Early signs of spring in Vermont and Ireland

Hi everyone!

Early spring here in Vermont means maple sugaring. I love seeing the traditional buckets to collect sap but tubing is more prevalent. Sugarhouse visits are a favorite activity this time of year, including in my hometown in western Massachusetts.

And I love, love visiting Ireland in spring. Bluebells! Lambs!

A number of my books are set this time of year. My work-in-progress Sharpe and Donovan novella is set in April. I can’t wait to get it into readers’ hands!

A memorable scene for me is when Olivia Frost and Dylan McCaffrey meet in Secrets of the Lost Summer on a not-gr… Read More

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Happy Thanksgiving 2025!

Happy Thanksgiving!

From my Vermont hilltop home, my best to you for a wonderful day. 

We’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner with our gang, with all our favorites. I’m making dinner rolls from scratch this year for the first time in a while. We’ll see how it goes. 

Do you have a Thanksgiving favorite? Mine is apple pie. Nothing fancy, just good apples lightly sweetened with a touch of cinnamon, and a buttery crust. But I’m not fussy. It’s rare I’ve had bad apple pie.

Enjoy the day, and check back soon for news and updates about new tales coming your way (yay!).

Again, many thanks, as always. … Read More

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KISS THE MOON now in audio!

One of the most rewarding parts of being a writer is when new readers discover, and love, one of my earlier titles. That just happened again with Kiss the Moon. I loved writing this book, working with all the great people at MIRA Books early into their foray into single-title publishing. Fun times.

And now, at least, it’s available in audio, read by Marguerite Gavin!

Many thanks to Tantor Media, and enjoy.

A decades-old mystery is about to reawaken…

Lost in the frozen woods of New Hampshire, Penelope Chesnut discovers the wreckage of a small plane. An aviator herself, she sees clues to a con… Read More

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A recipe for applesauce spice cake and maple buttercream frosting

Happy autumn! Here’s one of my favorite cake recipes, a real indulgence and a favorite as the leaves turn color and the temperatures cool. I love it with maple buttercream frosting, recipe below. Soooo good.

I try to use my own homemade applesauce. There’s nothing quite like writing away with applesauce bubbling on the stove and a fire in the woodstove. Just can’t get too absorbed in the writing and forget the sauce and the fire! APPLESAUCE SPICE CAKE

Ingredients

2½ c. all-purpose flour

 

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking powder

1½ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. g… Read More

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A spring hike in Woodstock VT

We live on the doorstep of beautiful Woodstock, Vermont. Here are photos from our recent hike up Mt. Tom via the Faulkner Trail and then down via the Billings and Precipice Trails. It had rained hard the day before, making for some soggy sections, but what a great day to get out in nature as I write away.

Enjoy!

… Read More

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Ah, Boston, for real or in fiction

Boston has served as a setting for a number of my books. I think of it as my city, although I live on a hilltop in northern New England. I attended college in Boston, and Joe and I lived in a cute (as in tiny) Beacon Hill apartment when we were first married. We went back for a year when our daughter was small. Now our adult children and our grandchildren live in the Boston area.

Let’s just say my love of this great city continues and my frequent visits inspire new scenes, characters and stories.

I was struck recently by this quote from iconic author Mary Stewart:

“If you create a place properl… Read More

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High atop Mt. Washington

The magnificent White Mountains in New Hampshire feature in a number of my books. I’ve hiked up various peaks and hope to do more this fall. The most spectacular (and difficult!) so far has been Mt. Washington. Our bright, sunny morning turned into dense, swirling fog and high winds by the time we reached the summit. Fortunately, unlike the other peaks in the Presidential Range (named after US Presidents), Mt. Washington has a cafe at the top.

Tech wizard and billionaire Noah Kendrick hikes Mt. Washington in That Night on Thistle Lane, the second book in my Swift River Valley series:

“I could pa… Read More

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Wild Maine blueberries (recipe included!)

I just put a quart of wild Maine blueberries in the freezer. I know I’ll love having them when it’s frosty outside! They’re a family favorite, whether for pies, muffins, cobbler, pancakes or sprinkled fresh on yogurt or cereal. We love cultivated blueberries, too, but wild berries bring back many special memories. The photo below is of my granddaughter a few years ago in a coastal Maine wild blueberry patch.

My first memory of picking wild blueberries for the first time was a child, too, on a family picnic at Quabbin Reservoir with my parents and six brothers and sisters. Quabbin an… Read More

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Create a hygge reading nook

The past few winters we’ve been incorporating the Danish art of hygge into lives up on our hilltop in northern New England.

Pronounced “hue-guh,” hygge doesn’t translate easily into English. “In essence,” says Visit Denmark, “hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.”

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Here are a few ideas for bringing hygge into creating a cozy reading nook:

Candles

A lot of candles. Candles are a hygge must. They can be flameless. It doesn’t have to be dark (or cold!) to light candles. I’m just careful to k… Read More

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Adventures await!

“It’s bad manners to keep an adventure waiting.” ~Unknown 

My mother would appreciate that quote. She lived into her mid-eighties and went through some hard times, but she was always up for an adventure. It was her mindset, even when funds were tight, and a great example for me as the third of her seven kids.

She was with us on our first trip to Ireland in 2006. I said, “Mom, would you like to go to Ireland with us?” I swear she started her packing list before she said yes. She didn’t let health issues and knee troubles stop her. I remember her delight as we trekked through a muddy pastu… Read More

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