Kathleen Marie Wills Verrill: A Tribute Kathie, as she preferred to be called, joined our family when I was still in college. She had met and married my brother a few months before my brother introduced her to us. Born with cerebral palsy, she spent most of her childhood in the shadows. The youngest of […]
‘Twas the Weekend Before July 4th
While writing my novel by installment, I consciously chose holiday celebrations. The one common thread about these holidays—besides the story itself—was the undeniable commercialization of every one of them as an opportunity for Big Sale Weekends, a fact I did mention in several of the 10,000 to 11,000 words short stories/novellas that make up the […]
The Return of Pomegranate!
Those of you who’ve been following EverWriting for a while may remember my blogs about growing and nurturing a pomegranate plant which I related to the process of writing Salsa Dancing with Pterodactyls. I’m back at it. I actually had not eaten a pomegranate for years and years! When I was a girl, my first […]
My American Childhood
My hometown is a village located in the southwest corner of Maine. For the first five years of my life, I spent my days wandering the woods and groves of lilac bushes around my house or with the kids down the road, an older girl and her younger brothers. During the summer before I turned six, my […]
Elementary, My Dear Writer
The Very, Very Basics of Writing Anything There are three fundamental elements of every piece of written work—including film, non-fiction and grocery lists. These three elements must be present or there is no point in proceeding. In non-fiction, the three elements forming the basics of a book are: Idea – the Topic Reason – Information […]
RE: Another Memorial Day to Remember
Reposted from Classic and Cozy Books Blog, Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Traditionally, graves of Union soldiers were decorated with flowers. The Confederate soldiers were commemorated similarly, but on a separate day. By the 20th Century, the competing days merged into the one we now know, the last Monday of May, the beginning of summer.Every year, […]
Snakes & Snails & Puppy Dogs’ Tails
We know the counterpart to the title of this blog, starting with sugar but enough is said about the Spice and Nice. About twenty years ago, I learned the counterpoint regarding boys from a book titled, Bringing Up Boys. I have three. Variously known as “the mother of those three” and “so you’re the one […]
Preview: Nights Before: The Novel
On the Night Before Labor Day, a preview of my latest novel: Opening chapter of first story. New Year’s Eve is a time for reflection and change. Jocelyn has more changes coming at her from all directions beginning on a Portland, Maine winter day than she’s faced since her mother’s death. None of it bodes well for […]
If There Are No Losers
I am known as “the mother of those three” – energetic, intelligent, competitive, independent boys. The number of complaints I and their father fielded on a daily basis while they were in primary and secondary school grew exponentially as each followed his brother into the hallways of government-run (public) schools. The main complaint? “They always […]
MSM & Women’s Rights Advocates Ignore These Facts
A few days ago, Kate Steinle was murdered at a popular tourist location less than six miles from my home. Her killer was a five-times deported, recently released felon awaiting another deportation hearing. (http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Pier-shooting-suspect-had-been-released-from-S-F-6365228.php). A young woman, living just 20 miles from my home, was brutally raped and beaten by a gang of young men […]