Journal Power

My first journal was the diary my parents gave me for Christmas when I was leaving childhood and entering the world of adolescence. It had a leather cover with a little strap that locked it shut, perfect for a young teen girl growing up in a household with two annoying brothers. My oldest diaries I came upon as I was doing a deep purge of things in preparation to move back to Ohio a couple […]

Continue reading

Land Grant Colleges Research

Research is dangerous. I learn things I’d rather not know. Such was the case recently when I was trying to track down information regarding a place I’m using as a setting for a current historical fiction story. The research took me to the history of land grant colleges and universities. There’s a plethora of information on the topic, yet I’ve managed to live many decades without bumping into any of it. Either it was never […]

Continue reading
Trish Lewis, Founder of Van Velzer Press

Van Velzer Press

I was fortunate to learn about Van Velzer Press before I was ready to publish my most recent book. In my experience writing is about equal parts actually cranking out words and thinking about what to write while staring into space, waiting for the light to turn green, or trying to go to sleep. Most writers hope to share their work with readers, which requires a team of editors and advance readers who give honest, but […]

Continue reading
Dr. Roger Leslie, author

People of Hope – Dr. Leslie

People of hope are men and women who see a need and find a way to respond to it; doing something encouraging for others. With so much discouraging and upsetting news bombarding us at every turn, it is easy to become distraught and overcome by despair. Living with despair is bad for our mental health. I can’t change the news, but I can counter it with stories about people who find ways to instill hope. […]

Continue reading

Who Sits at the Table?

June 3, 2022 An important factor in healing some of the deep divides we’re experiencing in society today, is to examine who sits at the table. Who do we invite to provide information about issues? Who do we invite to participate in making decisions about the best course of action? If we only invite those who look, think, and act as we do, we leave out large swaths of society. Addressing who sits at the […]

Continue reading