Stairway to the stars
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Stairway to the stars

Whenever I go touring historical houses, I always head for the kitchen. There I will find where the real work was done, and where the folks that did it hung out. Although this Southern mansion had an elaborate, curving, walnut-carved balustrade in the front of the house, this simple staircase in back, divided for male and…

The setting of FIRE IN BROKEN WATER: Montezuma’s Well
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The setting of FIRE IN BROKEN WATER: Montezuma’s Well

When I chose the setting for the third Pegasus Quincy Mystery novel, Fire in Broken Water, which centers around the ongoing Water Wars in Arizona, I knew parts of it had to be located at Montezuma’s Well. The Well is surrounded with mystery and magic. Who expects to see this blue-green water in the midst of the…

The setting of BLOOD IN TAVASCI MARSH
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The setting of BLOOD IN TAVASCI MARSH

The most frequent questions I get about the title of the second Pegasus Quincy novel are: How do you pronounce Tavasci? That one is easy: Tah-vas’-ski AND, Is Tavasci Marsh a real place? It certainly is! I’ve lived in the Verde Valley for many years, and Tavasci Marsh is one of my favorite places to…

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Downton Abbey: Up close and personal

  I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out the fascination of Downton Abbey. Certainly the clothes. How marvelous! And the interweaving of the upper class with those who care for them. But one of the biggest draws for me was watching the vehicles change. They lived in the Age of Transportation, going from horse…