Author Blye Donovan is a full-time writer and lives in coastal South Carolina with her husband and their dog. She has been writing since she was a child, but didn’t pursue it as a career until the pandemic shut the world down. She started writing children’s books thinking that would be easier—it was not! Then […]
Halloween Book Hunt in Steilacoom
There are a lot of things to do in Steilacoom any time of the year. Halloween is probably one of the busiest times for those who love to be active, and this activity here will be for bookworms and/or friends of bookworms (think gifts …) – because the reward is one of 10 signed copies […]
Across the Fence: Leberwurst and Braunschweiger
It was a staple at my home, and as a child, I simply hated it – leberwurst (prounounce ‘labor-woorst) or, as you might also know it, liverwurst. I didn’t care for the flavor, for the texture, nor – and that was probably the biggest problem, the smell, and the grayish color. It didn’t help that […]
In the Book Nook with … Susan Bagby
Author Susan Bagby lives in Akron, Ohio. The retired speech pathologist is now a full-time writer of romance books. She has also been a songwriter for many years and started her first novel five years ago. Susan Bagby’s first book, Christmas Wish Upon A Star, was published in October 2022 with traditional publisher Sands Press […]
Across the Fence: Plattenbau
There are words with which a German immediately has specific associations. The German term “Plattenbau” (pronounce ‘pluttn-bow, meaning panel building) is one such word; I just hadn’t known that it made it into the English language. Plattenbau, often combined with the term “Siedlung” (pronounce ‘zea-dloong, meaning settlement), is the description of what is often considered […]
In the Book Nook with … Anna Schroeder
Author Anna Schroeder is from the Kitsap Peninsula, Washington State, and works as an ICU-registered nurse, specializing in neurotrauma and stroke. Currently she is working as a travel nurse in the local area, which lets her take lots of vacations with her family Anna has been creating stories since she can remember. She drew pictures […]
Across the Fence: Volkswagen and Fahrvergnügen
You probably have watched one or the other car advertisement on television, willy-nilly. Such as this one: Therefore, you might be familiar with the two American-English Germanisms, Volkswagen (pronounce ‘fawlx-vu-gn, meaning people’s car) and its slogan “Fahrvergnügen” (pronounce far—vah-gnoo-gn, meaning joy of driving). Did you know that Germans abbreviate Volkswagen as VW (pronounce fow-vay)? And […]
In the Book Nook with … D.L. Gardner
Author D.L. Gardner is retired and lives in the Port Orchard/Olalla area in Washington State. She has written all her life but was first published in 2011. Of her many awards the most recent were the Wishing Shelf Book Award for her audio book “An Unconventional Mr. Peadlebody,” The B.R. A. G. Award for “Rise […]
Across the Fence: Blitz
Do you like thunderstorms? I always used to like them, especially their approach. The dark cloud masses accumulating until they are darkening the entire sky, the sudden silence of Nature, the first sheet lightning, rumbling thunder somewhere in the distance, and then the first “real” lightning, a Blitz. This Germanism has made it into the […]