Giveaway!
My husband and I were married a little over a year when he brought me like a pioneer bride out to his family in Wisconsin. I drove deer alongside the hunters; I scaled an eighty-foot silo with him and peered
Author Interview at FoxLeaf Books!
Charion Stacy Slocum, the owner of FoxLeaf Books, was kind enough to invite me to an author interview session today. We chatted about The Midwife, The Outcast, working around a toddler, and the first installment in a series that I
I Blame It On Low Blood Sugar
Pressing toward deadline, I sat on the couch during my daughter’s afternoon nap, languidly licking batter from a spatula while brownies baked in the oven. I didn’t think of my gestational diabetes test the next morning; I didn’t really think of