There’s something about Christmas Eve—the anticipation of something wonderful coming. After almost two months of a sense of goodwill intermingled with chaos and the hunt for the perfect present, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether it’s everybody unwrapping presents next to the tree or a train coming at you…
Not wanting to join the club every time I go shopping
During my high school years, I got involved with a number of clubs. After a rather awkward childhood, being part of the drama club and other organizations made me feel like I was a part of something. It’s how I made some dear friends and been part of people’s lives long after I walked across…
Favoritism not a factor when writing novels
Which of your books is your favorite? This question was asked of me at a recent vendor event for Fox Valley Pride. It wasn’t the first time I was asked the question, but like the other times, I didn’t have a satisfactory answer. It’s akin to asking a parent who their favorite child is. However,…
Magazine escapism old-school method in the new world
It’s a rough world out there, and people are turning away from traditional media, and in some ways, the internet. War, famine, corruption and more. You’ll occasionally find some good news along the way, but you have to ask yourself if it’s real or something crafted up by artificial intelligence. The bleakness of the world…
When Thanksgiving focuses more on the giving part
Thanksgiving has passed. You know, that one holiday whose public relation officials spend most of November asleep at the wheel while the cheerleaders of Christmas take full advantage. I woke up the morning after the holiday and read a news piece about select restaurants opting to open for the holiday as many folks spend the…
Sometimes you’re not the only writer in town
It’s not always easy for me to find time to sit down and read a book. I write full-time for a newspaper, and then I take quite a bit of time putting together my novels. However, I recently discovered a friend I went to school with in Chino Valley is in the same boat I…
This year, we need a little more Christmas
It’s that time of the year when the big debate arises about whether we should be breaking out the Christmas lights and decorations, as well as whether we should be cranking up the Christmas songs. The argument against is that we’ve still got Veterans Day and Thanksgiving to go through, and besides, Christmas has become…
Media influence results in open cabinet doors
There’s a lot of concern out there about the influence of the media, especially when it comes to the national media. Depending on where you get your information, you could be swayed to worship certain people, and on the flip side, consider other people evil. However, I wasn’t certain about how far the influence could…
Can trick-or-treating ever be replaced?
The other day, I was listening to the radio, and the announcer started talking about Halloween, and he posed this question: Is trunk-or-treat going to replace trick-or-treat? It’s an interesting question, when you think about how many trunk-or-treats take place in communities around Wisconsin. However, one noticeable factor about these events is that most of…
Long-lasting shirt stands out in disposable world
We’re a disposable culture, especially when it comes to clothes. It used to be that our clothing collections expanded due to incredible offerings in department stores. The selection was a little more limited, but you could regularly come home with multiple items and set your bank account back a few hundred items. Then came online…
Now that’s something you don’t see every day
One of the things I love about living in a rural area is being able to be swept away by the sights, but Sunday proved to stand out a little bit among any other day. I was driving to church, and the usual things I see are houses, corn fields, folks out mowing their lawn…
Sometimes getting there really can be half the fun
There’s an old idiom that getting there is half the fun, meaning the process of getting to the end of something is just as rewarding as arriving at your destination. It’s something that carries a certain significance to everyone, but I think it’s become especially poignant after a recent weekend with my sweetheart. We finally…
Rural Roots and American Rainbows 