Window Over The Sink

Honestly, I know I can be unreasonable sometimes. I can get offended by things as simple as a tree being cut down when I really liked how it looked where it was. Frankly, if it's not my tree, I shouldn't care, right? Well, I still do. So today, when I was wasting my usual unconscionable amount of time scrolling Facebook, I came to one of those tell me how to update this already perfectly beautiful kitchen posts. I really liked the dark, heavy walnut cupboards, and I hope they

That’s me. Born in 1950, an unexpected sixth child to parents already in their forties who thought they were done. I grew up on a farm six miles from where I live now. We called the midday meal dinner and the evening one supper. We went to town on Friday nights, when the stores were open till nine, after the milking was done. We grew up with politics being discussed, religion being practiced—or not; it was up to you. You’d get your mouth washed out with soap if you let certai

by M.J. Schiller FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS Fairytale Romance Series, Book One Once upon a time, a woman fell in love with a prince…and married his brother. Once upon a time… A young lady named Izzy was abducted by marauders and forced into slavery. Upon her arrival at the castle, she was taken in by one of the king’s advisors, a wise and kindly man. As time passed, she fell in love with a young man whom she later discovered was the prince. This prince, Trevarius, as he was

September 1 is a special day to me. It was the day my brother Joe married Sadie, the sister he brought home just for me! While I've been saying that for 60-some years, no one quite believes me. September is a colorful, hopeful time, and I wish that for you. In the meantime, Shades of Green releases today. It's one of my favorite stories ever, and Cari and Zack are in the favorite couples list, too. It's the end of the Harper Loch Trilogy. I hope you like it. Pastor Cari Newla

No post today. I don't have it in me. I am doing a Facebook party today--you're all invited. There will be conversations and prizes. https://www.facebook.com/groups/thefiresidebookcafe/? On Tuesday, September 1, Shades of Green, Book 3 in Colors, the Harper Loch Trilogy, will release. I hope you like it. I'll be back next week. Wishing you joy and heart's ease. Be nice to somebody.

by Susie Black The United Television Network exiles disgraced investigative reporter Sunny Knight to a remote California desert affiliate. Sunny is informed by the station owner that, since nothing happens in the middle of nowhere, the station does not need an investigative reporter, and she is now the weather reporter. After they have a vicious altercation, the station owner’s bridge partner is discovered dead, and Sunny’s boss is arrested for the murder. Despite her differe

This was first on the Window in April of 2022, and again in 2024. It's an April-like post, but like now, it was a time of changing, of sorrow and dance, of loss and worry. As when I first wrote it, our family is getting used to yet another loss--it hasn't been a good year. I hope you won't mind reading it again. I've always known what the word ephemeral meant, but I've never used it--possibly because I didn't know how to spell it and I'm not completely sure of its pronunciat

I've done that particular game on Facebook a few times. I'm not very exciting. There are usually a whole bunch of things I've never, ever done, and a few things I never, ever will. However, further into my ongoing discussion of age, never have I ever seen this much water! I remember when the dam was built and how exciting it was to the community. It was beyond my comprehension that land would be covered with water in order to make other land safe from being covered with water

Years ago, Duane worked on something in the front yard, finished it, and laid a screwdriver in the elbow created by a branch reaching out from the trunk of a tree. He forgot it was there. Then he remembered and he meant to get it, but ... well, he didn't. When he finally did, the elbow had fattened up around the screwdriver so that he couldn't pull it free. Over time, we watched the tree trunk grow around the screwdriver. I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point it di

