Miracles: They Really Do Happen!

Do you stop to recognize the miracles in your life? So many of us have been brainwashed to believe that the term, “miraculous,” can only be applied to giant earth-shaking events, like winning the lottery or discovering a cure for cancer. …

Victorian Spy Gadgets for a Kick-Butt Pinkerton Heroine

When your job is to save the world, you can’t outwit evil masterminds without hiding a few spy gadgets in your Victorian underwear. In the immortal words of my kick-butt Lady Pinkerton, Sadie Michelson, “A garter is only good for one…

Sexy Texas Ranger Hides a Secret

Researching Old West lawmen for my Wild Texas Nights series was a real hoot. I learned that Texas Rangers adhere to a VERY strict dress code: They can only wear white or gray cowboy hats. (That’s right. No black Stetsons for the good…

Money Superstitions: Gambling in the Old West

So you want to play poker, eh?  Well, you’d best check your pocket watch, pard.  Playing cards on a Friday night, before 6 pm, is bad luck in these parts! ‘Course, if you encounter a hunchback on the way to the casino, Lady Luck might…

TEXAS WILDCAT: Dating Advice from a Spitfire

Note:  Still pining for a date for Valentine's Day?  No problem.  Sheep rancher Bailey McShane, the (aptly named) TEXAS WILDCAT from my Wild Texas Nights series of Historical Western Romances, is here to share her secrets for catching a mate!   Howdy,…

Diva to Detective: Secret Files of a Lady Pinkerton

Scribe’s Note:  Sadie Michelson is deep undercover, sending this transmission from her latest top-secret location. Per Agent Michelson’s instructions,  I have faithfully transcribed her 10 most memorable moments from her secret files –…

Riding with the Devil in Texas: Crazy Road Trip

My Texas romance-writing friends congregate in packs: we’re kind of like Lone Star(buck) Wolves. One Saturday morning, while sucking down enough caffeine and sugar to make my eyes float, a Writer Pal asked, “So where are you going to…

Reincarnation: Did I REALLY Live in the Old West?

I’ve had some REALLY freaky experiences writing my Lady Law & The Gunslinger series, so I’ve decided to come out of the closet and “dish.” First, I should probably confess that I am wholly open to the idea of Reincarnation. …

Bawdy Songs for a Sassy Siren

Schlock.  That’s what my high school English teacher called my best attempts at poetry when I was enrolled in his Creative Writing class. But the joke’s on Mr. Snooty, ‘cause nowadays, I’m a bestselling author, who writes bawdy rhymes…
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Fiction Writing Blues: Why Book Editors Reject Manuscripts

Why do book editors reject manuscripts? As a fiction-writing coach, I'm asked that question a lot. Most authors are baffled by the vague correspondence that book editors send. For example: "Thank you for the opportunity to read (Title of…