My Blog
The Rocking Chair
I had the most awesome fifth-grade teacher. To protect privacy, I’ll refer to her as Mrs. Smith. Everyday after lunch, Mrs. Smith read to our class. We were allowed to put our heads down on our desks if we wanted. You might think we’d fall asleep, but this never...
The Rainbow
My father, W.A., stood slightly under six feet. He had a muscular, powerful physique. He played football in high school and college, usually tackle or guard. You wouldn’t think such a big man would be a good swimmer, but he was surprisingly graceful and strong...
Shrimp Boats
One summer, my parents rented a house on the beach for two months in northeast Florida. During this time, visitors came and went every week. Family friends, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. Looking back, it must have been hectic for my parents, especially my...
Fall Festival
When I was in the third grade, my school held a Fall Festival. After dismissal that day, everyone poured outside and found everything all set up near the playground. My best friend and I found the stand selling homemade taffy. Each creamy, white piece was about six...
Let’s Go Fly a Kite
How did I get the idea for Valkyrie? It was August of 1964. My mother, Norma, took me and my sister to see Mary Poppins. I remember sitting very still, utterly enchanted. This was one of the first marriages of live action and animation in a film. Of course, I didn’t...
It Started with a Chandelier…
The first time someone asked me how I got the idea for Valkyrie, my response was, "I don't know." It was the truth. I hadn't thought about it. (Probably because I was writing the book.) Anyway, people kept asking. So I began thinking. One day, a memory...
