The Song That Inspired Summer in the Moon Garden
Readers often ask about the inspiration behind my stories. Sometimes it's a place. Sometimes it's a character who appears out of nowhere. And sometimes, it's a song. The song that inspired Summer in...
Meet Kat Bauer: A Story of Starting Over, Second Chances, and Rediscovering Herself
In Summer in the Moon Garden, Kat Bauer is a woman standing at a crossroads. After twenty years of marriage, Kat’s world is quietly falling apart. Her once-loving husband has become distant. Her...
Ghost Stories to Moon Gardens: My Novel’s Journey
From Supernatural Fascination to Moon Garden Inspiration The mystical and unknown have always captivated me. I grew up in the 80s, a golden era for supernatural horror. This environment fueled my...
The Inspiration Behind Summer in the Moon Garden
When I sat down to write Summer in the Moon Garden, I never imagined the journey it would take me on — both creatively and emotionally. The seed of this story was planted during a bittersweet...
10 Cozy Small-Town Reads for Your Summer TBR
There's a particular kind of book that feels like coming home — even to a town you've never actually visited. Front porches. Neighbors who know your business (and love you anyway). A slow morning...
The S’mores Tower Challenge: A Criss Creek Cookout Tradition
From the Murphy family fire pit to yours — how to build the tallest s'mores tower you can. The summer Kat came home to Criss Creek, her niece Tory walked into Millie's kitchen with a platter of...
The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
There's a reason chocolate chip cookies never go out of style. They're the cookie you reach for when you want comfort, a little nostalgia, and something sweet without any fuss. This is my...
Make a Summer Bucket List (Before the Season Slips Away)
The full Flower Moon hung low over the garden, and the white blossoms seemed to glow with it. It was Memorial Day night around the fire pit, and my character Kat was sitting between her sister and...
Kat’s Fresh Lime Guacamole (from Summer in the Moon Garden)
The guacamole Kat makes at the kitchen counter with one eye on the driveway — fresh lime, a little heat, and a lot on her mind. In Summer in the Moon Garden, there's a quiet 4th of July moment I...
Aunt Gertie’s Margaritas (from Summer in the Moon Garden)
A 4th of July pitcher, salt-rimmed and stronger than it needs to be — straight from the Criss Creek kitchen. There's a 4th of July scene in Summer in the Moon Garden that I love because nothing...
Rose’s Old-Fashioned Strawberry Jam (from Summer in the Moon Garden)
The strawberry jam that runs all the way through Criss Creek — and the recipe that started it. In Summer in the Moon Garden, there's a small moment I think about more than some of the big ones....
Red, White & Blue Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes
A Recipe From Blooming Into Life There’s a moment in Blooming Into Life when Mary Ann watches her niece and granddaughters frost cupcakes for the Criss Creek Fourth of July celebration, and realizes...
Mary Ann’s Buttermilk Drop Biscuits: A Family Recipe Worth Keeping
There's a moment in Blooming Into Life when I knew Colleen's story needed something soft to land on. She's deep into a detox diet, all green juices and rigid rules, and the page felt a little cold....