In doing research for my book I’ve had to learn some things I’ve never had an interest in. One of those things is gambling. Did you know that poker wasn’t the biggest game of the North American West in the 1800s? We’ve seen countless westerns with saloons full of poker players. But it wasn’t poker that was popular. Instead, it …
Do you ever write naked?
I saw a poster the other day with some of these questions and thought it would be funny in a sort of Tom Threadgill sort of way to answer them, so here goes: Do you ever write naked? Only in the bathtub. I’ve gotten some great ideas for songs there as well as worked out some difficult scenes in …
The Hooked X
As I wrote in a previous post, I was a fan of Scott Woltor’s research long before his new TV show, America Unearthed. I’ve been fascinated with ancient North American artifacts for years. Woltor’s research is controversial. And as a born again Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, I certainly don’t agree with all of his conclusions. Woltor doesn’t believe …
Ancient American secrets
At the risk of being labeled crazy, I confess that I believe that Europeans explored North America and even settled here long before Columbus. This fascination I have with ancient America has led me to work on researching for one of my works in progress, Secret Stones. Indiana Jones caught my imagination as a young adult I’ve been hooked on …
Write like your hair’s on fire and a FREE writer’s planner!
“I’ve always wanted to write a book.” When someone learns I’m a writer, that is nearly always the response. I think everyone wants to be a writer. It’s an American thing, isn’t it? But what makes the difference between someone who wants to be and someone who is? Hard work. Maybe they’ve never gotten organized enough to write. Maybe they …
W is for workaholic
But when I have to tell myself on Christmas Day that “it’s okay to just sit and watch a movie and not multi-task because it’s Christmas.” I know there’s a problem.
Happy vintage Christmas!
I love all things vintage. I can’t help it. I was raised around my grandmother’s antiques and to this day I love looking at pictures of them and seeing them when I manage to make it to my parents’ house ever few years. So I’ve included some of my favorite vintage free use images I’ve found around the web. You …
A Christmas Giving Giveaway as I Introduce author Candice Sue Patterson
In a way, I feel like I lived this story. I’d written the first few chapters when our family was hit with something extremely difficult. I had to remind myself of the very things I was teaching my characters. Then during first edits with my publisher, my dad had a severe stroke at the age of fifty-five, just like Dean’s dad. Again, I had to remind myself that God’s plan is a perfect plan whether I understand it or not.
S is for Steamboats
In the 1800s only the high-paying customers got a nice room on the upper decks of the steamboat on major United States rivers. Regular folks had to board with the animals and cargo. And from the diaries and letters I’ve read from the era, the aromas that emanated from these quarters made for a miserable trip.
Bronner’s part 2: The Joy of Christmas Decorations
Last week I posted about my trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan to Bronner’s. I promised to share what we bought there back in 2007 to commemorate our 25th wedding anniversary. (We were married Dec. 3, 1982.) We had such fun shopping for our silver anniversary. I wish my pictures were better. My camera wasn’t working and I took these with my …