In The Road to Oz, the fifth Oz book, author L. Frank Baum eschewed the cataclysmic methods he'd previously used to get Dorothy to Oz (cyclone, storm at sea, and earthquake), and took a different tack by having the ordinary road she was walking on quietly turn into an otherworldly portal. When I was reading … Continue reading #Ozathon24: Taking a different road
Category: Literature
#1937Club: Vintage Murder
Ngaio Marsh, Vintage Murder (1937) I always enjoy joining in with Karen and Simon's club weeks when I can, and this time I managed to overlap with my own Reading the Theatre month. The featured title is one of Ngaio Marsh's classic mysteries, fifth in her Roderick Alleyn series and the second one to feature … Continue reading #1937Club: Vintage Murder
Guest Post at Better Living Through Beowulf
Today, Robin Bates, a blogging friend (and fellow Carleton graduate) has kindly invited me to write about the origins of my book, When Fragments Make a Whole. Check it out at his blog, Better Living Through Beowulf. While you're there, you may want to browse around a bit -- Robin, a retired literature professor, always … Continue reading Guest Post at Better Living Through Beowulf
#Ozathon24: The Road to Oz
Who's still with us for the Ozathon? This month's book is The Road to Oz, which you'll find quite a change of pace after last month's infernal adventures. Some might even call it a tad boring ... but it has its own points of interest, too. It's even a favorite for some readers, who appreciate … Continue reading #Ozathon24: The Road to Oz
Giveaway – When Fragments Make a Whole
To celebrate the American distribution date of my book, When Fragments Make a Whole, I'm offering a giveaway. One print copy, worldwide wherever Blackwells delivers. If you'd prefer an e-book, I can arrange that instead. To learn more about the book, visit this page. There are many ways to earn additional chances to win, but … Continue reading Giveaway – When Fragments Make a Whole
New Newsletter: Healing Stories and Sacred Songs on Substack
In my blog newsletter, The Enchanted Circle, I've been featuring links to works by other writers that I've found online. There is so much wonderful stuff out there, and I enjoy pointing readers to some of my favorite discoveries. I've now decided to split this off into its own newsletter on Substack. It will be … Continue reading New Newsletter: Healing Stories and Sacred Songs on Substack
April is almost here, and Reading the Theatre will be back!
A few years ago, during the pandemic when attending performances in person was not possible, I decided to celebrate spring with a month of "Reading the Theatre"--all kinds of theatre-and-music-related fiction and nonfiction, along with reading plays and watching films or videos. Even though not many have chosen to join in with the project, I … Continue reading April is almost here, and Reading the Theatre will be back!
#Ozathon24: An Infernal Adventure
Be sure to visit The Book Stop for this month's Ozathon hosting posts! In Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, the fourth Oz book, Dorothy, who has twice arrived in magical lands through natural disaster (a cyclone and a shipwreck) is sent tumbling underground by a California earthquake. Her companions this time are a farmhand … Continue reading #Ozathon24: An Infernal Adventure
#MarchMagics2024: Talking about Diana Wynne Jones and the magic of writing
There's nothing more satisfying for a booklover who happens to have offspring than to find them growing up to love the same kind of books. And so when my son chose to do a school project on Diana Wynne Jones, it felt as though one part at least of my task on earth had been … Continue reading #MarchMagics2024: Talking about Diana Wynne Jones and the magic of writing
Nonfiction Reader Challenge: Circle of Hope
Eliza Griswold, Circle of Hope (2024) For the Nonfiction Reader Challenge category of a book published in 2024, I sampled a number of forthcoming releases, but for some reason this was the only one that caught my attention and made me want to read further. It's a fairly up-to-the-minute story, too; it won't be published … Continue reading Nonfiction Reader Challenge: Circle of Hope