December 2, 2018
“Is ‘Marcel’s Letters’ a good book for my teen?”
I heard this question from three different parents at an event last week. My answer is generally an unequivocal “no.”READ MORE
November 27, 2018
Marcel’s Letters is awarded a gold medal by the Military Writers Society of America
Members of The Military Writers Society of America gathered in Charleston, South Carolina November 8–11, 2018 for their annual conference and awards banquet.READ MORE
November 19, 2018
Page 51: The zigzag afghan
Readers have told me they enjoy seeing photos of events mentioned in the book, such as this moment from page 64. In the coming weeks I will try to post more of these moments/artifacts.READ MORE
November 12, 2018
Page 135: Meet my “always-sunny” client
Early in the editing process of Marcel’s Letters I was given a rule by my developmental editor: people only got a name if they “walked on stage” more than once.READ MORE
November 10, 2018
November 10, 1943: “I’m still afraid for you”
This is the first letter I’ve found that was mailed from France to a French laborer in Germany. The letter was addressed to Serge Brodig, who was in a lager (a barrack) in Berlin. The postage stamps bear Petain’s profile.READ MORE
November 6, 2018
November 6, 2018: Paperback Release Date!
Today’s the day: the release of Marcel’s Letters as a paperback! I made a video to tell you about some of the differences in the paperback — and to share a special extra. Take a look!READ MORE
October 26, 2018
Jowl Puddle
Someone recently asked to see a photo of Hoover, so I went through old photos looking for one showing his gray jowls puddled on the floor — it was a common sight in his last years. Looking through the old photos made me miss our sweet old boy. We still miss him so.
October 18, 2018
Four French POW postcards
Over the years I’ve acquired four French WWII POW postcards. The cards are different from letters men like Marcel wrote in that they seem rigid, rule-wise. READ MORE
October 11, 2018
Thank you Fox Cities Book Festival!
On Monday, October 8 I had the honor of giving two presentation during the Fox Cities Book Festival. READ MORE
October 10, 2018
Poem: Letters Written in Longhand
I had the honor of meeting Kay N. Sanders a couple of days ago at the Fox Cities Book Festival. She mentioned this poem, and I’m delighted she has allowed me to post it here. I hope you are touched by Kay’s reflection on her mother’s handwriting.
September 25, 2018
Page 64: Victory at last!
Not long ago I was searching through old digital photos looking for something entirely unrelated to the book when I came across photos from the January 2012 trip Aaron, Hoover and I took to Gunflint Lodge in far northern Northern Minnesota.READ MORE
August 27, 2018
Book Club Packing List
Not long ago, a fellow author contacted me with questions about attending a book club. It was the first time she was going to attend a book club as a guest author, and was looking for information on what to expect and suggestions on what to bring.READ MORE