In 1862, when Blood of Pioneers takes place, most of Michigan’s commercial centers were located along Lake Huron—within easy reach of Detroit by boat—or along the rail corridor that ran between Detroit and Chicago. Grand Rapids, you’ll note, was not close to either. The settlement began as a trading post and blacksmith shop on the […]
Second Baptist Church of Detroit
Second Baptist Church of Detroit is a historic and still-functioning church that features in my middle grade historical fiction novel, The Candle Star. Organized in 1836, a year before Michigan became a state, it claims the honor of being the oldest Black congregation in the midwest. The congregation moved to its present location in 1857, […]
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
I picked up an audio version of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children on a whim last week when I was leaving for a long bike ride. It came out in 2011 and never appealed to me, but the title was one I’d heard of in a sea of unfamiliar books, so I gave it […]
King of Malorn, by Annie Douglass Lima
A couple weeks ago, I promised you three reviews over the next three weeks. Well, uh, I switched web hosts and can’t seem to figure out the new scheduler. Last week’s post is still sitting in my draft folder. Sigh. I’ll try again. In the meantime, I’ll publish this week’s manually. I’ve highlighted Annie Douglass […]
OFFENDER, by Michael Brooks
I want to share with you a book for which I had the privilege of being an advanced reader. It just released in early June and is being offered at a discounted price for a limited time. I believe that’s through the end of June, which is why I didn’t wait a full week to […]
Joss the Seven (Guild of Seven, 1), by J. Philip Horne, 2016
The next book I’d like to feature from my Colorado trip is an example of self-publishing at its finest. J. Philip Horne has a natural ability to craft a story, his prose flows smooth as fresh cream, and he’s taken great care with the editing process. That’s a great beginning. Kudos, Mr. Horne!! So…how about […]
Princess Academy, Shannon Hale, 2005
At the end of January, my husband and I decided our kids were old enough to take care of themselves for a week (the oldest is in college, the youngest in middle school), and we hit the Colorado slopes for the first time in two decades. It was a fantastic trip. We traveled […]
What's Next?
I’ve had a few people ask me what’s next on my agenda. I’ve been a little secretive. I’m still going to be a little secretive, but I’ll give you a broad hint at the end of this post. But first, what have I been doing? Reading. Reading and reading and reading. I’ve reread old favorites […]
The Nameless Soldier
Once upon a time I posted many, many book reviews on here. I’ve gotten away from that due to writing time constraints, but there are a few middle grade series I do like to keep on top of. I’ve got one I’d like to highlight for you today. Perhaps five or six years ago, one […]
Confessions of a Newly Full-Time Writer
I’ve been pretty silent on here lately. Those who have been hanging with me awhile know everything changed for me last spring when I decided to send my last homeschooler to public school. I made the decision to go mercenary–write in a popular genre and see what I could accomplish and what kind of money […]