Spring has finally arrived to stay, or so I hope. I do like winter but this past one even got to be too much for me. Spring gives new hope through deep green grass, a stupendous array of colors and as I look up into the sky my eyes brush the tops of trees sporting new growth. All of nature is there for the taking and I revel in my renewed energy that seems to be in sync with my surroundings.

I have new ideas for stories to write. All I have to do is reach back into my own experiences and connect them with the many personalities I have encountered along the road and I have my story. Someone once asked me how I come up with ideas to put into narratives. I tell them one can simply look at a plain door and imagine it the core of a tale. What is behind that door? Is there anything behind it or is it just there? If that’s the case, why is it there to begin with? You get the idea. All kinds of things can be conjured up and since I like writing mysteries I feel I could run with it.

My editing of “Disappearance in Plain Country” is almost finished and soon ready for self-publishing it. I was surprised and astounded at the reception my first novel “Heart of the Wheat Shaft – Mystery in Nebraska Wheatland” brought me. We can expect friends and family to compliment us and it makes me feel really, really good. But when perfect strangers respond so favorably that is the icing on the cake. And that’s what happened with “Heart of the Wheat Shaft.” I have been published in magazines for short stories and articles for children and for adults. I have done freelance writing for the past two years and wrote novellas for clients. When I decided to concentrate on writing a book I went for it with gusto. It paid off for me and spurred me on to the next one.

That’s what Spring can do for me. Renewal is the path to a whole new life ahead and I plan to take full advantage.