Category: Short Pieces and Good Stuff

My Website Glow-Up!

At long last – I’m excited to announce my Glow-Up!  And when I say “my,” I mean my online presence. If you regularly read my posts via my website or even visit (darest I dream it…?) on a regular basis, you’ve probably already noticed it for yourself.  But for followers who read my posts via…

Six Things to Care About in 2021

The year’s days are numbered, which is guaranteed to mean one thing: the internet and airwaves are awash in “year in review” articles and news segments. Rather than jump on that (potentially depressing) bandwagon, I’d like to offer a more hopeful approach that looks to the year ahead, a “year in preview” segment, if you…

Autumn, is that you?

We turned off the air conditioner yesterday and opened the windows, as temps peaked in the comfortable high 70s with a lazy breeze. We kept them open as we slept last night, drifting off to the sound of crickets and tinkling wind chimes. We woke this morning to chilly toes and arms sticking outside the…

Spires Virtual Reading on September 20th

Good morning, world. I’ve got some fun news for your Monday morning! My writing group, the Frederick Writers’ Salon, is hosting a virtual reading on Sunday, September 20th from 3:30-4:45 p.m. for our latest anthology, In the Shadow of the Spires: A Collection of Noir Tales from the Frederick Writers’ Salon. Join our talented authors…

How To Establish (Small) Normals

Routine is the essence of normality, and normality is the foundation of security.  That loss of routine–as many people transition from daily commutes and public-facing work schedules to telework, stay-at-home orders, and even layoffs–can compound our (very valid) fears of this deadly global pandemic and the ensuing economic chaos. It’s helpful in times like these…

Monthly Mental Munchies: March 2020

This March has lasted a millennium, hasn’t it? It’s not just me, right? Not only did we have to contend with five—count them, FIVE—Mondays this month, but a horrifying pandemic and nationwide near-lockdown has been added to the mix. Nothing stretches out time like seclusion and boredom. It’s a good thing we live in a…