Dear Reader: Gone Fishin’, and Wishin’ for a Happy, Healthy 2021
I originally shared this in my December email newsletter, but I wanted to share this with you here, as well: I’m certainly not the first to make this comment, and I know I won’t be the last, but… 2020. Wow. What a year. I have so much to be thankful for,...
Dear Reader: Fireworks for Christmas
Recently on my "Tea with Jess" Facebook Live video (I do these every Monday at 3 p.m. EST),I chatted about fireworks and grace. You can watch the video on Facebook. As part of my chat, I read a favorite Sanity Check column (originally published in the...
Dear Reader: Pie of the Month–Buckeye
Buckeyes (besides being the nickname for Ohioans and Ohio State, from the state tree) are a delicious candy, peanut butter nougat dipped in chocolate. I usually make them at Christmas. My recipe makes a large quantity. True, I could divide the...
Dear Reader: Gratitude for Gifts
I have a dear friend, Katrina Kittle, who is an amazing gardener. (She is also an incredible novelist. Find out about her books on her website. And a supremely inspiring teacher of creative writing. Find out about her classes here.) Now, Katrina has no idea I'm...
Dear Reader: A Sanity Check Throwback–On Making A Gratitude List
Please note that this is a throwback to my Sanity Check humor column that I wrote for the Dayton Daily News. And, well, the photo is a throwback, too! Just a few days ago, my 11-year-old overheard me muttering: "I have this to do... and that to do... and...
Dear Reader: Pie(s) of the Month–Multiple Pumpkin Pie Options!
At the risk of aging myself... I still recall the jingle from the Libby's advertisement for their canned vegetables. "If it says Libby's, Libby's, Libby's on the label, label, label, you will like it, like it, like it, on the table, table, table!" Well, these...
Dear Reader: Community Matters
A few weeks ago, on a Saturday morning, I was about to hop into the shower. It was still warm enough that I had our bedroom window cracked. My ears perked up at the sound of... was that, music? The marching band? We live near the high school from which...
Dear Reader: Fascinating History Books as Background for THE STILLS
Two weeks ago, I wrote about a goofy aspect of my experience doing historical research--diving down a research rabbit hole about, of all things, egg beaters! But of course I do a lot of serious background research for each of my novels. For THE...
Dear Reader: A Sanity Check Throwback–On Getting Lost on a Writer’s Retreat
Please note that this is a throwback to my Sanity Check humor column that I wrote for the Dayton Daily News. Since I wrote it several years ago, please note that this writing retreat did NOT take place during the past six months of COVID-19! But,...
Dear Reader: On Egg Beaters and Researching Historical Novels
I'm often asked at writer's workshop and book club gatherings about how I research my novels. Do I: (a) Do all the research and then write my novel? (b) Do a bit of research, and then mix writing and researching? For me, the answer is B, with a...
