Eight Things I Learned From Moving My Family Across the Country

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash WHEW. Well, I've been absent for a bit! As I mentioned back in March, my husband and I accepted new teaching jobs for the upcoming school year. The positions are in the state of Wisconsin, so the last several months have been spent preparing for a move. This involved cleaning out our home…

Tangible History

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash I had high hopes of sharing a new post with you this week. It's in process still, as moving preparations continue to swallow all of my life that school and family haven't already consumed. However, as I sorted through the mess that is my room, I came upon a little box that…

To Those Who Wait

I'm losing another friend. Not 'forever' lost—not to anger or angst or illness. And really, this goodbye isn't about me, though I am sad about it. No, it's that time in friendship when the orders come in, and the people I've just started to really come to know are sent off, to serve their country…

Fictional Babies Never Spit Up

I first published this on The Naptime Author in August of 2018. My kids are older, and the messes...well, they don't include diapers anymore at least. My current manuscript includes some children and this "dusted-off" post made me smile. I hope you enjoy it, too, Readers! -Anne *** Ah, details. There's nothing like a detail that's…

A Stop on a Medal of Honor Highway

Unlike much of western Washington, the town of Sequim (pronounced "Squim") isn't surrounded by thick evergreen forests. Perched on the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula, near the forrested and mountainous Olympic National Park, Sequim itself is only 184' above sea level—if it weren't for the saltwater on the horizon and the occasional herd of…

A Post of Christmas Past, and Plans for the Near Future

Well, readers and writers, Christmas has come and gone again. I truly hope that you and yours had a happy, peaceful day. It was a different Christmas in the Clare household. We still ate far too many cookies, lit our Advent candles and sang carols, attended worship services, opened presents and made an absolute mess…

The Challenges of Writing That Second Book

This June, after years of research, rewrites, and editing, I published my first novel. Putting my paper and binding "baby" out into the world was exhilarating, terrifying,  exhausting... but it's done! That mountain is scaled! And then... I had the first reader ask, "When's the next one coming out?!" Don't misunderstand me- having people ask…

Psssst! Do You Wanna See My Book’s Cover?

A friend and I recently talked about how producing a book is a little like having a child. There's the desire to do everything right and the worry over all the things that could go wrong with this bit of creation you've gotten to be a part of. There's the fear of letting go, of just what will…

Something for your Sweetheart?

So, are you exchanging gifts with anyone today? My husband and I have never really "done" Valentines day. Oh, the kids have their cards to hand out at school. We even baked cookies to go along with them since we were snowed in, and sending the leftover lollipops that are still sitting around from Halloween…

Merry Chri…Wait, It’s Over Already?!

Well, this week didn't work out quite like I'd planned. I had a fabulous Christmas-Eve blog post all planned out in my head and itching at the tips of my fingers, ready to type up and share with all of you wonderful people. As you may have noticed if you popped by, it didn't happen.…