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Take a Chance on Me by Sherrie Hansen
Change, for me, is a daunting thing. And there are some big changes going on in my life right now. My husband, who is a pastor, has accepted a call at a new church. We are moving to a new town, into a...
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The Fright at Castell Rhuthun by Coco Ihle
Years ago I was driving with my family throughout England, Scotland and Wales. I had spent a year mapping out an itinerary that would include a variety of interesting places and things to do for our...
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In Search of Covered Bridges by Norm Brown
Each spring for the last few years, my brother Curtis and I have pooled our resources for a week- long vacation to explore some part of the US that neither of us has ever visited before. We both live...
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Inspiration
First let me take a moment to thank SecondWind for having me today and then let me tell you inspiration for a novel can come out of nowhere. It’s funny how it hits you and usually at a time when you...
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Dalai Lama’s White Palace by Mickey Hoffman
The Potala Palace is perched high above Lhasa, Tibet. This is where a long line of Dalai Lamas resided in comparative splendor until the current Dalai Lama left under circumstances variously described...
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Everything’s Coming Up Roses by Sherrie Hansen
My husband and I were driving home from seeing the movie “Lincoln” last night when we drove over the rise that leads to our home and saw Zion Lutheran Church silhouetted behind the stand of pine trees...
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History Down the Hill by Norm Brown
My home is certainly not a mansion, though I can see some from here. In real estate ads I’ve always heard that it’s all about “location, location, location.” Well, my place does have plenty of that....
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When the Ink Runs Dry by J J Dare
My laptop is terminally ill. It’s suffering from a 7-beep sickness and will only turn on one time out of twenty. Dell explains this as a CPU failure. Investigating further, I discovered it’s not so...
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The NeverEnding Story by Sherrie Hansen
For the past year, I’ve been living in a fantasy world. The scene is Loch Awe, Scotland, at a magical place called St. Conan’s Kirk. It’s a very real place, one that really exists – and not just in my...
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Inspirations for Wraithmoor Castle
My readers have asked me to tell them what inspired the appearance and mood, both inside and out, of the fictitious Wraithmoor Castle Inn in my book, SHE HAD TO KNOW. Having been fortunate enough to...
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Writing What’s in Your Heart
When your heart is full…grab a pen. When your heart is low, grab a pen. A little inner voice told me to do this, and I have been listening to that inner voice a lot more lately as I see the the...
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A Day in Turkey with the Hittites by Mickey Hoffman
One of the most fascinating ancient cultures (and given a few lines in the Bible) is the Hittite culture. But many details about that civilization are unknown. This makes them all the more fascinating,...
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A Glimpse at Istanbul by Mickey Hoffman
I wanted to visit Istanbul because I just had to see the Aya Sofya. Ever since I first learned of this incredible building in an art history class, I felt a pull toward it. And a few decades later, I...
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Behind a Waterfall — by Norm Brown
On our recent summer camping trip in Oregon one of the best parks my brother and I explored was Silver Falls State Park. As in so much of this beautiful state, the campground is forested with huge...
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Changing seasons
The leaves are starting to change in the canyon. In a few short weeks there won’t be any left on the trees. I’ve lived in places where the seasons don’t change much. There you have your choice between...
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Seeing Tsars – Catherine’s Palace, Russia
St. Petersburg is unlike any other city I’ve ever seen. The only commonality to some other beautiful and historic cities is that one could take a lifetime to discover and absorb it all. I had only four...
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The Doors of Dorney, Scotland by Sherrie Hansen
I have a confession to make. I’ve never been to Dorney. I’ve been as close as Eilean Donan Castle, but I was in a hurry to get to Fort William, and I never thought to go up into the village. Now, I’m...
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Wildflowers in Winter by Sherrie Hansen
I woke up this morning filled with sweet memories of a Merry Christmas spent with my family, prepared to do a “Twas the day after Christmas” blog, but then I looked outside. Here in North Iowa and...
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What Is It With Me and This Tree? by Sherrie Hansen
Those of you who follow me on Facebook know that my husband and I recently lost the tree in front of the parsonage where we live in Hudson, Iowa. So what is it about losing this tree that traumatized...
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Author Anne George’s Vulcan
While looking through photos I took a few years ago of Eastern Europe, one in particular reminded me of a very special and favorite writer, Anne George. Anne was also the first writer I ever met and...
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