Tag: Under the Almond Trees
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Almond Cake
I love to cook. When I wrote Under the Almond Trees, it was important to me that the family had a special almond recipe. I used almond cake throughout the novel even though I had never even tasted it! This summer I vowed to remedy this lack and bake an almond cake. I found several…
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Author-go-Round: Me!
Welcome to the third week of AUTHOR-GO-ROUND! This week it’s my turn. My grandmother’s grandmother, Ellen VanValkenburgh, fascinated me from a young age. She left a tremendous legacy of strength for the women of my family, and she inspired my novel, Under the Almond Trees. On the left is a photograph taken sometime around the…
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Favorite Children
I am often asked which of my books is my favorite, yet I’ve never had anyone ask which of my sons is my favorite. My books are like my children: they took a lot of effort to ‘raise.’ If I am distracted from them sales decrease, like children acting out to get attention. I’m proud…
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Excerpt From Under the Almond Trees
From Chapter 8, Ellen 1871 Yellow has always been a color that is sunny, bright, and optimistic. No coincidence then that the suffrage movement has adopted it. This afternoon the hall we rent at the new Unity Church glows yellow. Early spring roses and daffodils, from the gardens of the ladies assembled here, fill tables…
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Historical Fiction
Today Sarah Johnson’s blog, Reading the Past features an article I wrote. It details the preparation and writing of Under the Almond Trees. It explores the question all historical fiction writers face–how much fact and how much fiction do I include? Click on the picture to the right to read my article. Please leave a…