April showers may bring May flowers, but I haven't experienced April snow showers for a good long time. Still, while my relatives in northern Minnesota are still looking at some snow shoveling, my yard is turning green and my trees (including the lightning-struck one) are starting to leaf out, so I suppose I can't complain!… Continue reading The 81st Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid
"A close up of the Holocaust memorial in Berlin." Photo by Ilse Orsel on Unsplash History is full of "what ifs." What if Hitler had not chosen to open an Eastern Front and attack Russia? What if the forces on the Philippines had been prepared after Pearl Harbor was attacked? What if the U.S. forces hadn't been prepared… Continue reading What if the Allies Lost? FATHERLAND by Robert Harris
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com I just got the word! The new anthology, in which I'm taking part, is up for pre-order! I suppose that means it's time to share some more details. First of all, here's the blurb. My piece of World War II speculative fiction definitely fits into the "and more" category.… Continue reading Cover Reveal!
Dear Readers- Another season of Advent anticipation is drawing to a close. Tonight, my family and I sang "Silent Night" to candlelight and filed out into the frosty air planning for the celebration of Christmas tomorrow. As I put the finishing touches on the kids' stockings and get the last gifts wrapped and under the… Continue reading Merry Christmas
Image courtesy of Kevin Woblick via Unsplash.com An Advent Count-Down with Free Fiction! December is here with the flurry of activity that the holiday season brings. Coming on the tail end of a hectic year, the frantic pace of the season leaves me longing for a chance to sit for a few moments, to just… Continue reading Introducing the Advent Calendar Story Train
My husband and I set up this little display in our new school. Students and visitors were encouraged to add "stars" with the names of veterans they'd like to recognize. We were pleased to see that due to high participation we'll probably need to make the board bigger next year. November in the United States… Continue reading Where Does Thankfulness Fit on the Calendar?
"Wild Bill" Donovan- there's a link to a fascinating podcast about his life at the end of this post. First, Some Personal Stuff My last principal encouraged me to take the Clifton Strengthsfinder test. Essentially, it's an online standardized that claims to be able to pinpoint one's personality strengths by analyzing their answers to a… Continue reading A Life Update and a Story of Spies
While moving across the country has meant many changes for the Clares, one really lovely perk is living close enough to visit family. My kids have only visited my great-grandpa's old house once, years ago. I'm excited to take them there again for a quick stop during the waning days of this summer. Who knows… Continue reading Behind Great-Grandpa’s Walls
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… Continue reading Eight Things I Learned From Moving My Family Across the Country
Not every international conflict leads to destruction and violence. Our American Stories is featuring me in a 10-minute talk on a time when the U.S. and Britain almost went to war over a pig, but diplomacy triumphed. If you're interested in giving it a listen, here's the link! If you're interested in the story but… Continue reading How (and Why) We Almost Went to War Over a Pig
thenaptimeauthor.wordpress.com 