How I was able to honor a hero with the help of a few good people

Somehow, with no idea of what I was doing, I was able to get a military marker for a Civil War veteran who had none. A cousin of mine (four times removed) was in the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry during the Civil War and became a prisoner of war at Libby Prison in Richmond, from which … More How I was able to honor a hero with the help of a few good people

When the present blocks you from the past: one of the challenges of writing about the past

I never thought I’d write about history. I’ve always liked to write, sure, and I tried my hand at writing novels years ago. But when my grandmother died a few years ago and we found a little autograph album in her records, I unexpectedly found my reason to write. The autograph/friendship album was filled with … More When the present blocks you from the past: one of the challenges of writing about the past

“This, Their Friendship’s Monument” now has an index

When I published “This, Their Friendship’s Monument” in September 2020 on Amazon, I didn’t think an index for it was necessary. Probably because I’d spent literally years writing it and could locate anything in it in a matter of seconds. It’s been a few months since the writing dust settled, and I recently went back … More “This, Their Friendship’s Monument” now has an index

If You Self-Publish on Amazon, Are you Considered a “real” Author?

A few years ago, I began writing a book. It’s about the lives of the people who signed my great-times-three Aunt Mary’s autograph/friendship album. Aunt Mary was the daughter of Scots-Irish immigrants and lived in a coal town in northeastern Pennsylvania. The Civil War, massive coal mine strikes and disasters, and the 1918 flu pandemic … More If You Self-Publish on Amazon, Are you Considered a “real” Author?

You want witty?!? One of the Pressures of Publishing a Book

Don’t get me wrong, it feels great to have finally finished my book and published it on Amazon. Yay! But there’s something that comes with publishing a book that I’ve found difficult: “I want a signed copy of your book!” If I could just sign my name and be done with it, that would be … More You want witty?!? One of the Pressures of Publishing a Book

Formatting your own book for print-on-demand on Amazon…I’m proof that anyone can do it

As you can see in my post from a few days ago, I recently accomplished what seemed like the impossible–I successfully uploaded my book to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), the self-publishing arm of Amazon.com. With the final click of a button, I became a (self) published author of a Kindle book. But I didn’t just … More Formatting your own book for print-on-demand on Amazon…I’m proof that anyone can do it