My books, photo of my grandmother and siblings on the Long Beach Peninsula, and the bottle used in the making of my trailer for Ripples. Before I return to posting Time traveling to the secrets of our past: Part 2, I wanted to share this post featured first on January 1, 2022 by Women Writers, … Continue reading My why: creating stories and selecting genre for Humanity’s Grace
Time traveling to the secrets of our past: Part 1
I was gifted a copy of Washington Irving's 1836 Astoria from my friend Laurie. Although I have read Peter Stark's more recent book by the same name, I always meant to read this original volume. Given that my dad and grandfather were Pacific Northwest historians, it might seem a bit surprising I didn't already have … Continue reading Time traveling to the secrets of our past: Part 1
A tribute to my oldest friends
Yesterday my friend Liz reminded me about John Prine's song Hello in There. She had responded to a story I'd shared on social media about an interaction with a stranger I met on a walk. I am reminded how much I miss my elderly friends who have died. Like Mom. While some might say I … Continue reading A tribute to my oldest friends
Old times at Ocean Park and other stories
Russ and I happened to be here at Illahee in Ocean Park when the Coast Weekend printed a story about me and my writing. I had been interviewed by Patrick Webb several weeks before, but had no idea when it would be featured. We continued our routine like at home, only here Russ worked to … Continue reading Old times at Ocean Park and other stories
About that marble table (or what about all that stuff?)
For most of the past thirty years, Russ and I have shared an inside joke about cleaning out our garage. It started as a serious proposal, our pile of stuff was growing! With neither attic or basement, into the garage it went. As other accumulators know, this stockpile includes the not yet ready to give … Continue reading About that marble table (or what about all that stuff?)
Preserving Old Oregon: A tribute to John Klatt
John Klatt from Old Oregon website. Our community mourns, celebrates and shares tributes to a special man, John Klatt. I'm not sure exactly when I first met John, or whether it was his wife Jody who I met first. What I do know for sure about this friend: he was beloved by his friends, family … Continue reading Preserving Old Oregon: A tribute to John Klatt
Of wallpaper and memories
I am a visual learner, meaning also that my mind sometimes wanders during verbal activities. Especially if something catches my eye or attention. I think about this occasionally in the context of my own aging. Age-related macular degeneration lies heavily in my gene pool: I walked with my mom in her final years, a decade … Continue reading Of wallpaper and memories
About that book launch…
I feel very loved: thank you for sharing your support upon the release of Humanity’s Grace. If you missed some of the excitement you can catch up by reading this (front page) article in the West Linn Tidings (West Linn author reflects on life's interconnectedness in new book), and this bit in the Astorian (In … Continue reading About that book launch…
The art of naming characters
I've read how many authors feel paralyzed over the responsibility of deciding the names of their characters. That's news to me - and certainly a good lesson. Or not. Naming characters has been one of the easiest things for me during my writing journey. Hmm. Perhaps, I don't take the task seriously enough? Here's the … Continue reading The art of naming characters
From Ripples to Humanity’s Grace: what to know
Soon after finishing my 2019 novel, Beyond the Ripples, I imagined writing a sequel. I wasn't yet finished with its characters: Annie, Sarah and others. I drafted a few short half-hearted attempts along different plot lines, soon after abandoning them to instead write another blog. Finally, just before the pandemic unfolded, I asked myself the … Continue reading From Ripples to Humanity’s Grace: what to know
Dede's Books and blog 