The Cozy Mystery That Almost Wasn’t

The Cozy Mystery That Almost Wasn’t

  As I completed the third Ned McNeil moonlight cozy mystery, Moonstruck and Murderous, I looked back at the last one, By The Fright of the Silvery Moon. I remembered the terrifically hard time I had writing just the right opening scene. On this one, Moonstruck, I think I wrote no less than six beginnings […]

Waiting for the First Snowfall

Waiting for the First Snowfall

  Anticipation, eagerness, impatience–will it or won’t it? I gaze out at the dark morning, waiting for the first snowfall of the season. The morning is dark and damp. Although I can’t see rain falling, it must be raining some, a fine mist, perhaps, because driveway, street, and deck are wet. The temperature is dropping […]

Walkin’ Through the Leaves, Gettin’ Really Cold

Walkin’ Through the Leaves, Gettin’ Really Cold

For those of us old enough to remember Johnny Ray’s song, Walkin’ in the Rain, this morning we could sing, Walkin’ Through the Leaves. There’s not much wind, just a bit, but leaves are falling like rain because last night, the thermometer sank really low! It’s only about twenty degrees now and the mercury was […]

The Umbrella Oak

The Umbrella Oak

  A large oak stands firmly anchored to the ground on land that once belonged to my parents. It is so tall and its limbs spread so wide that when a person stands under it during a shower, she is sheltered from much of the rain. Whether it’s wise to be standing there during a […]

Livening Up Lunch

Livening Up Lunch

    When Nancy, Jane, and I got together for lunch yesterday, it had to be a lively time. And, it was. We decided to meet at one of our favorite restaurants. The food was good, the service was lovely, and the conversation was sprightly. It was helped along by a bandaid on my thumb […]

Stepping Away for a Closer Look

Stepping Away for a Closer Look

  Remember the old saying, You can’t see the forest for the trees? Have you ever noticed in a museum of art, people stepping away from a painting to look at it from a more distant viewpoint? That’s where I was with Moonstruck and Murderous before I started the proof-reading or first editing. I finished […]