In Out of the Clear Blue Sky, there’s a guy named Ben Hallowell. Captain of a fishing boat. Cape Codder. Man of few words but can flirt...

Recently, my not-so-sainted husband implied that I was not the best driver. Readers, how dare he? So what if I missed that tiny little...

I don’t know what I did before Airbnb. As a writer, I get to travel quite a bit. If I’m going to be somewhere longer than a couple of...

Being that I am spiritual and religious-ish and grew up Catholic, I do believe in the afterlife. This month, I’ve been doing a lot of...

I just met my first grandchild. Holding my daughter’s son was transcendent. My little girl has grown this beautiful, perfect little boy...

While it’s been around forever, I just found out about the love languages, which are, according to the Google, words of affirmation,...

My role model for old age. Is it that I’m becoming a delightful curmudgeon, a la the Dowager Countess of Downton Abbey? Am I just...

Let the good times roll. The other day, when my sister was visiting our mom, we decided to have a game night. Oh, readers! It was a...

In case of apocalypse, head for my mom’s. She’s got a few of these stashed in the freezer at all times. While I recently was on Cape Cod,...

Well, it’s that time of year, so I’m going to tell you a Christmas story. It’s not the happiest story, but maybe it’s a good story...

My closet will not look like this, alas. Part of our house renovation means that McIrish will finally get his stuff out of my closet. Oh,...

Sure, it’s a neck. Tragically, I will not be able to chase my mother around the house with a turkey neck this year. I know. I’m sad, too....

Booey, my bear since I was two, remains with us. Of course he does! Our house renovation has now started on the inside, so McIrish moved...

I may have mentioned that we’re renovating our house…the first home improvements we’ve done since we’ve moved in, back when we were young...

I had a week off, gang. A week of real vacation time, which is unusual for us authorly folk. We usually have writing, editing, revisions,...

Last week, I finished my twenty-second novel. This one was a tough one to write for good and bad reasons. On the happy front, I was busy...

Oh, sure, I love the great outdoors as much as anyone! As long as I can go back to a comfy room with hot water and plumbing and a...

As you may know, I’ve been alone quite a bit this summer, working away. I love solitude.  I always have. As a kid, I’d hide in the cellar...

PACK UP THE MOON, my latest book, is set in Providence, Rhode Island, a small city with a lot going on. It’s home to eight...

Now that is some fresh flannel. There are often details that jerk me right out of an otherwise satisfactory movie or television...