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FROM ASHES INTO LIGHT by Gudrun Mouw
I am so delighted today to welcome author Gudrun Mouw to my blog. I met Gudrun through her editor, Erika Lunder at Raincloud Press. Erika contacted me about a year ago, wondering if I would be willing to beta read one of the titles they were preparing for release. The book was From Ashes Into Light, and I fell…
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Spring is Coming
Yesterday, during a lengthy walk along Tomahawk Creek, I came across these daffodils, among the first green buds to emerge this spring. The season is changing; we all can feel it, even the plants. Especially the plants. Spring is coming. I’m celebrating this year’s spring in a special way, with the release of the second…
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Cover Reveal: EOLYN, Book 1 of THE SILVER WEB
In a land ravaged by civil war, the Mage King Kedehen initiates a ruthless purge of the magas. Eolyn, last daughter of the magas and sole heiress to their millennial tradition of magic, seeks refuge in the South Woods. When she meets the mysterious Akmael, heir to the throne of this violent realm, she embarks…
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Speaking to My Past Self
Have you ever been told to think about what your future self would say to you? I’ve never actually received this advice, but I’ve heard it given, usually to young people who are facing important challenges or decisions. I suppose people who give this advice do so because it’s worked for them. Me, I’ve always been…
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The Un-Success Story
A couple months ago, I watched a documentary about the life of Jim Henson on PBS. I grew up with the Muppets and always admired the artistry and imagination of Henson’s enterprise. It was interesting to have this behind-the-scenes look at Henson life, and to learn about the personal and professional struggles he dealt with.…
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‘Tis the Season
Unbelievable. Fall semester has once again slipped through my fingers without as much as a by-your-leave. This will be my last post for 2015. I’m taking a much needed vacation that will involve lots of quality time with my wonderful nieces, both of them young magas in the making. Big projects are in store for…
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Fireside Joys
The other day, as I walked across campus through the brisk morning air, I realized how very much I enjoy winter. I love to bundle up on frigid days and snuggle beneath the covers during long, frozen nights. I have great childhood memories of snow forts and snowball fights, of sledding and ice-skating, of hot…
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One day at a time
Do you ever go through periods when you feel like every decision you’ve ever made was somehow wrong? It’s the cruelest, most insidious sort of self-punishment we can put ourselves through: comparing our lives against the image we once imagined for our future, and beating ourselves up because a handful of pieces are simply not there.…
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About those women characters…
This post is inspired by three seemingly unrelated events this week. One was an article by Renee Asher Pickup about the feminist implications of the story of Ted Bundy. The other, a reflection on a Tumblr blog about Joss Whedon and the ever-elusive female heroine. (This latter post has been on line for over a year now;…
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Stories I Love to Tell
I have such a great line up of courses this semester. After a hiatus of several years, I’m teaching Animal Behavior once again. For the first time I’ve been given a lecture section for our introductory course in Ecology and Evolution. I am also teaching introductory level Cells and Genes, for which I plan to expand the evolutionary context…
K.R. Gastreich, Author
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K. R. Gastreich, Author 