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St. Charles: Full Circle

How does an Arizona author end up setting her newest works of Historical Fiction in Missouri? Saint Charles, Missouri, to be exact? Enter . . . a children’s book illustrator named Chris Sharp.

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Book Club Fun to Celebrate The Quilted Heart

Do the members of your book club or reading group enjoy reading a series of novellas and spending time with an ensemble cast? If so, Elsa Brantenberg’s Quilting Circle in St. Charles, Missouri, might be a great fit. And I’m happy to say the 1860’s heartland setting lends itself well to having fun with historic Main Street and riverside flair. For some book club …

Meet Caroline from The Quilted Heart Omnibus

Meet Caroline from The Quilted Heart Omnibus

Today, I’m featuring the two main characters in Ripples Along the Shore, the third and last novella in The Quilted Heart. After you’ve read The Quilted Heart, read Prairie Song to spend more time with Garrett and Caroline. MEET Garrett Cowlishaw Garrett Cowlishaw  is the a friend of Rutherford Wainwright and is in St. Charles to recruit a band of people to …

Mary Easton Sibley age 68

Women’s History Month: Mary Easton Sibley

March is National Women’s History Month. Today, I’m celebrating the legacy of women in American History with a look at educator, Mary Easton Sibley.

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Story Inspiration for The Quilted Heart Novellas

Happy Book Birthday to The Quilted Heart omnibus! I’m celebrating the release of Dandelions on the Wind, Bending Toward the Sun, and Ripples along the Shore–3 novellas in 1 book. Here’s a peek at the inspiration behind the stories.  The American Civil War  

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Happy Birthday, Daniel Boone!

Daniel Boone. What image does the name evoke? A mountain man wearing a beavertail? If you answered, a mountain man wearing a beavertail cap, you’re likely a baby boomer or a fan of TV reruns. Daniel Boone’s pioneer exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He was born on October 22, 1734 in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, lived in Kentucky, …

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The Quilted Heart Novellas, 3 in 1

The Quilted Heart novellas only available as individual eBooks? Not for long! January 21st, WaterBrook Multnomah will release Dandelions on the Wind, Bending Toward the Sun, and Ripples Along the Shore as a print omnibus–three novellas in one thick book. In 1999, I’d gone to St. Louis for a conference and a children’s book signing event. On a program-free afternoon, this Arizona …

Cripple Creek Church History Cook Book

Writing Historical Fiction by the Cookbook

You’re not likely to find me flipping channels looking for the Food Network. Fact is, my hubby does most of the cooking and baking at our house. But don’t ask me to write about a new setting without a cookbook from the time period and location. For The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series, I pored over the Church History Cook Book from …

Me and Carol in Granary

Toasted Ravioli, Fife & Drum Corps, and Daniel Boone

My March 2012 research trip for The Quilted Heart novellas returned me to a setting I first discovered in 1999–a charming riverside city that stirred my imagination and captured my heart. Toured a historical farm that would inspire the farm setting in Dandelions on the Wind. Savored toasted ravioli (twice) at Little Hills Restaurant and Winery. Explored the city and the surrounding areas with …

Me in Arch

Research Trip for The Quilted Heart: 1st Stop, Gateway Arch

In March 2012, after thirteen years, I returned to St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri. This time, as a historical novelist writing for WaterBrook Multnomah, to do research for my new series, The Quilted Heart. The post Civil War mid-1860s provides the historical backdrop for my three Quilted Heart eBook novellas. First stop: The Gateway Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion in St. Louis. Everything …