Storyteller's Journey

Happy Halloween!

While Halloween can conjure images of scary movies, creepy costumes, and trick or treating, for me, it's all about the magic of the season.

When I say magic, I mean mysterious forests, mystical creatures, and unexplained paranormal phenomena. Just the sort of things that an author of fantasy stories finds so rewarding, and enjoyable, to write!

So, whatever Halloween means to you, make it spooktacular! 👻

Storyteller's Journey

Update on Livvi Biddle!

Since returning from a September road trip, I've made great progress on The Time Travel Tales of Livvi Biddle, specifically, Book 3: A Vigil in Venice. My goal is to complete the first draft of my manuscript before Thanksgiving. 

If all goes well, I'll read the manuscript over the holidays and spend January and February revising and editing. 

I'm also currently brainstorming with my artist husband, Michael Lindstrom, as to the subject manner for the cover image. Stay tuned for more information and an early sneak peek of the cover artwork!

Storyteller's Journey

Autumn is in the Air!

Earlier this week, we were lucky enough to have incredibly sunny weather. Since rain was in the forecast for the foreseeable future, I made the time to get out and enjoy it. As I've mentioned many times before, spending time out in Nature is one of the main ways I receive inspiration for my writing. It was wonderful to savor the lovely autumn weather!

The Common Area we share with our neighbors is just a short walk away from our property. The thirty-acre wood (as I call it), boasts two ponds. This one is my favorite of the two.

A short distance past the pond, is a tributary of Salmon Creek. I was expecting the water level to be higher; it's a reflection of how little rain we've received this year.

This is one of our neighbor's horses. Technically, our community is an equine neighborhood. When we moved in, a few folks asked us if we own horses. My husband said, "no, but I paint them." 😅

Spending time in Nature was the perfect way to get my juices going. When I returned home, I had a highly productive afternoon of writing. If you get the chance, take a walk outside this autumn!

Storyteller's Journey

Banned Books Week  
It seems to me that a government that claims banning books is an attempt to protect our children would also want to ban guns, or at the very least, regulate them. However, we all know the real reason for banning books is an attempt to regulate free speech. With so many of our rights seemingly on the chopping block in the Oval Office, it would be easy to underestimate the danger in banning books. The truth is, when a free flow of information is cut off, a free society ceases to exist. With our Democracy already on shaky ground, I just had to speak the truth, however small my voice may be.

"Something will be offensive in every book, so you've got to fight it." Judy Blume

"What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist." Salman Rushdie

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Bibliophile's Corner

I am Jane Goodall
by Brad Meltzer

Synopsis:

After receiving a stuffed animal chimpanzee for her first birthday, Jane Goodall's love of animals only grew. She saw what humans and animals had in common, not what makes us different, and used that to advocate for animal rights everywhere, becoming famous for her work with chimpanzees.

My Thoughts:

With the passing of Jane Goodall earlier this week, I felt I could honor her in one small way by featuring this book review. I love how one little incident - Jane receiving a stuffed animal chimpanzee on her first birthday - reverberated through her entire life. The book includes Dr. Goodall's thirst for knowledge, her passion for curiosity, and her love of our planet and its creatures. My own granddaughter celebrated her first birthday yesterday; this book will definitely be read to her very soon! This title is the tenth book in the series: Ordinary People Change the World by Brad Meltzer & illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. I highly recommend I am Jane Goodall to children up to seven years of age.

Storyteller's Journey

Livvi Biddle's Road Trip!

Since my husband and I had a road trip planned for the end of summer, I decided to take Livvi Biddle with us too! Below are the places that she visited, as well as a few added tidbits. Along the way, we met some really interesting and wonderful people!

Our first stop was Boise, Idaho. I'd not been to Boise since I was a little girl. We only stopped there as the place that would set us up to head south to our intended destinations. However, the hotel gave us a room with a view, so we had a delightful time on the deck overlooking the city! 

Leaving Boise on our way south, we stopped at Salt Lake City, Utah. I'd never been to that city, but unfortunately, we didn't have much time to spend on our tight schedule. When we left on September 9th, we drove through Orem and Provo on our way to Zion National Park. It wasn't until two days later that we realized we'd been in the general area of the abhorrent assassination of Charlie Kirk. The words of Governor Cox were good to hear.

As I mentioned two weeks ago, one of our best stays was at the Novel House Inn in Springdale, Utah next to the Zion National Park. Being in a literary setting was such a treat! The park itself was breathtaking; in some ways it felt magical. Livvi loved it! 😀

Our next stop was the Grand Canyon in Arizona. We'd been there twice before, but since we were headed to Flagstaff, we decided to visit it again. It's one of those special sites that you have a hard time wrapping your head around. Pictures just can't do it justice. If you've never been there, you really should plan a visit. Be sure to stay at El Tovar and visit the Hopi House. Spectacular!

We finally reached Flagstaff, AZ, one of our planned destinations since our nephew was getting married there. Prior to the trip, I'd booked this cabin because it was super-close to the wedding venue. Since we once owned a cabin, I thought it would be fun. Unfortunately, when we pulled up to the place, a dude sat in a rocker at a nearby cabin playing loud banjo music on a radio! No joke! Livvi didn't enjoy that very much. 😄

One of my favorite towns is Sedona, AZ. This time we stayed at an extraordinary place: El Portal. The hotel is filled with art, books, and antiques. It's also across the street from the world-famous Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village. Needless to say, this was the best lodging spot on our trip! https://elportalsedona.com/

By the time we got to Phoenix, AZ, the temperature was over 100 degrees! I'm really not a fan of temperatures over 85 degrees; thankfully, my brother has a pool - so Livvi and I went swimming! 🏊The reason for this stop, was not only to see my brother, but to retrieve items I'd inherited last year. We had a lovely time catching up with my brother Don; he could be a stand-up comedian! When we left, we were towing my things in a U-Haul trailer behind us.

Visiting Yosemite National Park in Central California has been on my bucket list for a long time. Since we were heading north after leaving Phoenix, we made a point to include that special spot. Like the Grand Canyon, pictures just don't do Yosemite justice. If you ever visit, be sure to take in Yosemite Valley, that's where you can get a great overview of the park. That's what we did, since we only had a day and a half to spend there. It was epic!

When we arrived in Medford, Oregon, it was beginning to feel like home. While the trees were mostly pine, a few Douglas fir and cedar were beginning to appear. What we realized was how much we'd missed; we needed to take another trip to visit the Redwoods, Sequoia, and Crater Lake National Parks! Livvi agreed. 😀

By the time we reached our home in Washington State, we'd traveled over 3100 miles through five states! What we learned, once again, is that people are the same wherever you go. By in large, the folks we met were incredible, even fascinating. Travel has a way of reminding you of that fact. Maybe that's why I chose to feature a different country in each novel of The Time Travel Tales of Livvi Biddle. 

 

Storyteller's Journey

The Arrival of Autumn!

As I write this post, I'm sitting in 100-degree weather in Phoenix! However, the calendar still says it's nearly autumn like it is back home in the Pacific Northwest. We'll be home by 9/20/25. Our road trip began nearly two weeks ago; its purpose to attend a wedding and to retrieve the items I inherited last winter after my mother's passing in Arizona. I also used the trip as a tour with my new middle grade book: Nimbus Over Normandy.

Check my post next week for a detailed account of my trip!

In the meantime, check out my recent quarterly newsletter here.

Wishing you each an awesome autumn season!