Let’s Dance!
The summer grows hotter. The world roils with the pandemic. I stretch the limits of my housebound sanctuary and, when the mood strikes, I dance. Visiting our grandchildren last weekend, I was struck by the eagerness of my five-year-old grandson [...]
A Musing On Truth and Lies
Can you remember the first lie you ever told? I can't. What I do remember is the flush accompanying the misrepresentation, the internal conflict when the admonitions of parents and priests collided with the need to shift blame, to deny [...]
A World Turned Upside Down
Note: I drafted the following essay before our country erupted in chaos in protest of the police brutality and murder of George Floyd. I felt a need to add an uplifting look at the pandemic-infused world. Now, our nation is [...]
How To Survive and Thrive With Uncertainty
If there's one thing we all know, here in May of 2020, it is that the future is more uncertain than ever. A funny little virus with spikes on its belly has infected the world, overwhelmed our hospitals, and thumbed [...]
Toward An Invincible Spring
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, [...]
One Writer’s Marching Orders
Last month the number of events and activities in which I participate increased. I'm not complaining, simply recounting. I set a goal for myself in 2020 -- to increase my networking and presentation commitments. However, the introvert in me prefers [...]
2020 August Author of the Month: VALERIE J. COLEMAN
My August author is a dynamo of energy, enthusiasm, and personality. She is multi-talented, writing, editing, publishing, and presenting at conferences, both in person and now in the virtual arena. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to introduce this lovely woman to all of you. Please welcome Valerie J. Coleman to the writer’s circle for this dog-day month that finds us still hunkering in place and longing to be out and about again.
Janet Irvin: Valerie, thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to visit with me and share your writing journey and expertise with us.
You are a writer and a publisher. Let’s begin with the writing. What in your background inspired you to pen your first book?
Valerie J. Coleman: I wrote my first book, Blended Families An Anthology, after twelve years of struggling as a […]
Previous Months’ Authors
2020 July Author of the Month: DAWN PAUL
This middle-of-summer, 2020, demands a bit of whimsy, and who better to supply it than my featured author, Dawn Paul, whose tales of gnomes invite us to the world of […]
2020 June Author of the Month: KATE CARLISLE
I must admit to a fascination with Kate Carlisle, our June author, especially her Bibliophile mysteries. After I read the first one, I was hooked, probably because protagonist Brooklyn Wainwright, […]
2020 May Author of the Month: LEE MARTIN
It is with great pleasure that I welcome an amazing writer, Lee Martin, to the site this month. Martin teaches in the MFA program at The Ohio State University, where […]
2020 March Author of the Month: MEGAN HART
Our March feature is a NYT Best-selling author with a slew of books to her name. When she moved to our Dayton, she joined our community of talented writers working […]
2020 February Author of the Month: DAVID LEE GARRISON
2020 arrives as a leap year, gracing us with an extra day in February. It’s always nice to have more time to read and write and speak with authors. This […]
2020 January Author of the Month: TIM SMITH
A brand new year means a brand new look at authors from the area and beyond. This month I welcome a writer who makes it his business to tell romance […]