The Ancestral Pen

  I sat down at my desk this week to write the final chapter of my Patriot book, and I had to stop. Not because the words wouldn’t come, but because they poured out of me, literally. The kind that make your hands hover over the keyboard while you wait to see the words on the screen clearly again. Just as a reminder, Ann and Edward — the two central figures in this book — are not fictional creations. They are, in fact, my fourth great-grandparents. I won’t share the passage here because it belongs to the ending, and the ending belongs to the book. But I will tell you this: writing the final words of Ann’s story, I felt the full weight of who she was. A woman who carried burdens quietly, who loved fiercely, who gave thanks even when she had every reason not to. And Edward, my great-great-great-great-grandfather, faithful to the last. That faithfulness, that quiet love — it did not disappear when they left this earth. In some way I don’t fully understand, it found its way down through...

  Hello, dear readers! I'm thrilled to share that  Book One of the Pack Saddle Ranch series is now available in paperback-link below!  If you haven't grabbed your copy yet, now's the perfect time. What's Next? I'm finalizing the outline for Book Two and will begin writing within the next couple of days. My goal is to have it ready by the end of November—ambitious, I know, especially with family celebrations and Thanksgiving on the calendar!  Book Three  is expected to be published by the end of December. After that, I'm diving back into the  Woolsey Saga series  with a story about Henry and Daniel Woolsey, the father and son who served as Revolutionary War soldiers. I'm doing additional research to bring their story to life, with a target release in time for April and the 250th celebration of America. Holiday Gift Idea Christmas is just around the corner! Do you have a mother, grandmother, or someone on your list who loves historical fiction?...

  Hi everyone! I'm writing to you from my favorite spot—my chaise lounge by the big window, looking out at beautiful fall colors. It's too foggy to see much today, but a few days ago I caught a glimpse of snow on Switzer Mountain peaks. Winter is just around the corner! The seasonal preserving is mostly done (all those apples are finally put up!), though I still need to grab some pumpkins for holiday cooking since I didn't grow any this year. And speaking of having more time, my husband and I finally finished restoring the Hummer H2 we've been working on! I got to drive it for the first time a few weeks ago when I picked up apples from my mom's. It's such a beast of a vehicle—I love it, though parking is... an adventure. Definitely not a tight-spaces kind of ride! On the writing front, I'm deep into outlining Book 2 of the Pack Saddle Ranch series,  The Outlaw's Redemption . For the first time, I'm using AutoCrit to help with the outlining process. I...

  Grab your coffee. It's newsletter time, and I'm elbow-deep in apples. This morning I'm starting the final preserve of the season—apple cider. My mom's farm blessed me with another harvest, and I've spent weeks transforming those apples into butter, sauce, and fermented goodness. But cider? Cider is the grand finale. I'll cut up every last apple, toss them in my roaster with oranges, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, then let the whole glorious mess roast for twenty-four hours. My house will smell like spiced heaven. Tomorrow I'll jar it up, and that'll be it. Canning season: complete. Well, almost complete. There's still jelly later, but we don't talk about that yet. Here's what I'm thinking about as I prep these apples: finishing is its own art form. It's not the thrilling part. It's not the first bushel of harvest or the electric rush of a new story idea. Finishing is the patient work—the slow simmer, the careful stir, the momen...

  And no, I'm not talking about a ghost story or other forms of woo-woo. I'm writing this newsletter on my laptop while jars of applesauce, apple butter, and fermented apples cool on the counter. My daughter just came in from collecting eggs, warning me that Butt Head (yes, that's really his name) is being particularly aggressive today. In my upcoming novel,  The Rancher's Healing at Pack Saddle Ranch , there's a scene where Evelyn battles a vicious rooster with a broomstick. That scene came straight from my experience with Butt Head. We literally keep a stick by the coop door for exactly that purpose. This is why I write historical fiction. One Foot in the Past, One in the Future From age four to sixteen, my family belonged to an Old Fashion Pentecostal church in California—yes, that was literally its name. We dressed like we were from 1920, gardened, raised goats, rabbits, and chickens. But we weren't Amish. We had cars, a microwave, and here's what I'...

  Banjo Roads and Dynamite Dreams: Inspiration in the Wild Last week, I shared that I was writing a new trilogy, Pack Saddle Ranch. This week I have exciting news! You can now grab your copy of  Until We Meet Again  (link below in Button), the prequel, to tide you over until I finish  Healing the Rancher's Heart . I'm close, so close. Today, I plan to complete the last chapter and then proceed directly to editing. If you've been with me through my last book series, you know this is the part I dread the most: editing. It's painful! I sit here agonizing over whether I've chosen the right word, if the message comes across clearly, or if this scene needs a little comedic break. The agony goes on. Please grab your copy of  Until We Meet Again , and I would greatly appreciate some feedback. Please let me know your thoughts on the short story. I'll have the first book ready for you next month. Speaking of next month, we have a baby shower planned, which reminds me that...