Dave Letterman Whenever I can't think of something to write about, I make lists. I didn't get the idea from Facebook, where there are lists all the time, or even from Dave Letterman, who singlehandedly made the Top Ten list famous. No, wait ... I used to listen to the Top Ten Songs of the Week on WLS every week. I can't remember the day, time, or even the DJ--Ron Riley, maybe?--but I never missed it. When I tried to figure out where the concept of Top Tens came from, I couldn

by Nan Reinhardt You know, as authors, we work hard to develop a brand that our readers come to expect. My brand, as you all know is sweet, small-town romance with a tiny touch of sensuality. My characters kiss—often passionately. Sometimes, they end up in the bedroom, but the door is firmly closed and what they’re doing in there is left to readers’ imaginations. Every so often, my characters get mad or frustrated and a hell or damn or a crap might come out—you know, everyday

by Debra Jo Myers Clowns! Funny faces, wild hair, colorful clothes, and big shoes. The creatures designed to bring laughter wherever they go! Except they don’t. Not for half the population suffering from coulrophobia. Yes, half! Coulrophobia – it sounds like it should be a fear of cults or something sinister, not a fear of clowns?! Grandpa gave me my first clown when I was six. It was an appropriate gift since mama signed me up to be a kiddie clown in the Peru Amateur Circu

It's #WriterWednesday, and it's me again, along with 38 other writers whose works have been combined to create Gals Guide's Fifth Annual Anthology. This year's theme is Rebellion. Blurb: How do you rebel? Sparks of rebellion can be found from family stories to famous women of history. Ripples of rebellion can start small and grow into big movements. The stories and poems in this year's Gals Guide Anthology showcase the political, as well as the deeply personal, defiant acts o

I've had a busy week and I used this on another blog a few weeks ago; if you've already read it, sorry! It's about writing, and about me, and about the road both the writing and I have taken. It's parade day today. I hope you enjoy it and that Circus Week has been a resounding success! I started out writing sweet romance. Of course, I did. I was nine years old, typing a princess story on my aunt's portable Royal typewriter at a table on my grandparents' enclosed front porch

There are declarations of love that are easy to write. When everyone agrees. When admiration is fashionable. When nothing is at stake. And then there are declarations of love that feel slightly out of time. This is one of those.

Today's Writer Wednesday is ... well, don't be too disappointed ... it's me. Because I have a sale going on and I just wanted to share it. Once upon a time, my husband and I drove over a bridge with a sign giving the crossing the name Fallen Soldier Bridge. It was one of those things you just don't forget. One of those things you know you need to do something with, but what? That explains the genesis of Fallen Soldier, Pennsylvania, from which came the A New Season Trilogy,

I wish we'd done better. I remember watching the 1976 national fireworks in our house on Rosewood drive. They were amazing. The whole bicentennial season had been amazing. I would tell our kids to remember this, because they wouldn't see its like again. They were six, four, and two--I'm fairly certain they don't remember much of it anyway. But I think I was right. They won't see its like again. Although I'm political enough to have absolute opinions on how we didn't do better

“Summer reading” comes with a lot of baggage. A lot of people never got out of associating it with a long list of literary drudgery that you have to do before school starts back up in the fall (read Dostoyevsky when it’s my fun time?! you must be joking). And if you moved past that, you still might silo off reading to a Thing You Do Only When On Vacation. Everyone wants to write the book that’s a “beach read,” after all.
 Speaking of the beach, if your algorithm is similar to

Stolen from the Fairgrounds FB page. On Monday of this week, I helped check in exhibits for Extension Homemakers at the fair. It was fun. I got to talk to people I don't always see and also to see a building full of talent and ... ... also while I was there-- I saw the most beautiful cake decorating I have ever seen in my whole life. Admittedly, this comes from a person who can barely spread canned icing, but those entries were gorgeous! I saw a bunch of 4-H members bursting

by Ashlyn Chase What if a group of powerful witches lived together in a sentient mansion that occasionally decided to relocate itself? What if every witch had a unique magical gift, a quirky familiar, and a knack for finding trouble? And what if saving the world came with equal parts danger, romance, friendship, and laugh-out-loud antics? Welcome to the League of Amazing Witches, or L.A.W. for short. This new paranormal romance series follows a remarkable group of witches who