Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to be asked to help a Native American woman complete her oral history. This month, I attended her funeral. Funerals aren’t generally happy affairs. But this one left me feeling up-lifted. It was a genuine celebration of a well-lived life. And although […]
1835 Traveler’s Diary
Like a free excerpt? Over thirty years ago, I discovered an old traveler’s diary in an antique shop. Written in 1835, it recorded the travels of a New England gentleman as he explored the “west” (today’s Midwest), searching for land and opportunity. Click here to read a free excerpt! * […]
A Short History of Lebec, CA
A Short History of Lebec (Part 1): Peter Lebec may have lost his battle with a grizzly bear almost 200 years ago. But Lebec’s name still graces the California valley where he died in 1837. Today, the small town of Lebec, California – named after the […]
Baby Face Nelson at Walley’s Hot Springs, NV
Yes, that Baby Face Nelson. . . . What better place for a wanted man to spend a quiet month hiding from the feds than the cabins of an out-of-the-way tourist resort. Walley’s Hot Springs, Nevada, to be precise. On October 1, 1934, Lester Joseph Gillis, aka George […]
Finding Your Writer’s Voice
MEMOIR TIP: You’ve probably heard about “writer’s voice”: that distinctive style that sets you apart from every other writer who’s come before. Part of it’s your tone. Maybe distinguished. Compelling. Funny. Or quirky. But it’s also the feeling your readers get as they read those words you strung together. It’s the way […]
Tales of Old Sheridan, Nevada
It was 1855 or thereabouts when Moses Job, an enterprising trader from Virginia, opened a small store at what would eventually become Sheridan, Nevada. Job’s trading post nestled right beside the Emigrant Trail, a convenient spot for both passing emigrants and nearby settlers. Soon, a small cluster of homes and businesses […]
Keeping the Writing Spark Alive
What keeps you going, when you’re writing a memoir? It’s different for everyone, of course. But sometimes a simple word of encouragement can make all the difference. We asked a group of fellow memoir writers recently what keeps them going, and what advice they […]
Handling Trauma and Healing In Your Memoir
Meet Memoir Writer Leslie Ferguson: As a child, all Leslie really wanted was a normal family and a mother’s love. Instead, she found herself trying to navigate a terrifying world with a schizophrenic mother, who tried to kill her. Hungry, afraid, and intermittently homeless, Leslie knew she had to leave to survive. But […]
A Short History of New London (Part 3)
The Revolution & Aftermath When the 1770s dawned, New London’s merchants, wharves, and warehouses were booming with the West Indies trade. The British were happy, too, thanks to the heavy import duties on imports of rum, sugar, tea and other goods. Those stiff taxes were an important source of revenue, helping finance Britain’s expensive wars […]
Sheridan, NV: The Sheridan House
A Visit to the Sheridan House Few traces are left of the once-bustling settlement of Sheridan, Nevada. So it was an amazing privilege to be invited to visit the privately-owned Sheridan House, one of the town’s early hotels! The Sheridan House is thought to date to the early 1860s. Back in the day, it was one […]
5 Ways a Beta Reader Can Help Your Memoir
Memoir Tip: Try a Beta Reader! I confess I hadn’t used Beta readers, until my latest book (a novel). But now I’m hooked! My goal in assembling a Beta reader team was simple: encouragement to write regularly. Knowing I had readers eagerly awaiting my next chapter helped keep me on-schedule. That accountability […]
Pet Parrots on the Comstock
The Victorian Parrot Craze Victorians adored their feathered friends. Gold Hill in 1876 was said to boast “more parrots than any city or town on the Pacific Coast.” The Nevada State Journal quipped: “You may walk for miles and miles and never hear anything said but ‘Pretty Polly!’ and ‘Polly wants […]