Way we knew we were in Germany: R offered salami pizza as an option along with the more traditional pepperoni or cheese when we played restaurant at the park. Appliances are energy efficient, which really means it takes twice as long to wash a smaller load of clothes. Reality means we’re washing at least one load of clothes a day. …
The Real Monuments Men: Part 1
In Shadowed by Grace, I delved into the world of the Monuments Men in Italy. The movie that releases next week explores some of what this elite group did in France and Germany, while I recreated part of their job in Italy during WWII. Capturing life in Italy during WWII was quite a challenge. The photo shows just a few …
5 Tips for Surviving Bitter Cold with Kids
If you’re family is like mine, you meet yourself coming and going. There may be days that you and your spouse meet in the garage for a quick kiss as you run from activity to activity. It’s easy to get used to that pace of life. Then something happens. Maybe it’s that cold, hard, snowy winter. Indiana has been locked …
Germany Reminisces: being a Stranger in a Strange Land
It’s been fun walking back through our time in Germany. Anyone want to sign me up for a summer in Italy? Today, I’m sharing a post I wrote shortly after we’d arrived. It highlights some of my thoughts as a stranger in a strange land. Enjoy! This morning I taught my first class at GISMA. It’s a joint venture with …
3 Signs Research is Your New Best Friend
If you’ve been a writer long, you may have discovered something…something that is causing your rooms to feel smaller. Your checkbook to feel lighter. Your desk to feel like a leaning tower. You’ve discovered that to write an exceptional book, you must conduct mounds of research. I can’t tell you how many times my husband has asked if I’m really …
Living a Life Shadowed by God’s Grace
When was the last time God surprised you? I mean really surprised you? Sometimes life starts moving so fast that I forget to stop and remember what God is doing. Here are a couple examples. Last May I started wondering if I would need to get a MBA at some point. Because I teach business law in graduate business programs …
Anne Frank Died Here: Bergen-Belsen
While our summer in Germany was an amazing opportunity and experience, one of the things I wanted to experience was the reality of a concentration camp. Because we were traveling with very young children, my husband was cautious about viewing a site like Dachau. However, one of our new German friends told us of a smaller camp located only 25 …
The Dancing Master Review
Julie Klassen is a fantastic writer who creates characters and plots that I love. This book was no exception. I was quickly pulled into Regency England and the lives of two characters with lives shadowed by pain. A delightful read for those who love historicals filled with great characters, a strong faith thread, and a hint of mystery. Finding himself …
An interview with Robin Lee Hatcher
Great minds think alike! Robin Lee Hatcher’s latest book shares a title with one of my WWII stories. I’m delighted to introduce you to her and her book today. When Robin Lee Hatcher’s marriage ended in divorce, she was devastated. “I’d been so convinced God had promised me that He would save our marriage,” the author says, but she quickly …
Shadowed by Grace Interview
Shadowed by Grace, your latest novel, involves a unique group of soldiers dedicated to saving art and architecture during WWII. What got you interested in the Monuments Men? It was one of those God moments. I have deep respect and admiration for the men and women of the Greatest Generation, and I love telling their stories. Because of that, I’m …