Facebook Pixel

Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Most people know about St. Patrick's Day. We might've attended a parade or lifted an Irish bevy in salute, but here's some background and a few fun facts. 1. St Patrick's Day, originally a day to honor St Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, has evolved. Today, it’s a celebration of all things Irish—its rich culture and heritage, making it a day of national pride. 2. We celebrate...

read more

Irish Blessings

Blessings are a part of Irish culture and express sentiments such as goodwill, joy, and hope. Some also contain sly humor that brings a grin to the face. Blessings are usually short and often in poem form, but there are some longer ones, too. They are a perfect...

read more

In Praise of Packing Cubes

For years, I’ve been hearing about the marvelous creation called packing cubes. Packing has never been a problem for me. I’m an experienced traveler and, therefore, have a lot of experience packing suitcases. Who needs packing cubes, I thought. Oh, how wrong I was....

read more

A Magical Visit to Hobbiton

We recently spent four days touring Matamata, the National Park, Taupo, and Rotorua before returning to Auckland and jumping on a cruise ship to Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Milford Sound, Dunedin, Wellington, and Tauranga. Excellent weather, splendid company, and many...

read more

Tips for Aspiring Writers: Finding Time to Write

When I started writing books, I used to get home from work, change out of my uniform, grab a coffee, and start work. I’d write for around two hours before powering down the computer and preparing dinner. I did this every weekday, and by the end of the month, I had a...

read more

To Plot or Not to Plot

By the time I decided I wanted to write, I’d read romances for years and had unconsciously absorbed a lot about story structure and characterization. It never occurred to me to plot. I knew what I wanted to write and sat down and pounded out that sucker. After a...

read more

Tips for Aspiring Authors: What do I write about?

If you’ve followed my advice about reading many books, you probably know what genre you want to write or at least have worked out the genres you enjoy most. Here is a post on choosing your next writing project and another post with suggestions on what to write. Some...

read more