What's in The Mailbag
Discoveries while writing, research tidbits, travel updates and photos, occasional annotated excerpts, and more related to THE KENT CREEK CHRONICLES and my other writing.
Subscribe to receive every episode of my serialized novel DANCING AT THE ORANGE PEEL, the first selection in THE KENT CREEK CHRONICLES. You’ll also get related articles, historical info, character sketches, and more from THE MAILBAG.
The Short Story That Started It All
“For What Nate Did” is the origin and foundation for Dancing at The Orange Peel, and ultimately, for the Kent Creek Chronicles.
Companion Pieces for Episode 1: Alley’s and Shadows
A Simple Game With a Questionable Past
A short, and unsettling, history of the game Libby and her best friend are playing on the bus in the novel’s opening scene.
RIP Lara Parker
A peek at the portrait Libby sees in the Dark Shadows program she’s not supposed to be watching and a note about the recent death of the actress who portrayed the character of Angelique.
Companion Article for Episode 2: “Watchful Eyes”
The Touch That Stirred a Nation 55 years ago
The televised moment that Libby recalls in Episode 2: the touch between singers Petula Clark and Harry Belafonte on the NBC Chrysler Special in April 1968, the off-stage conflicts, and the reckoning that followed.
Companion Essay for Episode 4: “Awkward Introductions”
An Author’s Conundrum
A seemingly simple decision about which movie to use in the beginning of Episode 4 takes me on a weeks’ long pondering of the varied ways historical fiction authors represent facts and timelines in their “real world” stories—and how I’ll handle them in mine.
Companion Essay for Episode 5: “From Kent Creek to the Eiffel Tower”
It’s a Trust Issue
With increasing frequency, when I sit down with a plan or intention to write one thing, it becomes another. Such is the case with this month’s Kent Creek companion essay.
Companion Essay for Episode 6: The Knight Alone.
A Whole New World
How following my intuition took my characters to the movies.
Writing Inspiration and Revelation
A Reminder from the Past
We never know how long we’ll hold stories in our subconscious. Revisiting some old favorites reminded me of the enduring influence my reading has on my writing.
Companion Essay for Episode 7: The Promise.
How Many Have You Tried?
In my novel, when nine-year-old Libby has a choice between the local sweet shop and HoJo’s, she picks the chain which began in 1925 and eventually spread up and down the eastern seaboard, offering simple, affordable food and rich, delicious ice cream to patrons.
Companion Essay for Episode 8: Nosy Neighbors.
Noticing Now
Writing inspiration often proves to be much closer than I realize at the time.
Another Companion Piece for Episode 8: Nosy Neighbors.
The legacy of the writer no one knew.
New episodes of my serialized novel set in the late 1960s, Dancing at The Orange Peel, publish monthly, with entries from THE MAILBAG in between. The Mailbag contains extras in the way of research tidbits, historical findings, travel, and other explorations for my writing. Never miss a thing by becoming a subscriber:
Gina- What a great title choice with Dancing at the Orange Peel. It’s very visual and I love the images it evokes. Very affecting indeed. Thanks for sharing.