Kathleen’s Irish Soda Bread Recipe For more information and pics: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/irish_soda_bread/ The story goes that good Irish cooks never measure, so when I took down this recipe at Kathleen’s table many, many years ago (on the back of an envelope), I was given that disclaimer. It took me many a try to get it all straight. You can find […]
How Irish is Irish? Read More »
A Wee Taste of Ireland On any given March 17th, one thing in the Murphy household was certain. Kathleen Vokes would sneak by, leaving a warm loaf of Irish soda bread on the front doorstep. My brother and two sisters and I would fight for the chance to be the one to find it
The Sweet Taste of Sugar Read More »
After many years of work and revision…too many really, Ivy Leigh Ever After, my debut novel made it into the hands of a group of eager readers on Saturday! There’s nothing like a full room of jazzed up people with ultra kind hearts to make my own heart soar! There’s been a ton of book
Book Launch Day! Ivy for REAL! Read More »
I just love working alongside another author, especially when that author is half my height! I also love that title. ‘Author.’ I’ve worked so hard for so many years to meet that mark. But I also spent my years sprinkling that word around, congratulating all the young authors I worked with in my classroom from
How Sweet It Is: A Pair of Authors at Work Read More »
It’s currently 28 degrees here in coastal North Carolina, the fire’s on, there are cookies in the oven, and I’m snug in a heavy sweater, slippers and woolen socks! Where am I? I moved south to be warm in winters, well, reasonably warm, to write, enjoy evenings of great music and to be close to
Baby, It’s Cold Outside! Suggestions for a Middle Grade Reader Read More »
Always Waiting…will you ever really do this? It takes time and patience and a lot of guidance to bring up a great dog! We’ve been through all the stages of grieving our last wonderful dog, Reilly to the swift adoption two months later of this boy, Wrigley. We didn’t have time to wallow too long,
A Little Teaser: IVY LEIGH EVER AFTER Read More »
“The sky paints such beautiful pictures!” ~WWPL, a little four year old with a full head of light blonde hair exclaimed the other day! He was actually dangling off a swing looking up at a clear pic of what he called ‘a dragon breathing out flames!’ And we, all three adults, saw it too. But
Last night, I got the paw…a soft one, but nevertheless, it was a call to action. Right after that, a soft, but urgent cry followed. My boy. He needed to get out. It was well after midnight and I had to get up at 5:30 for a commitment I’d made with a friend, something I
The Owl that Calls in the Night Read More »
I often grab a cup of coffee with a writing partner of mine. She writes mostly adult, but dabbles in other genres, and has recently published her debut novel. She’s tapped into a well of determination and desire to use her time to get the work done. She inspires me! It wasn’t the work though,
A Conversation about ‘Stuff’ Read More »
Begging for Trouble So innocent, right? Don’t believe it. This boy is always looking for trouble. Which is a great lesson
Things Are Not Always Like They Seem Read More »