Blog
Essaouira: The Berbers. (Part Three)
As an author, I hunt for interesting locales. This entry is Part Three on Essaouira, Morocco, Northern Africa. It focuses on Sok Aam, a nearby Berber village.
Essaouira: A Place awaiting a Story. (Part Two)
As an author, I hunt for interesting locales. I’ve cited Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA in a previous blog and this is Part Two on Essaouira, Morocco, Northern Africa. Batbout bread is skillet or griddled cooked and popular for sandwiches.
Essaouira: A Place awaiting a Story. (Part One)
As an author, I hunt for interesting locales. I’ve cited Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA in a previous blog and this is Part One on Essaouira, Morocco, Northern Africa. Roses were in bloom the March I travelled there.
The Lilacs of Mackinac Island
As an author, I am always on the hunt for interesting locales to set my writing. Over the years, I have often visited Mackinac Island with friends. It has proven a delightful place with myriad experiences and I’ve added it to the list of potential sites for future...
Book Review: The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
The Wonder, set in Athlone, a village in the Irish midlands post the 1845-1852 potato famine, unfolds during a two week period in August 1859. It is about Anna O’Donnell, an eleven year old mourning the loss of her older brother, Pat who’d died the previous November....
Book Review: Two If By Sea by Jacquelyn Mitchard
A tsunami claims the life of Frank Mercy’s wife and unborn child Christmas Eve on Bribie Island, north of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. Frank, a retired police officer and volunteer fireman, attempts to rescue the occupants of a sinking van. The older lad trapped...
Book Review: The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Did Laura (Lo) Blackstock witness a woman’s body being thrown overboard in the cabin next to hers? Had she too much alcohol to drink at the reception and her recollection, therefore, suspect or given a history of anxiety issues, this a hallucination? A travel...
Book Musings: Lion/A Long Way Home by Sarro Brierley
How Many Families Do You Have? Book Review: Lion/A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley Lion, previously published as A Long Way Home, is Saroo Brierley’s memoir. Saroo was born in 1981 in Ganesh Tilai, Madhya Pradesh, India. In 1986 while accompanying his older brother,...
Book Musings: The Ex by Alafair Burke
Why People Do Horrible Things Book Review: The Ex by Alafair Burke Jackson (Jack) Harris, a successful literary writer, is accused of shooting Malcolm Neely, Clifton Hunter and Tracy Frankel in a New York City football field. Malcolm Neely is Todd’s father, the teen...
Book Review: Daughter of Mine by Laura Fabiani
What Would You Do To Discover Your Birth Parents? The cover of Daughter of Mine captivated my attention. Pastel buildings against an azure sky perched on a rocky coastline coupled with ruins of a crumbling stone castle cast immediate allure. Since I am the mother of...
Book Musings: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
What Do You See With Your Eyes Closed? Book Review: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer. The recipient of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is set in France and Germany during World War Two. It recounts the...
Book Review: The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
Read my full book review The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
Book Musings: The Nine Lives of Charlotte Templar by Sally Armstrong
Read my full book review The Nine Lives of Charlotte Templar by Sally Armstrong
Book Musings: Tracks by Robyn Davidson
Read my full book review Tracks by Robyn Davidson
Book Musings: The Waddi Tree by Kerry McGinnis
Read my full book review.
Book Musings: The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison
Read my full book review.
Genealogy, Travel and Writing Session
Marianne will be conducting a presentation for the Chippewa County Genealogical Society on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at 7:00 PM Topic: Exploring the links between genealogical research, travel and writing. Marianne will speak about the process of writing The...
Book Club and Genealogy Chat
The Prince Township Public Library will be discussing The Inheritance on Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 7:00 PM. Marianne will guest and afterwards host a chat on solving family mysteries. Topic: The Inheritance and Genealogy Chat on Solving Family Mysteries....
Did You Have An Arranged Marriage?
Parental approval in the selection of a spouse was an integral component of Italian family dynamics in the past.
What Are Your Mourning Traditions?
The Taj Mahal in Agra, India was built by Shah Jahan, a Mughal emperor in memory of his favourite wife. [nz_sep top="20" bottom="20" width="" height="" type="solid" color="#e0e0e0" align="left" /] Are the following Italian mourning traditions TRUE or FALSE? 1)....
Brothers
Siblings are a complicated family dynamic and sometimes all they have in common is blood.
Girlfriends
Regardless of society, culture or era, girlfriends represent an important dynamic in women’s lives.
How Do You Celebrate Christmas?
Christmas celebrations reflect cultural traditions and illustrate family dynamics.
Did Your Children Ever Have Green Eggs and Ham?
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss was published in 1960 and remains one of the top children’s books of all time.
Memories of Germany – Part Three
Setting stories in places I have traveled authenticates my writing.
























