Something about this time of year makes me want to cook more. Is it the cooling weather? The shorter days? The anticipation of approaching feasts? I’m sure all these things play into it, and I find myself tearing recipes from magazines in search of a new twist
When I was a child, my parents drove around town on wintry Christmastime nights so we could ooh and aah at decorated houses glowing with lights and roof-top displays. How I loved the fantasy lands that appeared, twinkling through the foggy dark. When I had children of
Let me introduce you to Oakley, the hinder half of Annie and Oakley, my two teen-aged tabby mousers. Litter mates and identical in appearance, I can tell them apart only by their attitudes. On that point, they are as different as salt and pepper. Especially when it
I was off the path the other day, pulling weeds from the edge of my driveway where no one ever walks. At the time, I thought nothing of my attire, but since then I will be careful to dress appropriately for off-the-path work. For there in the
Have you ever wanted to turn down the volume on your world? Go where there is no noise, no distraction, no demand on your attention? I do. All the time. Last week that blessed opportunity arrived and I headed to Music Meadows Ranch in the Wet Mountain
Three announcements: 1. I’m excited to announce a Goodreads give-away of six – yes, six! – print copies of The 12 Brides of Christmas novella collection. And the best part? The books are signed by all 12 novella authors. The give-away starts today and runs through Oct.
1. Relax with a quick summer romance before summer is over 2. Escape to a simpler time (Not easier, just simpler!) 3. Experience (vicariously) a Colorado summer storm 4. Stir up some strawberry lemonade (recipe in my newsletter) 5. Enjoy the fragile beauty of Colorado’s blue columbines
1. Happy ending. 2. Dreams come true. 3. Hopefulness. 4. Bright future. 5. Love wins. Okay, I admit it. All five reasons sound suspiciously alike. But I love romance and August is Romance Awareness Month. Did you even know there was such a thing? It’s also National
Nearly everyone has heard the optimistic adage, “Bloom where you’re planted.” Though it’s become cliché, most of us give it our best shot. But what if the environment is harsh, barren, and lifeless? What if we’re all alone? What if we’re some place we really don’t want
One of my favorite movies is Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans from 1992, based on the 1826 novel by James Fenimore Cooper. The story captivates me with its internal and external conflict, historical setting, and romance of course. But quintessential antagonist, Magua (played by Native
Lucy Powell is a young widow with a hard summer ahead of her in my soon-to-release novella, The Columbine Bride. How soon, you might ask? Tomorrow! That’s right. July 14, 2015, Old West Summer Brides, book 3 in Barbour’s limited print collection of The 12 Brides of
The Fourth of July always leaves me grateful for the freedoms of this country, and especially for those who fought and died to secure those freedoms. But I’m also grateful that I don’t have to live independently—totally alone, counting only upon myself for everything. Thank God for
I have always admired the wit and wisdom of humorist, author, and actor Will Rogers—the cowboy philosopher from Oklahoma. He was also pretty handy with a rope and you can see a sampling of his work on this 3-minute video: Watch here. When I heard about the
We’ve all heard it: “Train up a child in the way he should go.” It’s more of a principle than a promise, a good one to live by. My dad taught me how to drive a tractor when I was about 10, and his instruction included the
How far can you ride a sheep? Over the weekend, I attended the Top of the World Rodeo in Cripple Creek, Colorado, to watch our bullfighter son Jake save a few lives during the bull riding. He also chased a few sheep. Back in the 1800s, cattlemen