https://amzn.to/2N9Wr85 I enjoyed this memoir by Melissa Anderson (Melissa Sue or Mary on Little House on the Prairie). It is decently written, and she does a fine job describing how she got on the cast of Little House and what the overall experience was like to be on a popular TV show like that. She matter-of-factly shares some fun behind-the-scenes stories that are entertaining and reveal more about the cast and life on set. She also traces her career and mentions other projects she worked on over the years, though mostly she talks about Little House. I’ve not followed her career beyond Little House and wasn’t really interested in anything beyond that. A few things jumped out at me that I particularly liked: She doesn’t glorify her past indiscretions and sexual exploits, if she even experienced them. Her book is a contrast to Melissa Gilbert Prairie Tale, which spends too…
I recently read Hell’s Princess: The Mystery of Bell Gunness, Butcher of Men by Harold Schechter and was pleasantly pleased overall with the book and the presentation of this haunting and disturbing story. I haven’t read any true crime in a while that encouraged me to set other responsibilities aside to get to the bottom of the mystery presented in this book. For those who are unfamiliar with the true story of Belle, let me summarize. Norwegian-born Belle is considered one of America’s first female serial killers, who reportedly killed up to forty people between 1884 and 1908. During her early years, she went through a string of husbands, who died under mysterious circumstances. Sometimes even her own children died mysteriously. She quickly drew on their life insurance policies. Authorities were sometimes suspicious, but few incidents were investigated. And if they were, the investigations didn’t go far enough. Later, as a single woman…
About an hour from where I live lies the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. For years, I drove right past the main highway leading to this town, never even realizing its importance in history–and yes, some critical history happened there. But unfortunately, few then and even today know much about it, due to the disaster being overshadowed by a more important event, the Chicago fire, on Sunday, October 8, 1871. On that same day, while close to 250 people perished in Chicago, nearly 2,000 perished in the firestorm at the lumber town of Peshtigo and surrounding areas. The book’s back cover says the town of Peshtigo “was truck with a five-mile-wide wall of flames, borne on tornado-force winds of one hundred miles per hour that tore across more than 2,400 square miles of land, obliterating the town in less than one hour and killing more than two thousand people.” Firestorm at Peshtigo:…
I recently signed the contract for my third Christian suspense novel, with the working title of “Drone.” My agent, Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency, found a publishing home at Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Beyond this news, I have as yet few details to share. To stay on top of what’s happening, be sure to visit my Facebook author page, where most of the action happens.
