When I Can’t Write, I Read, Watch, and Listen

THE CAVANAUGH HOUSE Craving apple crisp and pumpkin spice anything? Must be fall and time for a good ghost story. You’re in luck. The Cavanaugh House is on sale for 99 cents through September 23. Order your copy today at Amazon. On a brisk morning walk with Rich, this happened. I blame the driver who waved us across the street but gave no indication of which way he was turning. Looking back to check if he was coming my way, I didn’t see the bump where the asphalt met the corner concrete gutter. Down I went. Isn’t falling interesting? As Read More

Passionate Patriots: Valentine’s Day in Colonial America

This is a post I wrote in 2016, but these valentines speak to an era we seldom think of as romantic. They deserve another look, don’t you think? Passion conjures up images of Valentine’s Day more than it does the Fourth of July. The Founding Fathers were serious men about the serious business of changing the world through revolution and a brilliantly written document. But these men were passionate about their women, too. Just look at the love letters between John and Abigail Adams, for example. Addressing her as “Miss Adorable,” Adams wrote: “By the same Token that the Bearer Read More

A Sale, a Giveaway and Angelique’s Surname

The Sale: If you loved The Cavanaugh House but haven’t read book 2 in the series, now is your chance! Buried Secrets is on sale for only 99 cents through Nov. 23 at midnight. You’ll love the twists and turns! Get your copy now on Amazon. Thank you for voting for Angelique’s surname. Something really cool happened last week. The day after you voted, Rich got a new Ancestry “hint” about his 9th great-grandmother. This document was a listing of his 9th great-grandmother’s family members, and guess what? She had a sister named…drum roll, please…Angelique!! Wow! Is that synchronicity or Read More

“Witch” Name Won? Now Select a Surname.

Thanks to all of you who voted to name my character. As I explained in my blog, Help Me Name a Witch, I needed a fictional name for my character who was accused of witchcraft and is based on Rich’s ninth great-grandmother. The votes have been counted, and the winning name is: Angelique! I like the tension created with this name that sounds so like the Seraphim and Cherubim but is a person tortured by visions and poltergeist activity. As I research my book, I will keep in mind the difficult time Angelique experienced in a new land, far from Read More

Help Me Name a Witch

I need your help. Last week on my blog, I talked about discovering that Rich’s ninth great-grandmother was accused of witchcraft in 1600s Quebec: In Search of a Witch. I am currently researching this ancestor for a novel I will write based on her life. I won’t use her real name, so I need to find a fictional name for her. Rich searched his genealogy notes for names of people listed in the church records in Quebec City in the 1600s, and we created a long list of first names and surnames from actual residents of the early French settlement. Read More