I love summer reading, which is why I'm giving away a signed copy of my novel, The Violets of March to one lucky winner---along with a box of goodies (some of my favorite gourmet chocolate from Theo in Seattle and a Starbucks gift card!). To enter,

I'm so honored that First for Women chose Violets as a summer reading pick in their current issue---on newsstands now! Reviewer Cassandra Zink called the story "refreshing" and the characters "lovable." Wow!

Have I told you that I'm married to a carnivore? And that I am not a carnivore? This presents a problem at dinnertime. While I'm not a vegetarian, I just stray away from eating a lot of red meat (frankly, I don't care for it

Hello all! As you know, The Violets of March is at Target, and I'm so very excited. Because I'm hopeful that the book will make a big splash there, I'm setting up a fun promotion just in time for summer reading. All you have to

Advance reader copies of THE BUNGALOW arrived on my doorstep today, and it was a

I found this stunning (breathtaking, really) flower in the alley behind our house today. We live in Seattle, and I'm certain that it's a native Northwest flower, because I used to see the same gorgeous blooms growing wild along the roadside near my childhood home

Here we are at the zoo. You can barely see me, because there was too much light coming into the photo booth (we barely fit, all of us!). I love Colby's spaced-out expression, Russie's content smile, and how Carson's plastic snake named "Hunter" has become

I recently heard from a woman named Teresa, who blogs here, who read my novel recently and wrote this beautiful review. As I was reading her post, I learned about wild violet vinegar. Apparently it's an old country pastime, and it sounds so fun (like

I found this picture of me with my baby, Colby, taken at the hospital the day we brought him home, and I gasped at how much he's changed in just four short months. There's a lot to motherhood that seems to go sloooooow. The potty-training,

I shared the cover of my second novel, The Bungalow, with you last week, and I'm delighted to say that two amazing authors have provided beautiful endorsements for this book! Kristin Hannah (author of Night Road, Winter Garden, many other amazing novels) had a chance