“You’ve Got a Friend”

The popular song, “You’ve Got a Friend,” written by Carole King and first recorded in 1971, has been on my mind lately. Owing to stresses in both my family and writing spheres, I’ve needed friends more than ever in the past few weeks—and just when I needed them most,...

Holiday memories in music

Although I don’t usually start playing holiday music until December, 2020 has been such a grim year that I dug out my seasonal CDs and created a Spotify playlist in the middle of November. And from traditional carols to sacred music and popular festive tunes, now more...

Four things about “real me” that shape “author me”

Every so often, I spot posts on social media asking people to share things about themselves that others may not know. In the case of friends, it’s a fun exercise because even when I think I know someone well, I also usually learn something new about them. And for an...

Making a joyful noise

As some of you know, I joined a choir last year. Every Thursday night, I gather with friends and neighbours at my church to sing together and prepare to lead the congregation in the musical part of the Sunday worship service. During that practice time, I’m not...

Music in life and stories

Confession. I’ve listened to a lot of songs by The Partridge Family lately. Along with ABBA, Jace Everett, Dean Brody, Bruce Springsteen, Sam Hunt and a Mozart flute concerto.Why such an eclectic mix?Like many authors, I have a playlist for each book I write....