City Spotlight: Viola

My most recent article, “Viola: Here, Gone, and Coming Back” appears in the March 2023 issue of IDAHO Magazine. The article contains Viola history, ghostly run-ins, and interviews with current businesses and residents, along with a little hope for the future. Locally, IDAHO magazine is available at BookPeople of Moscow.

Purchase a copy directly from IDAHO Magazine for just $6 here:
Buy it now!
OR
Purchase only the Viola article for $1.99 here:
Viola—Spotlight – IDAHO magazine

Thank you for supporting Idaho businesses and Idaho authors.


Klara’s Journey on Kickstarter

I just launched Klara’s Journey on Kickstarter! On the Kickstarter website you’ll find:

The trailer was created by Damonza and is absolutely amazing. You definitely don’t want to miss it!

In addition to the trailer, there’s a video describing the project, my project budget, images of the map and the calendar created for the novel. You’ll even get a peek at the initial inspiration for the novel. (Hint: It started with a song!) I even posted the first editorial review . . . and it’s good. Really, really good!

Kickstarter allows you to pre-order both ebooks and paperbacks. Books will ship the last week of May. As a bonus, all paperbacks will be autographed before they’re shipped.

Pre-order on Kickstarter today!

 


Lake of Spirits: Payback in a New Novel

I recently completed a book review of Stuart Scott’s novel, Spirit Lake Payback for the December 2021 issue of IDAHO Magazine. The article is more than just a book review. It also contains some juicy tidbits on the history of Spirit Lake, Idaho. Both Scott’s novel and the current edition of IDAHO magazine are available from BookPeople of Moscow.

Purchase your copy directly from IDAHO Magazine:
Buy it now!
OR
Purchase only the article and review here:
Lake of Spirits – IDAHO magazine

Continue reading


Storm: The Cat who Lived

The topic of my most recent article for IDAHO Magazine is Storm, a blind foundling I plucked from the ditch during my morning walk. Storm was incredibly tiny when I found her and despite being gravely ill, she rallied and survived. She even managed to overcome blindness. But, what is really remarkable about this tale is that neither the veterinarian nor I killed her.

To explain that last sentence, I need to back up a few years. Continue reading


Party Platforms

My political cartoon ran in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News this morning.

After listening to both the Democrat and Republican conventions, I was inspired to find a way to effectively sum up both parties’ platforms in a single sentence.  I believe I have succeeded.


Grizzly Ghosts

Looking for spine chilling ways to amuse your family during this time of social distancing?  My article, Grizzly Ghosts: Tales of the Hoodooswas published in the April 2020 edition of IDAHO Magazine.  The article covers ghost stories new and old that have been passed around campfires by decades of scouts attending Camp Grizzly as well as some mysterious happenings that occurred elsewhere in the Hoodoos. Continue reading


Camp Grizzly History

My article, “History of the Camp Grizzly Area, 1900 to 1942” appears in the December 2019 edition of the Latah Legacy.

Did you know that before Camp Grizzly was a Boy Scout camp it was used by the Camp Fire Girls? 

And before that it was the site of a mining camp? 

And, despite the rumors you may have heard, it was not a logging camp?  Even though the property was owned by Potlatch Lumber Company for many years, managers William Deary and Allison Laird refused to log the property owing to its natural beauty.

Hard copies of this issue can be purchased for $5 from the Latah County Historical Society, in Moscow, Idaho.  Online versions of both of Camp Grizzly articles are accessible below: Continue reading



Monsters Published!

After many delays, efforts to censor the book, and enduring intimidation tactics by school administration officials, the SFCC Pullman Campus Creative Writing Club is pleased to announce that this year’s anthology, Monsters, has finally been published.

In an email dated March 7, 2019, I learned that Dean of Student Services, Cynthia Vigil had gone so far as to contact the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Washington, who is reported to have told her she could not censor the anthology.  Attempts to do so violate the students First Amendment rights.

This is the first time administrative officials have attempted to censor student work.  (See: “Concern, condemnation after Spokane Falls student newspaper reports on sex scandal.” Seattle Times.  April 5, 2018.)  Ironically, both censor attempts were for the same reason, the administration does not like being reminded that sexual predators are monsters. Continue reading


Beezlebug Takes 3rd Place

I was recently notified that my short story “Beezlebug” took 3rd place honors in the annual IDAHO Magazine fiction contest. (See a list of winners here.)

Beezlebug is the story of how a U.S. Army National Guard member is influenced by a lone mosquito to take action against his middle-aged neighbor lady. It is a delightful read for anyone who has a neighbor with whom they don’t always see eye-to-eye.

To read “Beezlebug” and other award winning short stories, visit my short fiction page.