Happy Camper Summer

If you follow my newsletter, you know I bought a camper this summer, and I couldn’t be happier with the decision! I’ve wanted one for years, and I plan on buying flamingos from now until the snow flies. I have learned so much this summer and conquered some fears too. Here are a few pictures…

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Tracking the Thoen Stone

I’m a sucker for a good treasure hunt, and that’s what I got when I went searching for the Thoen Stone last spring. I can blame my wanderlust at the time on the pandemic. It was March of 2021, and I hadn’t traveled in over a year. The Black Hills sounded like the perfect place for…

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Another Writer’s Beginnings

Many years ago, I read a memoir titled One Writer’s Beginnings by Eudora Welty. I loved the book. I loved the book so much that when a student failed to return it to me, I bought it again. I enjoyed the way Eudora Welty described her town, her clock, her books. That’s the way a…

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April is for the Birds

  Anticipation always builds this time of year, but this year, especially. I’m looking forward to a new release in my Happy Camper series, traveling, warmer weather, more vaccines, gardening, and flowers. Waiting is really hard right now. Last year, my neighbor and I found baby owls in her tree. They kept us busy during…

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Basements, Bodies, and Mountain Lions, Oh My!

Amateur sleuths are fearless, and luckily so. Authors put them in positions that a regular person might run away from. A crash in an empty basement? Easy peasy. A dead body in a dark alley? No problem. A mountain lion in the middle of the forest? Uh. . . . It’s a situation my sleuth,…

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The Love of Reading

Over the years, reading has brought me much enjoyment. When I was young, it was a way to escape the awkward teenage years. Reading about the Wakefield sisters in the Sweet Valley High series, I could almost imagine I was one of them, a popular girl at their high school. Nothing could have been further…

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Walking, Habits, and Resolutions

Last year I walked, a lot. After walking my dog, I would walk some more. Quarantine made me stir-crazy, and it felt good to be outdoors. Walking is the only form of exercise that I really enjoy, and I like listening to books or short stories while I do it. Some days I just like…

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Happy New Year

I received a happy New Year’s wish from a friend, and as I responded, I wrote, “It will be nice to put 2020 behind us.” I paused, then deleted that sentence. In some ways, it wasn’t untrue. I am looking forward to the New Year like no other. But to put it behind me, like…

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Back to School Giveaway

  It’s back to school time! Happy to be collaborating with four wonderful authors to bring you a giveaway opportunity: entries qualify you to win one book or even the grand prize of all five! And if you like academic mysteries, among the five of us, there are more than twenty books in our series:…

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Free Happy Camper Sticker with Preorder!

First, a disclaimer: my new Happy Camper series has nothing to do with camping! Happy Camper is an eclectic gift shop that promotes a happy state of mind. Which is why I think these Happy Camper stickers from Life is Good are so neat. They can be used on laptops, water bottles, campers, or cars,…

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