It is the spring of 2002. My husband, Ralph, our daughter, Britt, and I are in the back seat of a black sedan heading 120 kilometers north of Beijing, China to the Simatai section of the Great Wall of China. Driving the sedan is Miss Wang, legal assistant to Xu Yi Ping, a Chinese patent… Read More
Where do writers draw their inspiration? From many books, articles, trips, conversations, and recipes! In Chapter 23 of The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea, “Tea Party,” Annaliese hosts a tea party for her three cousins and their sock monkeys. Nora, Nadine, and Nell Ann have a surprise for Annaliese … their mother gave their sock monkeys away!… Read More
One of the great pleasures of this past summer has been rereading the works of Pat Conroy, a quintessential storyteller and one of my favorite authors of adult fiction. The Water is Wide, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides, and Beach Music hold a special place in my heart, and… Read More