I Never Asked You, I Just “Changed”

I know I "changed" during 2017, and I realize I never asked readers, nor really even much wondered aloud on here, if you as a reader would be "happy" about that “shift.”

August Autumn

Perhaps six and a half years is simply too long in one blog place and I have worn out my welcome?

If We Cannot Travel…

Obviously casual international travel is not happening currently. Thinking back, before air travel, and particularly before steamships (like Titanic), in the age of sail reaching Europe from the U.S. regularly took 4-6 weeks and longer. (If the ship did not sink and you made it alive.) Short getaways were unknown naturally...

The History We Always Live

Two decades ago, I was a lecturer in history and political science, and I heard often from students in the U.S. that they felt they could not relate to American history. I realized I wanted to find a way to help them better do so.

Across The Country… And Back

Me: “It is great to be able to socialize with people in person again.”

“I have never been to Brazil, but I know it is there…”

Try to “prove” history itself. As an exercise, I regularly asked new history and politics students to “prove” yesterday actually even occurred.

“Non, sire, it is a revolution”

When in late August and September 1789 word first began to reach the new United States of America of the upheaval of two hundred thirty-one years ago today that had occurred in the capital of America's closest ally...

“So what’s it called?”

I started with them in 2016 and this will be the third novel I have written featuring these characters in their time. They are now moving into their forties...

The Lone Writer Posts

I am sure I am not alone in how I have found that, since the March "lockdown," I am spending more time on social media than ever.

By The Book

I knew a Frenchwoman with diabetes and more than once she did that right in front of me, so it ended up in one of my novels.

The Names

I try to make names properly reflective of a time and place. It’s never easy. Sometimes I just see one somewhere, or on someone, and I have an “Ah ha!” moment.

“25” Strangers?

Writing fiction thankfully still escapes ... efforts at "standardization" and "formalization" and must always.

“Happily Ever After” (Not)

I don't think we demand "happy endings" as readers nearly as much as endings that make some sense.

That Ugly Past

That is in 1861 in Georgia. It was a time and a place that unapologetically practiced RACE-based SLAVERY of blacks. So why is anyone actually ever surprised today that the novel and the film are both full of racism?

No Whisky Before Nine

I‘m just finishing a cup of tea as I’m writing this. And no, there’s no Cognac in it: it is tea. Anyway seeing that Twitter question YET AGAIN feels like playing that whack-a-mole game...