Swinging with the Chickens: Moments in Dance by Tam Francis Welcome to Callahan’s A life-size horse—tawny with black tipped ears and legs—greets us at the entrance to Callahan’s General Store. The smell of a million dusty summers and grilling meat mingle under the porch rafters. A Texan and American flag flap in the slight breeze […more…]
Music, Whiskey & Memories in Lisdoonvarna by Tam Francis Bittersweet Music Banjo, mandolin, flute, guitar, and two fiddles filled the pub/restaurant with traditional music. I leaned toward the love of my life, Dave, my still handsome husband, as we shed our thick coats and took a seat in a foreign land. He quickly made a trip to […more…]
The self-publishing journey has been exhausting and rewarding. Many things I learned along the way, I wish someone had told me about, so I wasn’t stumbling in the dark. I’ve culled what I’ve learned from experience, workshops, and fellow bloggers to share the basics of what’s entailed in self-publishing in one long list of tips and useful […more…]
~ Wish you were Beer ~ by Tam Francis Mmmmm…Beer A Wish you were Beer postcard blinked at me from a rack on the counter as we waited for the hostess to clear a table. I laughed at the card and missed my husband who was out to sea, literally, a sailor in the U.S. Navy. […more…]
~ Dance Quotes Perfect for Swing Dancers ~ by Tam Francis In my writing The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress series, Ghostoria, and Flapper Affair, I have come across dance quotes that embody the sensual, intellectual, and transcendent feel I experience when I dance and try to convey in writing. I hope I’ve created new dance quotes in […more…]
~ Make it Hurt So Good ~ by Tam Francis Up to Shenanigans I wasn’t sure what to expect as we drive by the tiny bar called Shenanigans. We’d heard Rip Carson was playing and there wasn’t a single other venue open to accommodate our insatiable Lindy lust. The joint is so small I almost […more…]
~ Memorial Day, Flags, Girl Scouts & WWII ~ by Tam Francis Another Memorial Day approaches and I find myself helping my husband (who is our county’s Veteran’s Commission Officer) put together a Memorial Day ceremony. This year he’s decided, in lieu of the cushy courthouse, to take the ceremony to its roots, or to the roots […more…]
~ The Secret Life of Dresses: Vintage Reviewer Book Review ~ by Tam Francis The Synopsis The Secret Life of Dresses (5-Spot Hachette Book Group, 2011), by Erin McKean is the story of a young college girl realizing her potential through the secret life of the dresses she begins to wear. When Dora’s grandmother unexpectedly ends […more…]
