Forcing Paperwhites

Spring in winter? Watch flowers grow in your home during the coldest months of winter. Kids will love planting and observing them, too. Blooms will appear in 4-6 weeks and have a wonderful fragrance. Lovely Amaryllis bulbs can be planted this way as well.

Author Update:

Writing: Chapter two is undergoing critique with three people at The History Quill. :) Will submit chapter three by January 19th. (I’m going to have to get faster at writing if I want this book out in 2023.) I’ve got a good handle on it now, so it will hopefully get easier.

The History Quill & Conference: I’m learning so much about composition, grammar, research, etc. from this group. The first week of February is a writing conference which will probably blow my mind. I like the way they set it up: each of five days has a theme. Like a smorgasbord: just pick the days you want and pay only for those. For a little extra, I have all the recordings FOREVER. (I’ll need that.)

Research: As I write, I am continuously learning about the 1890s. In a couple of weeks, I share a Zoom interview with a homesteading friend of mine, Michelle, who will share her dairy farming experiences. Quarterly, I will have a brief written bit from her about something else on the farm. Keep subscribing!

Title Feedback

Last month’s survey revealed the most popular titles for my next book were: Big Decisions and Moving On.

One subscriber thought Moving On sounded like it could be a sad story, which it’s not. Big Decisions is okay, but, to me, it doesn’t reveal the heart of the story. Another subscriber suggested combining the two to call it Big Moves, which I like.

Without giving the main idea away, I came up with a new title in the middle of the night, which seems perfect: Heartstrings.

Would your teen check it out?

What do you think of this title? Email me

In-House Field Trips?

Do you have children attending elementary through high school classrooms, or are you a teacher? Why not ask the school to contact me for an author visit? Check out the options for presentations here. (Can be customized.) Homeschool groups are welcome too! (In-person or Zoom.)

January Giveaway Winner!

This month’s giveaway is awarded to a subscriber I believe I met at Kids Fest, a fair in Gladstone, Missouri. The email chosen by a random number generator has the name Phillips in it, but I don’t have the full name. Congratulations! Please respond to the email you’ll receive as a confirmation, and we’ll fulfill your wish from my shop. (Choose from any item except the gift card and the 5-book bundle)

Of Books and Nooks Holiday Giveaway

Joe P. won the Of Books and Nooks giveaway and our eight books—congratulations, Joe!
Even if you didn't win, I hope you will check out the authors featured on the Of Books and Nooks site. We are all dedicated writers with many published books in a variety of genres. Something is sure to please everyone.

Happy New year!