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Showing posts from 2026

Wave that flag! It's #FlagDay

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  “You underestimate the will of the American people,” he poked his finger in the air for emphasis. “When you push us, we push back. Hard. John Bull cannot bully America into surrendering now any more than you could 40 years ago. Have you already forgotten the lesson of Fort McHenry?” He rummaged in his desk and pulled out a tattered newspaper, much folded and creased. “My mother sent this to me with the letters, a newspaper from home. A Mr. Key wrote a poem about the battle, titled ‘The Defence of Fort McHenry’. Look here–‘the land of the free and the home of the brave’. That’s America, Charley!" --- SEA CHANGE (High Seas, book 1) June 14 is Flag Day, the day the United States honors our nation's star spangled banner. It's more fitting than ever as we celebrate the #250thAnniversary of the United States, so if you've got a flag, fly it proudly!

Our big hole in the ground

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A red-tailed hawk swooped above with a piercing kee-yar! before perching in a tree to keep an eye on them. A steady chorus of insects buzzing testified to the day’s warmth, but Sophia heard the gurgling of water slipping down the sides of the ravine through the ferns and shrubs. The steady trickling cooled the surrounding area, even up here at the top. At the bottom, a stream glinted in the sunlight shining full on it, unhampered by the trees ringing the Chalice. “Where does the stream go?” “Underground. This area’s full of streams that disappear, then reappear later. But that water’s good. We can fill our bottles as we go down, but we’ll make camp up here.” -- The Bride and the Buccaneer One of my earliest books, and one of my favorites still, The Bride and the Buccaneer allowed me to take a meandering journey through some of my favorite spots in North Central Florida, from St. Augustine to the remains of the Bellamy Road, and in my own backyard, the Devil's Millhopper Stat...

Review: The Sea Captain's Wife

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The Sea Captain's Wife by Tilar J. Mazzeo My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: The Raven Scholar

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The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Swordheart

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Swordheart by T. Kingfisher My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

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Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Hang in there, springtime is coming.

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  A pair of bluebirds nested outside the kitchen in a hollowed hickory, and each winter she awaited their return, knowing summer heat followed in their wake. She didn't know if this was the original pair, their offspring, or maybe their grandbabies. But they always came back. Some things could be counted on. Birds nest, bees build hives, and men woke up feeling frisky. --FOR LOVE OF A SMUGGLER (Treasure on the Tide 1), WIP copyright 2025   I took this picture of papa bluebird guarding his nesting box outside of my office window to remind all of you digging out from the #Blizzard2026 that there will be a springtime. A little later for some of you than for those of us in North Florida, but it will be here by-and-by. 

No Boskone for me this year

Sadly, I won't be attending #Boskone63 as I'd planned. Family health issues require me to stay close to home, and I'll miss seeing all my friends and fans at the best SF convention in New England. I am still planning on attending LAconV, the World Science Fiction Convention in August, and if I miss you at Boskone, I hope to see you there (hurricane season and family health permitting.) Stay warm, y'all, and have fun with the great programming and entertainment planned for this coming weekend. 

My schedule for #Boskone63, February 13-15, 2026

I've been heading up to Boston in February for over 20 years now to attend the annual Boskone Regional Science Fiction convention and it's always exciting... partly because I never fail to worry about whether a winter storm will strand me somewhere.  Regardless, I have my ticket there (and thankfully, a return ticket that says "Florida") so I'll be flying up on February 13 for New England's oldest science fiction convention. I'll also be on program again, so here's my schedule: Sun 11:30 AM:          The Appeal of Simple Romance Stories : Not every epic romance needs a dragon to slay or a kingdom to save for two people to fall in love. More readers are embracing love stories that focus on healthy, low-drama relationships that are often shaped by ideas from therapy and emotional growth. Let's explore why these feel-good romances are resonating right now, and how authors are keeping the magic alive in stories where love just...works. Julia Rios, mod...

Review: The Last Devil to Die

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The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Alchemised

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Alchemised by SenLinYu My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Snake-Eater

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Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging

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Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging by Angela Buchdahl My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews