Louisa May Alcott, the Pope and me

I write articles and a monthly column for our local Catholic newspaper. This is my October column. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Autumn in New England turns my heart towards Concord where an antique brown colonial stands. …

Wonderful audio series on YouTube by The Barrow bookstore in Concord

Looking for a first edition volume of Jo's Boys? Perhaps you've been searching for works done by friends of the Concord authors or biographers whose books are hard to find. Maybe you want an older copy of Walden by Thoreau or Nature by Emerson. For antique books by the Concord authors, The Barrow Bookstore in Concord, …

Life restored after a season of loss: “River of Grace: Creative Passages Through Difficult Times” in word and song

This past Wednesday was a BIG day. This arrived in the mail ... But that was not all. I also got the final mix of my soundtrack CD for River of Grace from the producer. And I have to say he really outdid himself. I sent him a text back with 7 hearts - one …

It’s here! A folk art rendition of The Wayside (aka Hillside), home of the real-life little women

You may recall a series of posts on the progress of a folk art painting by Joyce Pyka of The Wayside. It is now complete and ready for the wall of your living room, writing room or bedroom. The prints for this painting are reasonably priced at $18.40 and measure 24 x 20; department stores …

Off to the publisher–my prayer book on Louisa May Alcott!

Done! I just sent off my manuscript for the Louisa May Alcott volume in the series called Literary Portals to Prayer. Look for the book to appear in late December (maybe in time for Christmas!) or January. You can pre-order now on Amazon! To those of you who contributed passages, thank you! Oh, and by …

May Alcott gets her due! Review of Little Woman in Blue written by Jeannine Atkins

I am so pleased to present this extensive review by Gabrielle Donnelly, author of The Little Women Letters: The first thing to remember when you start to read Jeannine Atkins’ marvelous novel, Little Woman Blue (She Writes Press, September 15), is to forget Amy March. Amy, the spoiled youngest of the March family of Little …

Announcing a musical soundtrack to my upcoming book, “River of Grace”!

I’m getting pretty excited; the launch date for River of Grace is a mere 7 weeks away! (It's available now for pre-order on Amazon at a reduced price.) But there’s something else in the works too. Imagine that you are reading River of Grace and you find it really speaks to you. Now imagine that …

Yet another big announcement, and you can be a part of it!

I've been sitting on some pretty exciting news. Along with the release of River of Grace this October, I also have another book in the works, commissioned by a different publisher. And this one is all about Louisa May Alcott! The book will be launched in January of 2016. The publisher is ACTA; this book …

Louisa May Alcott as grief counselor (on the fifth anniversary of this blog)

My obsession with Louisa played out in a rather odd way. Never a big reader until a few years ago, I’d find myself reading a biographical account of Louisa’s life (rather than read her own words) every few years. This began after reading Martha Saxton’s biography. After the reading (usually done during the autumn months) …

Why are you obsessed with Louisa? Why am I?

I pondered that question during the two years spent writing my book, River of Grace. Because Louisa was an important part of this book, I had to figure out first, why I was obsessed with her, and second, how she has acted as my grief counselor, and as a result, guiding me back into my …