Downtowns are the heart of any American town. They can either be vibrant and alive, or boarded up and dead. Living in Shawano, I’ve seen how the downtown area has struggled from falling into the latter category. Today, I reacquainted myself with downtown Prescott as part of my Arizona holiday, and I was floored not…
Traveling the winding road proves to be stop-and-go
The winding road home in Arizona has gotten a little more congested. That’s one of the things I took away from my first day back in the state since I left in early 2011 to pursue a new chapter of my life in Wisconsin. After waking up at 2:30 a.m. Wisconsin time, which was still…
Returning home should be an interesting journey
It’s been an interesting transition the last five-and-a-half years going from the desert climate of Arizona to Wisconsin, where there’s plenty of green—until the snowstorms hit and bury it in white. I made the journey partially out of necessity, as I had lost my job at the newspaper I was working at. I could have…
County fairs are shooting galleries for photographers
I was excited to read in the newspapers back home that the Yavapai County Fair was returning to the original fairgrounds in Prescott, Ariz. After the fair had been moved out to a new site in Prescott Valley and later run into bankruptcy, it was resurrected with the help of dedicated volunteers who have now…
Limbaugh’s cautionary tale of lesbian farmer invasion laughable
With all the vitriol from the presidential election washing over people, you have to think that things can’t get any worse. Then you see a random link on Facebook, and you discover, by golly, it can get worse. Apparently, Rush Limbaugh, the right-wing radio host who proclaimed the last Clinton presidency was basically America being…
The twisted irony of an Olympic swimmer drowning in a pool of lies
Ryan Lochte is one of the best swimmers in the world, with 12 Olympic medals to his name. Now, if he only had the same intimacy with the truth that he does with a pool, then he’d really be a force for good. He doesn’t, though, and that is why many Americans are covering their…
Lazy authors shouldn’t count on others to make sales
Being a writer is no easy task. Most of the time, you have to put in the time and the effort to give your story life, but the work doesn’t end there, especially if you self-publish. Once the story is in the pipeline for printing, you have to promote yourself, market yourself and be your…
Quilt of old Army uniforms a heartwarming hometown tale
Sometimes hometown news is the best antidote to the national tidal wave of despair you see on the networks and read about in the metro newspapers. This morning, I woke up after spending the previous night proofreading and laying primary election copy to catch up on the news in good ol’ Chino Valley, Arizona. In…
Disavowing daughter in her father’s obituary an act of cruelty
While this blog always showcases my personal perspective on things, this is particularly personal for me. I love my family, and it burns me up when someone tries to hurt a member of my family. This time, someone took a swipe at my 15-year-old niece, Reese, and it was about the cruelest thing imaginable. She…
When Facebook and fanaticism collide – the ugly underbelly of politics
Facebook is a very useful form of social media. It is also way too easy to use and abuse it, especially during election cycles. With the presidential race showcasing two of the most despised candidates in memory, Facebook has gone from seeing my friends post status updates, photos of recent trips and the occasional hilarious…
For want of a waffle, the script was lost
(Note to readers: I wrote this on Facebook in March 2015, but thought it would be good to share on the blog. Before I started penning novels, much of my early writing involved stage plays, especially since I acted in middle and high school.) Never let it be said that something is “lost forever,” especially…
Tale of a one-room schoolhouse screams to be told
I’ve written for as long as I can remember. Even before I got my own computer, this boy with a love for country living was creating stories in some form or fashion. For the last eight years, writing books has consumed much of my world (along with one really wonderful play, which I’ll talk about…
