A whale of a birthday

A whale of a birthday

Pam, Steve and Jeremy Withers A few weeks ago I had the best birthday ever. Why? Not just because my husband and son took me out to dinner on the ocean-side deck of the Springwater Lodge on Mayne Island, British Columbia, but because as we were dining, an orca and her...
Kids and online learning

Kids and online learning

I had a student as both a fifth- and sixth-grader, who had no confidence in himself in math. He has ADHD and could not focus long enough to get through a math problem that involved more than a quick answer he could do in his head. The first few months of fifth grade,...
Two courses for writers available on CD

Two courses for writers available on CD

I had a great time offering two presentations at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon last weekend. Both my talks were recorded and the CDs are for sale through VW Tapes,  www.vwtapes.com.I notice the site has not yet uploaded its Willamette...
Writing a book series

Writing a book series

Today I’m giving two presentations at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon. One is on researching your novel to make it more authentic; the other is on writing a book series. The fun part of putting the latter talk together, was delving into the...
Researching a novel: My ship has come in

Researching a novel: My ship has come in

I’m excited to tell you about my new 45-foot yacht. Well, okay, it’s not mine. But it cruised into my life last week and decided to be a main character in the novel I’m writing at the moment. I had already outlined this novel, of course, and knew it featured a power...