A few years ago I visited the Great Smoky Mountains. In seven days I saw twenty-four bears. That’s not to say they are easy to find. I’m obsessive when it comes to seeing them. These two had managed to get up the tree while about eighty people stood around watching, causing a traffic jam.
Hi all. I felt all the heartwarming love when I shared that my Tucker had passed away in October, then again when my Kloe passed away at Christmas. Your kind notes meant the world to me. So, with big smiles, I share that I’ve adopted a new friend, Josee. She’s 4 years old. I know nothing about her previous experiences. I believe she’s part English Springer Spaniel and part Border Collie. Mostly, she’s a bundle of joy. She’s not going to let me sit still, that’s for sure.
I’m so proud to be part of the National Writers Series and volunteer to coordinate the Student Scholarship program. On April 6, we announced this year’s winners. And they are…
I’ve just returned from a long weekend at the UW Writer’s Institute. I enjoy it every time I go. I meet new friends, pick up new nuggets of information, and, sometimes, I meet someone who changes my perspective.
This trip, it was Bobbi Dumas, founder of ReadaRomanceMonth.com Wow, this woman is passionate about romance.
I admit, I’ve never given the romance genre much thought. I, like many, thought of it as bodice-ripping, semi-erotica where the plot was always leading to a man sweeping the woman off her feet, breathless, saving her from a life of spinsterhood. Or some other such sap.
Apparently, I’ve had it all wrong. Apparently, romance novels have changed with the times. These days, I’m told, the men of romance novels treat their women with respect, are actual partners, are, well, romantic. Romance today is more about empowering women, about personal and relationship development, about two people who come together because they bring out the best in one another.
Now that’s story telling I can endorse. For more, and to read her view, check out her article on NPR: Don’t Hide Your Harlequins: In Defense Of Romance
Thanks, Bobbi, for setting me straight.
After many hours of research and work with a great cover artist, I’m excited to present the new cover for Operation Tropical Affair. I think this cover’s a much better representation of the type of story it is and is much more enticing. Wouldn’t you agree?
While doing research for the upcoming Poppy book, Operation Grizzly Camp, I came across the National Park Service bear cams for Katmai and wanted to share. You can watch the bears at Brooks Falls LIVE during the season (right now they are showing highlights footage). Super cool! Check it out:
A little St. Patrick’s day fun. I made this photograph in Ireland in the gardens at Blarney Castle. No, I didn’t kiss the stone, but I did go up into the castle. People were much smaller back then.
One thing about Ireland: it is as green as they say. Everything is lush and green. I assume it’s the temperate island climate. Amid what you’d think of typical northern foliage would be a palm tree. A palm tree. Fascinating.
During the holiday book signings, I learned a very important fact: my current covers are not working to accurately present the books. Most casual onlookers assumed they were kids books. Fair enough. Can’t argue with consumers.
Off to a new designer I went and she’s diligently at work on new covers and I’m super excited. So stay tuned. They will be revealed shortly.
I’ve just returned from a glorious trip to Puerto Vallarta. I went to see the whales. Unfortunately, with El Nino, the water temperature in the bay is unseasonably high and the whales aren’t coming into the bay much. I did see a few, but not like the last time I visited.
So I decided to take a spontaneous birding day trip. Wow. I had taken my camera along to Mexico but no tripod (as I’d assumed my only serious photo ops would be on the boat). Consequently, I was shooting hand held. But I had the great luck to see this beauty and get a nice portrait. Isn’t she stunning?
For anyone who has ever sought to live a creative life, this book is for you. Elizabeth Gilbert knows how to live! This amazing woman has put into words what we all need to hear. Be creative for the sake of creativity. Find some time in your life to do something you really enjoy, for no reason other than you really enjoy it. Nothing new, yet inspiring in her approach. While I didn’t feel motivated by her describing ideas as having consciousness and will, I did enjoy her dedication to living a creative life because, as she says, to not live a creative life is not living at all.
I took her message a bit further. As I read her words, I realized I’m not a writer and photographer simply because I love to “make things,” as she put it, or bring ideas to life. Art, whether it be photography, writing, whatever, is a form of expression. It’s not simply, for me, about a passion to make art for art’s sake. It’s about having a voice. I’ve chosen writing and photography as my medium to bring forth a message, a message of my true passion: animals. The two are intertwined. And so I shall go forth, buoyed by her words of encouragement. For the animals.
