“You can either run from it or learn from it.” Rafiki in The Lion King History is a tricky beast. Some say we should just forget it, hakuna matata, and all that. Others say that if we simply ignore it, we’ll never learn from it. As an historical fiction author, I land firmly in that …
When writing Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, I knew I had to take my characters to Manito Park, but it wasn’t until I began researching that I learned that the park known today as “Manito Park” was originally named “Montrose Park.” Francis Cook, the owner of the land, named it “Montrose” because of the wide variety …
I had the extreme honor of joining Jayne De Sales for an interview on her marvelous podcast, Tales with De Sales. This is a podcast “exploring fiction that cultivates the good, the true, and the beautiful.” We talked about Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, historical fiction, living in Spokane, and why history itself is so important. …
Do you wish your favorite authors would write more books? I’ll let you in on a secret: there are many ways, other than buying the book, to encourage and support an author. And by doing so, you’ll also be letting others know they should check out the book. Word of mouth is still the best …
What’s cooler than having the author join you for your discussion?! I had the extreme honor recently of attending a local Spokane book club and joining their discussion of my historical mystery, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker! We had so much fun! I brought several of the books I used for research and we passed those …
Join me as I try out Christmas recipes circa 1900! This third recipe is for Christmas Cookies from a personal notebook belonging to my great-great-great-grandmother. It’s also vegan—no eggs or butter! Christmas Cookies 3/4 c honey 1/2 c sugar 3 1/4 c flour 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 …
Join me as I try out Christmas recipes circa 1900! This second recipe is for Delicate Cake from an 1890 cookbook. Delicate Cake 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 3/4 c sweet milk (evaporated or whole milk) 6 egg whites 1/2 c butter 1 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 tsp baking soda ~1 tsp lemon …
Join me as I try out Christmas recipes circa 1900! This first recipe is for Soft Gingerbread from a cookbook published by Pillsbury in 1905. Soft Gingerbread 3/4 c molasses 1 c brown sugar 1/2 c butter 1 c sour milk (buttermilk) 3 eggs 3 c flour 1 Tbsp ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp …
Merry Christmas, everyone! I’m offering a special deal for your Christmas shopping through my website! For a limited time (until I run out of books!) you can purchase for just $24.99 both Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker—my historical mystery—AND Christmas Fiction Off the Beaten Path—a Christmas anthology featuring a short story I wrote entitled “Mary, Did …
One of the best resources I discovered for describing life in Spokane in 1901 was the Dear Mother collection of letters. Marinus Crommelin of Amsterdam wrote home during his visit to Spokane 1901-1902. His letters were compiled and translated by a relative into Dear Mother. This week I wanted to highlight some of Marinus’s impressions …
