Mean, Dirty, Old Low-Down Blues

Mean, Dirty, Old Low-Down Blues

This is supposed to be the jolliest time of the year, isn’t it? Thanksgiving is nearly here and right on its heels comes Christmas. Ho-ho-ho! Bright lights, fluffy snow, family and friends gathering in, gifts, food, laughter and conversation. It’s the happiest time of the year; only, sometimes it’s not. Psychologists say that holidays are the […]

Happy Birthday to a Literary Icon

Happy Birthday to a Literary Icon

He definitely had a mind of his own and didn’t even try to fit into the mold of what was expected. He knew what he wanted and he pursued it, whether it was his dream of writing or the woman he would marry. Today is the birthday of Robert Louis Stevenson. He lived only forty-four […]

Afterglow from The Red Lamp

Afterglow from The Red Lamp

Good morning. Glancing out the window at the weather wand, I notice it points decidedly downward. So, we’re bound to have rain before too long. A rainy day is a wonderful time for coffee and a chat with a friend. Of course, a topic of interest is books: favorite genres, memorable mysteries, books that tend to make one […]

Coffee with Blanche

Coffee with Blanche

The other morning, my friend Jane dropped in for a cup of coffee and a chat. Nothing pre-planned. I love impromptu visits and this morning, if you were near, I’d hope you would drop in too. We’d have coffee and talk about whatever you’d like. Which brings up a question: in the posts that I […]

That Pesky Roving Reporter

That Pesky Roving Reporter

Roving Reporter: I’m so glad I caught up with you, Blanche Manos. It has been a while since I’ve interviewed you and I’d like to know if anything has changed in your life. Any new books in the works? Me: I’m so glad you asked. Yes. In September, Pen-L Publishing will release the fourth Darcy […]

Old Barns and Life

Old Barns and Life

Last night as I sat on my deck listening to cicadas and frogs, I thought how many generations of my ancestors had heard these same night noises. These were age-old summer sounds: the jar flies as we called them, the frogs, a whole chorus of them. I felt as if I could close my eyes and be […]