When I introduce myself, I say in this order, “I’m a writer, social media coordinator and a horse lover.” The order of how I list these things is skewed. The horses came first. Then the writing, and then social media as my current day job. Horses have been a huge part of my life. I can’t explain what it was that drew me to them in the first place. As Lady Ann Blunt says, it is an inborn love, instinctive and unreasoning. In the same family, my mother and I were the only horse lovers. My sister (same upbringing and same blood) had no real interest in them. Now, she...
What a tiny, itty-bitty world it is
(Please note, I didn’t title this: “It’s a small world…” because I’d have that song stuck in my head all day. Well, too late…) As I’ve waded through the edits on my latest novel, I’ve spent hours researching the rich history of Polish Arabians (even discovering my own horses’ ancestry). You know the story behind this novel – Witez II and his incredible journey during WWII and under Nazi occupation. Throughout this process, there have been a series of silly coincidences. From discovering my horse is of Polish descent to finding a woman from Poland within a historical fiction writing loop I’m a part of. (She was able to double check...
Book Review: A Bridge of Scarlet Leaves
Description: Los Angeles, 1941. Violinist Maddie Kern’s life seemed destined to unfold with the predictable elegance of a Bach concerto. Then she fell in love with Lane Moritomo. Her brother’s best friend, Lane is the handsome, ambitious son of Japanese immigrants. Maddie was prepared for disapproval from their families, but when Pearl Harbor is bombed the day after she and Lane elope, the full force of their decision becomes apparent. In the eyes of a fearful nation, Lane is no longer just an outsider, but an enemy. When her husband is interned at a war relocation camp, Maddie follows, sacrificing her Juilliard ambitions. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the...
Exploring the verb, “To Nikki.”
“To Nikki:” verb. …to park where the front tire touches one white line and the back tire touches to other white line. …to fall down the “stair” and twist your ankle. …to back into a parked Toyota behind you. …to drop nearly half of the cooking supplies before they reach, or after they reach, the pan. …to start cooking a meal that requires 1.5 hours of oven time, when you have only 1 hour until you need to leave the house. …to break ones nose and then snap it back into place. …to roll a truck door into a pole, bending it backwards. …to lose one’s balance while carrying a...
Book Review: The Maid of Fairbourne Hall
Description: Pampered Margaret Macy flees London in disguise to escape pressure to marry a dishonorable man. With no money and nowhere else to go, she takes a position as a housemaid in the home of Nathaniel Upchurch, a suitor she once rejected in hopes of winning his dashing brother. Praying no one will recognize her, Margaret fumbles through the first real work of her life. If she can last until her next birthday, she will gain an inheritance from a spinster aunt–and sweet independence. But can she remain hidden as a servant even when prying eyes visit Fairbourne Hall? Observing both brothers as an “invisible” servant, Margaret learns she may...