I grew up in a German city with a number of big breweries. Their names mean nothing over here, and one got torn down when I was in my early twenties. I don’t remember what happened. It seems they merged with a brewery downtown. A specific area always also had that peculiar smell that goes […]
In the Book Nook with … Stefanie Skupin
Author Stefanie Skupin from the Okanogan Valley in Washington State, half hour from the Canadian border, is self-employed at The Leaders Work, working with veterinarians and other medical professionals to balance body, mind, and spirit, so that they may excel in their career and enjoy their lives. She also works as an animal communicator at […]
Across the Fence: Umlaut
Hardly anything is as conspicuous in the written German language as what is even named the German way in the English language: the umlaut (pronounce ‘oomm-lout, meaning changed sound). Indeed, these are a, o, and u topped with two horizontal dots such as in ä, ö, and ü. Apparently, they are not easy to pronounce […]
In the Book Nook with … H.D. Vesser
Author H.D. Vesser from Idaho works as a writer and a wholesaler. She started writing seriously in 2011. Her first book was published in 2018. It is based on bats whom she finds to be widely misunderstood and “morbidly cute”. She is a recipient of the 2021 Writer’s Digest award for “The Little Red Roar-At” […]
Across the Fence: Doppelgänger
Have you ever been told, “I know you from somewhere. Your face is so familiar”? Maybe even followed by the name of a place? If so, you may have wondered whether there is a true, physical doppelgänger of yours, a person who is your look-alike. I keep joking that I have a face in a […]
In the Book Nook with … Connie Hampton Connally
Submitted by Susanne Bacon. Author Connie Connally from Tacoma, Washington, is a former English teacher and music teacher. Now she spends her time writing and occasionally teaching workshops at writing conferences. Through the course of her life, Connie has done many kinds of writing, but she enjoys fiction most. Her first published novel, “The Songs […]
Across the Fence: Biergarten
As it is getting warmer, a lot of German-speaking Europeans will flock to a type of restaurant typical for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. They are open-air, rustic, and cozy. And, of course, you have heard about them, as the German term “Biergarten” has made it into the English language with pretty much the same pronunciation. […]
In the Book Nook with … Ryan Oliver
Author Ryan Oliver from Bremerton, Washington, works as an occupational safety and health training instructor for Trident Refit Facility in Bangor, WA. His earliest recollection of writing is from third grade; however, early high school is when he really got serious about producing his own stories. Ryan’s first book, “The Beasts of Men and Gods: […]
In the Book Nook with … Wendy Kendall
Author Wendy Kendall’s journey north to Seattle started from Los Angeles, where she enjoyed a wonderful childhood, then San Francisco, the small community of Davis, CA, and a couple of years in Oregon. Her career is in business as a project manager; many of the skills she has been trained on in that capacity have […]