Today’s parenting magazines trumpet the necessity of playing with your children, and mommy blogs gush about the joys of floor time and entering the child’s world. If a 1940s’ mom time-traveled to 2010, she would be confused by this. She had work to do. Play was for children. Not that she ignored her children, but instead of becoming a part of the child’s world, the mother drew the child into h... Read Article

The more I look at this poster, the more I see how our culture has changed. In the 1940s, mother-daughter outfits were popular – the daughter wanted to dress just like her mother. Nowadays, middle-aged mothers dress like their teenaged daughters. Something has flipped in recent generations. In traditional cultures, children couldn’t wait to grow up and have adult responsibilities, and people hoped to live... Read Article

Here’s a poster that would never be printed today. To the eye of the 2010 woman, this girl looks a bit…daft. The doting little woman fawning over her man’s accomplishments. Doesn’t she have a life of her own? Maybe she’s not as stupid as we think. Though our culture has undergone a gigantic shift, the basic nature of a man has not. According to Dr. Emerson Eggerichs in Love and Respect (... Read Article

In our green times, we say, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” but the 1940s woman puts us to shame. For her, “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do” was more than a slogan, it was a necessary, patriotic lifestyle. Many consumer goods, such as rubber goods and some spices, were scarce because they were produced by Japanese-occupied countries. Metal goods, clothing, and leather were rationed to take care o... Read Article

World War II was a turning point for women. Before the war, few married women had jobs – in fact, most men considered a working wife a shameful sign that he couldn’t provide for his family. Unmarried women found few careers open to them, namely in nursing, teaching, and as secretaries. The war changed that. In 1940, 132 million people lived in the US. and during the war 11 million men and women served in ... Read Article

It’s official! Here’s the cover for the second book in the Wings of Glory series, which will be available September 2010. A Memory Between Us is now featured on Revell’s website at http://www.revellbooks.com/ Major Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge–until he meets army nurse Lieutenant Ruth Doherty. When Jack lands in the army hospital after a plane crash, he makes winning Ruth... Read Article

  Rosie the Riveter is the icon of World War II women – strong but feminine. She’s got biceps, but she curls her hair and does her nails. She can do a man’s work, and don’t you dare tell her she can’t. She is woman; hear her riveting gun. Today I’m starting a series of posts on lessons we can learn from the women of the 1940s. The World War II time period was a pivotal time fo... Read Article

Bay Area friends! Would you like to meet five authors at one event? (Sorry, but one of them is me.) Come to The Door Christian Bookstore in San Carlos on Saturday, November 21 from 2-4pm for fun, music, and book talk. In addition to signing books, we’ll be chatting about “The Story Behind the Story,” how we each got started writing. Granted, I have nothing to sign yet, but my publisher, Revell, will... Read Article

It’s official! Here’s the cover for my first novel. If you received my newsletter last week, you may notice Allie’s suit is now red. A Distant Melody will be released by Revell in March 2010 and is now featured on their website at http://www.revellbooks.com Here’s a brief summary of the story: Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie Miller will do anything to gain her approval... Read Article