Blog
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York Castle in the 12th century
Somewhere in the midst of plotting Book II of Battle Scars, For King and Country, I had a brilliant idea: Stephan l’Aigle must deliver a message to the Sheriff of York. If you’ve been to York, you’ll recognize Clifford’s Tower. It is one of the few visible remains of York Castle. A menacing keep on a motte…
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My writing retreat
I have always dreamed of going to a writing retreat. Give me a place with a view – nestled somewhere in the mountains or on the Cornish coast. (I’ll take a little room in one of those old fishermens’ cottages in St. Ives.) Even a small attic room looking out into a garden would be lovely. Well,…
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12%, holiday book sales, and Hale
For King and Country(Battle Scars II)Revisions round 2 are underway. I’ve rewritten chapter 1 twice. Writers group thinks I’m on the right track. I’m sure I’ll revisit the opening scene, but I’ve moved ahead. 12% complete. Even as I revise I continue to explore additional non-fiction for my research needs. Helena Schrader was kind enough to…
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random moments in a life…
LIFEI have a new roof! Here’s hoping the water leak from the chimney is a thing of the past. Next up: replacing warped flooring and checking for further damage inside the house. Oh the joys of homeownership. My iPhone 4S died. RIP. Because I decided to get the blue 5C rather than the 5S, I…
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Baronial estates in 12th century England: pulling together some backstory for my novel
I was up early on Sunday. Too early. My favorite coffee hangout doesn’t open until 7am on weekends. I almost called for the Zombie Response Team.¹ No coffee and I feel like a zombie! I tried to convince the baristas at Radina’s that they should open at 5:30, but no, they aren’t going for it……
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final countdown… are we there yet?
Sigh. There’s a slight delay in publication of the print version of Men of the Cross. The digital proof of the book cover looked good, but the print proofs came back unacceptable. After several days’ investigation, CreateSpace (CS) determined there was a manufacturing issue. Support at CS has been responsive, and new proofs are on their…