Clackers

A friend of mine got me a set of clackers. If you ever played with these two hard balls on a string and attempted to swing them rhythmically into one another, you know what I am talking about. To my astonishment, they began to light up and sparkle after a few collisions, so it is…

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Grabon’s Nest

Grabon, Heron’s companion and a territory dragon, finally finds his mate. She is nothing like he anticipated, smaller, younger, less powerful. Yet something calls to him and the connection is inescapable… or is it? Pia is a wandering musician and she is in a very difficult position. Can she count on Grabon to help her?…

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Creative Ideas

Someone who doesn’t know me very well commented that I was just full of ideas. I smiled, walked away and thought to myself, “you have no idea.” I know other people think, solve problems, and use their imagination; but I would guess that my thought process would make most people pull out their hair. For…

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Flat Tire

I bet you know people who manage to have one simple crises at a time and quickly move on to the planned events of the day. Unfortunately I am not one of those people and when things go wrong in my world, they veer far off course with little warning and plenty of drama. Yesterday…

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Trauma

If you have been reading my NewEarth Series, you might have noticed that several characters have survived trauma. As a part of my real life ( non-writing) I worked with kids and young adults who were learning to survive after a single or cumulative traumatic event. It made me very aware of how common trauma…

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Chickens

NewEarth Hens

In all 6 books there is a scattered mention of hens. They are much like chickens, providing eggs and kept in a protected environment so as not to fall prey to any passing puton. Gordon has a huge hen house and he gave a bunch to Heron when he completed the hut. Golly had an…

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Gordon’s Pride

Read about Hanna’s survival, her journey of strength, compassion, and love. Never underestimate a woman who may be down. Those who read Hanna as being weak and helpless are missing the strength that she attracts. Yes, she has been abandoned by everyone, left alone in the wilderness to die. Yet somehow she makes friends. She…

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Dragons

Six Dragons Drinking - NewEarth Series artwork by Athena Tivnan

The dragons of NewEarth are not clever beasts, they are intelligent beings. They are very similar to us, with a wide range of intelligences within their species, but all capable of some deep thinking and analyzing. One of the valued skills among dragons is deception. While humans value truth, or the facsimile of truth, depending…

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Fairytales for Adults

What makes a great Fairytale? Is it the layers of lessons and wisdom? Is it the stick in your mind stories and themes? Is it the simplicity, characters, or symbolism? Is it the handling of delicate topics in ways that speak gently about the horrific, and horribly about the mundane? So are my stories fairytales?…

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Differences and Disability

Many people focus on what a person cannot do, learn, move, or see. They consider how someone is limited. In my writing, in my life, I do my best to focus on what people can do, what they can do well, and areas they can excel. That may be what makes me suited to writing…

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