No, it’s not the launch party for my novel Fruit of the Devil, but it’s close. We’re celebrating the publication of a new anthology of short stories, set in Santa Cruz, by Santa Cruz writers. Each story in the anthology has a bit of a weird twist, so the anthology is aptly named Santa Cruz […]
Book Launch Party on September 16, 2018 at the Santa Cruz Art Center Read More »
Best Berry Smoothie Magic ingredient: Coconut Water.It contains easily digested carbohydrates in the form of sugar and electrolytes. Low in calories, naturally free of fat and cholesterol, more potassium than four bananas, and super hydrating. Best Coconut Water? According to Portland Food & Drink it’s #1. Coco Community #2. Taste Nirvana, Real Coconut Water* #3. Harmless Harvest Coconut Water #4. Trader Joe’s 100{dd0cd34122dbae65783fecc72bd11557332a508703ea19fba02fcfd97aa5ece1} Pure (cold case) Use fresh
Weed It and Reap: What Should I Eat? Arthritis, Autoimmune Disease, and Diet Read More »
What? On June 30, 2018, in cities and even very small towns all across the county, tens of thousands of people turned out for Families Belong Together rallies to protest Trump’s sudden order, three months earlier, to tear all immigrant children, even breast feeding babies, from their parents’ arms at our southern border. For a timeline
Families Belong Together: A Dreamer Speaks Out! Read More »
What’s the connection between salmon and pesticides? It’s the water. Early on in my novel writing journey, an editor I met at the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference sent my manuscript back to me with the comment, “You have a tight little thriller here, if only you’d cut out the romance, the pesticide story, and that
So you don’t think there were Grizzly Bears in California in 1999? You might be in for a surprise. To find out more, read this latest excerpt from my novel, Fruit of the Devil. (A short stand-alone thriller with a speculative twist, published in the Santa Cruz Weird anthology, available on Amazon.) The Fish and
Rough Cut: Grizzly Bears in California! Read More »
Years ago, in my first draft of Fruit of the Devil, I described my protagonist’s research into the multinational corporate persons who control global chemical-intensive agriculture. The passage is obviously too long and didactic to include in my novel, but a friend recently encouraged me to resurrect this buried limb of Fruit of the Devil,
Rough Cut: The Devil’s Family Tree & the House of Butterflies Read More »
Here’s a nice song to listen to if you don’t mind having a second window open while looking at the slides. I am an American Citizen. A Patriot. My family has lived, worked (mostly as coal miners, farmers, and teachers), loved and died on American soil for over 400 years. I love my country. I’m
March for Science ~ Washington D.C. Earth Day, 2017 Read More »
After the Women’s March, Women are Still Marching On Some say the WOMEN’S MARCH, which took place world-wide the day after Trump’s inauguration, marked a global transition in the consciousness of women and in the men who love and respect women. The Spirit of Standing Rock woke many to this new consciousness, to the realization
I’m Stepping back, to gain a little perspective. Please listen with me to “From a Distance”. (audio file) (Seriously, I mean really CLICK on the audio link above and listen to the song while you read) Breathe. Shortly after the election, gasping for air, feeling as if I were turning to stone like the woman
Gaining Perspective: “From a Distance, You Look Like My Friend” Read More »
“On the Day of Trump’s Election, spontaneous protests broke out across the United States. People saw the danger represented in Trump’s politics and refused to comply with business as usual. Out of those protests, a nationwide call has gone out for a General Strike on the day of the Presidential Inauguration, January 20th.” the
General Strike Called Nationwide for January 20th Inauguration Day Read More »
December 1, 2016 Standing Rock, North Dakota Dear Friends and Relatives, In late August I responded to an utterly compelling, impossible-to-refuse Call from Spirit to go to Standing Rock, North Dakota. Since I’ve returned home, everyone I’ve met has expressed a deep hunger to better understand the current situation at Standing Rock and to know
Standing Rock Insiders Urgently Request Help as Violence from DAPL Mercenaries Escalates Read More »
“Water Is Life” Thursday, September 22, 2016. “Water,” as the Indians say, “is Life”. I’m sitting in a hotel room in Sioux City, Iowa looking out of my window at the wide Missouri River. Today the river is agitated and grey-green under storm clouds. I left the encampment at Standing Rock, North Dakota yesterday, and
#NoDAPL The Dakota Access Pipeline: Protecting Our Water at Standing Rock Read More »
Please Listen to Tish Hinojosa’s song, “Something in the Rain” Today, a new generation of teachers has awakened to the pesticide issue, and the embers of Farm without Harm have caught fire again. The new group, which meets once a month in Salinas and once a month in Watsonville, has named itself Safe Ag Safe
Is Your Child Being Exposed to Dangerous Pesticides? U.S. EPA Chief Pruitt just gave the okay to Chlorpyrifos, a brain harming pesticide the agency knows to be extremely dangerous to children. Want to know what else is your child is being exposed to? HERE’S HOW TO Become a CITIZEN RESEARCHER. “Kids today are sicker than
CITIZEN RESEARCHER Read More »
Rough Cut: {The True Story of “Prudenciana” Elementary School} A California History snapshot: Designed and painted by artist Guillermo Aranda, Mary Flodin, and Amesti GATE students in the late 1990’s, the mural above depicts the cultural and natural history of the land where the school was built, from the time of the native Ohlones through
Rough Cut: Prudenciana Elementary School Read More »