I have so many precious memories of this, my favorite holiday, both recent and long, long ago. I grew up in the small town of Northport, Washington, about 9 miles south of the Canadian border.  My folks ran a motel, and our living space was very small, although that...

My honorary grandmother, Florence Heritage Wiley, grew up just outside of Coffeyville, Kansas, on a family farm. One day, a barrage of gunshots ripped through the quiet countryside. Since the shots came from the direction of town, Gramma’s father, Mr. Heritage, either...

I grew up listening to the stories of my honorary grandmother, Florence Heritage Wiley.  Here’s one of my favorites. As a child, Gramma, as we called her, lived on a farm about a few miles outside the town of Coffeyville, Kansas. One day, a lone man rode up to the...

I’m excited about the December 31 release of my new novel, WHERE THE CREEK BENDS. Like many of my previous books, this one has a Western slant, but it’s a bigger and more expansive story than I have ever written before.  And there’s an element that might surprise...

When I write Westerns, I like to play certain songs, partly because I love them, being a country girl at heart, raised around horses and rodeos, and partly because they inspire me in crazy, wonderful ways. Three of these very special songs are “Pancho and Lefty”,...

Of all the cities I’ve visited over the years, London is definitely my favorite. For several years, I had a flat in a building behind Harro d’s—at 19 Hans Place—and split my time between there and my home in Port Orchard, Washington. One fine day, I was on my way to...

Wendy, like her mama, is a writer. She started out doing screenplays, and actually had one script produced.  It was called Truth Below and was featured on MTV. In addition to that, she had several scripts optioned by major film producers. Now, she’s writing a...

I didn’t, darn it. I met Burt years ago, at a celebration of the classic Western TV series, Gunsmoke.  My dad, Skip Lael, was the town marshal in Northport, Washington, where I was raised, and I remember how he’d pull up just in time to watch the next episode, looking...

I have a nice deck behind the house, and I’ve started a little gardening project. Today I planted bok choy (I love to make wonton soup), lettuce, green onions, and miscellaneous flower seeds, all in colorful grow-bags.  I also have three little pots in which sprinkled...

It’s finally happened; I’ve downsized and moved to the San Diego, California area, leaving my too-large house in Spokane, Washington, where I had lived for nearly twenty years. Moving is never easy for anyone.  I had to say good-bye to loved ones, friends, and a...