History, Real Life, and Faith
Serendipity and research have been one of the most fun aspects of being a writer. One year, I spent two-weeks traveling through Tennessee and Kentucky. I did research in library for six of those days and spent the rest of the time visiting sites related to my historical characters. I wrote about the first surprise–involving a calender of paintings– which…
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The Ipad is an invaluable tool for research. I discovered that for the first time in 2012. It more than paid for itself in ease during a two-week swing through the South researching a novel. Here are three ways it made a great difference in my ease of research: 1. Camera. At the University of Kentucky,, I could handle actual…
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Every time I’m in London, I visit Westminster Abbey. A lovely Anglican cathedral across the street from London’s golden Parliament buildings, it’s been there for nearly a thousand years. Originally built outside the London walls, the Roman Catholic abbey is now in the center of town. Winston Churchill’s World War II Cabinet rooms hide just down the street. Big Ben…
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The importance of having a spiritual anchor chain
A friend got a tattoo recently and I thought about the meaning of inking up your skin permanently. G’s tattoo is a pretty one, as you would expect, reflecting her love of music. She tells me her mother loves it and I’m not surprised–her mother loves her! But that reminded me of another love–that of a desperately ill young woman…
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Tips for visiting Paris with “vacationing” teenagers