Walls built to keep out undesirables are as old as the first circled heap of stones. From stone walls to thwart invading hordes to security key pads and passwords, we humans devote vast resources to devising foolproof ways to separate us from them. As I reach the three-quarter mark of…

We have some catching up to do in the realm of inclusion. In a quest to learn and level up over the years, I’ve developed a collection of resources about reading and writing inclusive romance. Listed below are my favorites from that collection. This is a place to start (not…

An Everyday History Guest Article — Introducing the Series and the Guest One of the main characters in my novel Everyday History writes articles about his treasured possessions, to process his thoughts and share what he cares about. Each article focuses on a meaningful object and the important history it encapsulates. …

Let’s talk about the street corner of the heart where romance novels, daily life, world events, and grief set up shop. This is not the safe part of town. And yet here we can find what we need to renew life… if we dare. My favorite romance novels break me…

Recommending a book includes elements of exposure and risk: “Here. I offer you something I love. Therefore, as you read, you will find out more about me.” A few years ago I sent my dad one of my favorite non-fiction books, curious to see if he would read it and…

Where do you feel most at home? Is your instinctive answer a town or a country, a family house, a room in your apartment, your bed? Why? My lifelong love affair with the concept of home arose from weathering many moves as a child of parents who valued career opportunities…

At the intersection of memoir, story, and intimacy we find… the grocery list. A fascination with this treasure chest of an overlooked art form bloomed from a chance encounter with a stranger’s grocery list thirty years ago. While at a retreat center nestled in the vast Oregon forest, I went…

The more I write stories about men who are not straight, the more I discover they are about me as well. In pursuit of creative spark, I throw questions into the air and open to receive. The story that comes will not be one I should write or hope to…

In these days of computers and phones, writing by hand evokes nostalgia. I hear people say, “I’m trying to do everything digitally these days,” as they strive for efficiency and data-protection. …