This is a busy week. On Thursday night I’ve been invited to the Burlington County Literacy Volunteers Dinner with an Author , at Braddocks Tavern in Medford, NJ. As a writer, I celebrate those wonderful volunteers who “change lives word by word.” There will be an author at each table, and we’ll have the opportunity […]
Of course, it’s all relative as to what constitutes a late bloomer. In the garden it can mean late spring, late in the season, or late in the year. Last week millions of people were introduced to the world’s most famous (at least right now) late bloomer – Susan Boyle, she of the viewed 35 […]
The great American author, Edna St. Vincent Millay, once wrote that she couldn’t get the woman onto the porch. What she meant, of course, was that she couldn’t figure out an organically sound reason for the character to do as the plot demanded. I struggle with this situation all the time. Plotting a mystery is, […]
Over the years I’ve had lots of jobs, some of them great, some not so great. I started babysitting when I was 10 and continued on through high school, I did housework for neighbors, cared for the bedridden, worked in an auto parts store, took inventory in a department store all before I was 18. […]
Carolyn Rosenberg was my first grade teacher. What do I remember? She was pleasingly plump, white haired, and at least 120 years old. Of course, in retrospect, she was probably still in her 50s, if that. The rest is a pleasant blur. While I don’t remember any specific lessons, I’m fairly certain that she taught […]
We welcome guest blogger Chester Campbell, who has a mystery novel just out titled The Surest Poison, first book in his Sid Chance PI series. The plot involves Sid’s efforts to locate the man responsible for a toxic chemical dump behind a plant near a small town west of Nashville. The current owner faces the […]
Two things have been on my mind this week – okay more than that – but I’m going to blog about two – pirates and cell phones. The summer before 9/11 my brother and I visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We had a great trip. One day was spent on Ocracoke Island – […]
Hubby and I have attended Mayhem in the Midlands every year but one–the very first and I hadn’t heard about it. Since we’ve been going, we’ve fallen in love with Omaha. The restaurants are wonderful, and our favorite is the Persian Restaurant. The owner always recognizes us and greets us with “California” and a big […]
On Saturday, the family traveled in a driving rainstorm to Philadelphia to see As Bees in Honey Drown. Our daughter was the director. Proud Mama that I am, give me a moment to kvell. The play was marvelous; the casting sublime; the costumes, set design, music, in fact, all the artistic decisions were creative, brilliant, […]
by Ellen Byerrum First, I’d like to thank the Stiletto Gang for having me over today. It is a real pleasure to say hello and talk about what’s been going on in my neck of the woods. Happily, those woods are looking pretty good these days. The prettiest and most romantic time for Washington, D.C., […]