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Tag: memoir

That Time Twitter Saved My Life – Literally!

“Cesspool of Hate”? The other day my husband, Larry, said, “If Elon Musk doesn’t watch out, Twitter’s gonna become a cesspool of hate.” Larry’s a smart guy who actively follows the news, but here’s the thing: he does not use Twitter and is utterly clueless about it. I say this not to pick on him, but to offer him as a good example of a broad demographic. For people like Larry, who do not use Twitter, the news media paints a scary picture. Media Amplifies Negative Aspects But here’s the thing: Twitter is like a global party. And with any…

3 Commonly Misunderstood Cemetery Symbols

Part Two: Witch’s Tombs & Misunderstood Cemetery Symbols  Throughout the year, and especially as Halloween approaches, well-intentioned people forward me articles about alleged Witch’s Tombs that have no basis in fact. This is the second of two blog posts in which I explain why you should be suspicious of alleged Witch’s Tombs. Part One: In my previous post, I explained the problem with Witch’s Tombs, gave two examples, and explained how I think they are created. (Here’s a link to Part One.) Part Two: In this post (which you are currently reading) I describe the three cemetery symbols most commonly…

Witch’s Tombs are not what you think

Part One: Witch’s Tombs & Misunderstood Cemetery Symbols  Throughout the year, and especially as Halloween approaches, well-intentioned people forward me articles about alleged Witch’s Tombs that have no basis in fact. This is the first of two blog posts in which I explain why you should be suspicious of Witch’s Tombs. Part One: In this post (which you are currently reading) I explain the problem with Witch’s Tombs, offer two examples, and explain how I think they are created. Part Two: In this post, I describe the three cemetery symbols most commonly misconstrued as having ties to witchcraft and/or satanism.…

My D-Day Memory of Tom & A Missed Clarinet Cue

TL;DR – That time I met a guy who lost an eye during the D-Day Invasion of 1944 Years ago, I played clarinet in a community band. Players ranged in age from 18 to 88, and our ranks included doctors, dentists, roofers, reporters, accountants, painters, retired folks, and even me, a coffeehouse owner. It was fun to mix and mingle with people from such a wide range of ages and belief systems, and I made a lot of interesting friends in that community band, one of whom brought history to life for me in an unexpected way. It happened as…

Author Interview: 4 Questions for B. Alan Bourgeois

A passion for helping other authors I first met B. Alan Bourgeois through a rather cheeky exchange on Twitter. A few years ago, when I saw his tweet about the Authors Marketing Event (AME), I replied by asking if they needed someone to give a presentation on the topic of Twitter for Writers. Long story short: he said yes, and I’ve been attending (and teaching at) this wonderful (and FUN!) annual event ever since. Alan doesn’t just write, he also spends time and energy helping authors learn to promote themselves. And I mean a LOT of time and energy. Frankly,…

Author Interview: 4 Questions for Teal L. Gray about “Reading the Unwritten”

Multi-talented author releases her 4th book: My buddy, Teal L. Gray, has a fascinating new book out called Reading the Unwritten which Amazon recently named a “Hot New Release” in the “ghosts and hauntings” category. This is a book that’s been in the work for several years, and Teal’s fans have eagerly awaited its release. It’s hard to keep up with Teal because writing books is just one of her many talents. She’s also an award-winning quilter, ordained minister, and podcast host, among many other things. As the “Lavender Crow,” Teal developed a line of home grown nature products infused…