Author W. James Chan from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, describes himself as retired from “delightfully banal office work that afforded plenty of writing time on the sly.” He has been writing for almost as long as he has been reading. His first book, Blackcloak: A Man of his Sword, was published in 2015. He […]
In the Book Nook
In the Book Nook with … Alisa Weis
Author Alisa Weis lives on a small farm in Olalla, Washington, with her husband, son, daughter, and a host of animals. She teaches English to secondary students at a private school in Bremerton, WA. Alisa started writing fiction as a young girl, but didn’t publish her first book until age 36. She is a member […]
In the Book Nook with … C.J. Booth
Author Charles “C.J.” Booth, who grew up in Delaware and lived in Minnesota for years, and his wife raised their kids on Mercer Island, retired to Whidbey Island, and now live in Gig Harbor, Washington. C.J. started life in broadcasting, moved to film and video production, then started writing film scripts and toyed with fiction […]
In the Book Nook with … Dennis “DJ” Quinn
Author Dennis “DJ” Quinn’s home for the past 26 years has been on Raft Island near Gig Harbor Washington. He grew up in Helena, Montana, and lived in Minneapolis and Seattle before landing in Gig Harbor. He worked as a flight attendant from 1979-to 2005, then spent 17 years in real estate marketing; he retired […]
Across the Fence: Sehnsucht
The Germanism in the English language I chose for today’s is a term used in everyday-life but also in psychology. Sehnsucht (pronounce approximately: ‘zayne-zooh-t) describes a state of yearning for something. It doesn’t sound really happy, does it? Well, it isn’t, because it is kind of a hopeless yearning for something, somebody, some place, or […]
In the Book Nook with … Stephanie Larkin
Author Stephanie Larkin works as a freelance editor and splits her time between Vancouver, WA, and Seattle, WA. For most of her adult life she has been writing poetry and short stories as a hobby, but when she became involved with a community of refugees, she felt compelled to write her first book. “Resettled’ was […]
Across the Fence: Realpolitik
Oh my, a loaded term in politically loaded times! This was my first thought when I came across this Germanism in the English language, the other day. Realpolitik (pronounce: ray-‘ul-poli-’tic, meaning realistic politics) was a word I can’t even remember having been discussed in my politics classes in grades 12 and 13 at my German […]
Across the Fence: Kutte
The first thing that came to my mind when I came across the Germanism “Kutte” (pronounce: ‘koote with a short “o”) in the English language was the traditional garment of a monk. A cloak with a hood and a rope-like belt; the fabric coarse and simple, the color black, gray, brown, or white. Think of […]
In the Book Nook with … Michael Engelhard
Author Michael Engelhard lives in a cabin on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska, among porcupines, moose, and lynxes. This freelance writer used to be a wilderness guide and outdoor instructor in Alaska and the canyon country for 25 years. He has been writing for publication since the late 1990s; his first book was published in […]