Frances Schoonmaker's Blog

A Book Becomes a Series Sid Johnson was supposed to be a book about a boy going west on the Santa Fe Trail. Now I’m writing a series. Here’s why. 4 min. read, kid friendly. I have just finished the final draft of the second book. