South Dakota’s women homesteaders
My historical fiction series, On the Dakota Frontier, tells the stories of women homesteaders who stake claims in Dakota Territory in the 1800s. And, while the stories are based on considerable research, they’re still fiction. Earlier this year, I was contacted regarding writing a nonfiction book about the real women homesteaders who came to South […]
Railroad slang and jargon
Some industries just have more colorful slang than others — as I learned when researching background information for Iron Horse Claim. Early railroading was a good example of unique jargon. Some railroad slang made it into the common lexicon, such as caboose, graveyard, pencil pusher, and riprap, while other railroad slang was strictly confined to […]
Windmills on the prairie
There are two themes running through Iron Horse Claim: railroads and windmills. Both of these innovations transformed the nation, particularly the West. Windmills had been around for centuries, but the ability to manufacture and mass-produce windmills didn’t occur until the mid-1800s. In 1854, Daniel Halladay designed the first self-regulating model. Other inventors followed, such as […]
Iron Horse Claim tells Lizzy’s story
Medicine Creek Claim told the story of two sisters who left war-torn Missouri during the Civil War to start new lives in Dakota Territory. Except it didn’t tell both sisters’ stories. I had written three-quarters of the novel when I realized I had told Charlotte’s story. What about Lizzy? I had two choices. I could […]
Chapter epilogues
Epilogues – those summaries at the end of the book – are intended to provide closure to the story or offer a glimpse into what happens after the main narrative ends. Readers of the On the Dakota Frontier series are familiar with some sort of “chapter ender” element in all the books. Proving Her Claim used […]
The tyranny of deadlines
I was ruled by deadlines throughout my professional career in advertising and marketing. Most of them were not self-imposed deadlines; rather, I had to finish my portion of the project in order for someone else to begin their contributions. Early in my career, I was a copywriter, writing scripts for television commercials. I had to […]
Naming characters: what I’ve learned
While writing my current novel, I realized I was re-using names for new characters. That’s confusing for readers. It’s also a violation of the Author Rule (I made that up), but it should be avoided. There are guidelines for naming characters. In a blog I wrote several years ago, naming characters, I referred to Writers’ […]
TikTok whiplash
I’ll admit I have dragged my feet regarding TikTok. Oh, I have an account thanks to the urging of certain millennial influencers who insist that BookTok is where I NEED to be. (You know who you are…) I’m not “fluent” in TikTok. I struggle to create engaging TikToks. But, given the speed at which TikTok […]
Hello 2025! It’s time for New Year’s resolutions
It’s a new year. And, like many people, I’ve made New Year’s resolutions. Last year I was two for three: I resolved to set up a Free Sharing Library. √ I resolved to become a Master Gardener. √ (Editor’s note: I’m an Intern until I complete 40 volunteer hours.) I resolved to learn how to […]