
The Sweet Smell of Summer
This essay was the first thing I'd ever had published besides a review of a dinner theater show for my local paper. The Sweet Smell of Summer tells the story of my family and the process of putting up corn for the winter. This gathering and preserving of food was my mom's hobby. She loved canning, making jelly, or freezing food for later meals. I do the same with memories. Mix them up into a story, then put it away for later. Here's one I can pull out for you. Enjoy. #summ #s

Two months down...
Does anyone else feel like this year is flying? I've got so much on my to do list it's kind of freaking me out. But the good news is I got words in this morning. After I get this blog done, I'll be dealing with a workout. And then mailings to drop off at the post office later this week. My husband was out of town earlier in the month which should mean more writing time for me, but it's hard to be a single when you're used to be part of a couple. I was just getting used to t

Finishing Christmas...
Actually, it's Santa Puppy, and it's a Tourist Trap novella. Writing these short novellas has been really fun and challenging since they take place in the past (at least for South Cove folks.) Aunt Jackie was just breaking up with Josh that summer. Toby was trying to learn monogamy and failing. And a fan favorite, Sasha was still on staff at Coffee, Books, and More. The first novella, ROCKETS' DEAD GLARE, starts at 4th of July. The second, A DEADLY BREW, covers Halloween in

Seasons Greetings...
A Visit from St. Nicholas... 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there... --Clement Clark Moore Happy holidays, Lynn #Goals #memories #family #LynnCollins #LynnCahoon

Through the looking glass and back
So we had a health scare last month with my husband. The Big C was in play and we both spent a lot of time thinking and talking about what if. Probably more time thinking than talking. But for now, that's off the table. And our lives are back on some what of an even keel. It's not totally forgotten, but we're able to make plans without thinking, what if... Last weekend, I went to Penned Con and spent a lot of time chatting with a good friend who's also an author. It felt good

Authors in Deadwood
The Cowboy drove me out to South Dakota this weekend to attend Wild Deadwood Reads. Such a great reader event! And I met some amazing authors in the mix. The planning for next years event is starting now. We (meaning he) decided we should camp out rather than stay in the host hotel. Since we took the boys, it probably was a better decision and it turned out to be an amazing weekend. I'm still getting my real life legs under me after the weekend, but I loved road tripping ou

The start of summer
Memorial day weekend. When I was growing up, we used to visit the graves. My father died when I was young so the ritual held a special place for me. A pilgrimage to a man I didn't get to know. My paternal grandparents were also buried in the same cemetery. When I was older, I'd go to his grave to think through the big decisions in my life. It helped me feel more centered and as I talked through the issues, I felt closer to the man I don't remember as my father. Now, my mom ha