Welcome to episode 4 of Lucia of Fatima. As you may know, I am writing the story of Lucia Santos-the primary visionary in the famous apparitions of the Blessed Mother to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. First, I want to report that I experienced a writer’s nightmare—my computer crashed. Fortunately, I saved the 26,000-word … Read moreLucia of Fatima: Episode 4

Here I am back home after a pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome, ready to continue our journey into the creative process of writing a book. Historical fiction has been my genre. This requires research to get the facts correct. Unlike my other four books, this story required virtually no fictional characters or plot lines. The … Read moreLucia of Fatima: Episode Three

Here we go with episode 2 of Lucia of Fatima in which the writer takes you into her hobbit hole – the place where she retreats into the mysterious world of creativity. I set the alarm for 4 AM and climb out of bed. It is a time of silence, hot tea, and reading scripture. … Read moreInto the Hobbit Hole

Ever wonder how an author writes a story? Sometimes I put down a book like Anne of Green Gables and try to imagine how Lucy Maud Montgomery created Anne. The little orphan girl jumps off the page as a living, breathing character. Let me give you an example. Here is the moment when Matthew Cuthbert first … Read moreLucia of Fatima

                                  One late summer day I stood at the kitchen sink washing dishes, not knowing that I was in for a surprise. I glanced at the lilac bush growing near the side of our old New England farmhouse. Soap suds bubbled up on my hands as I paused in the midst of my chore. Lilac … Read moreLost in the Soap Suds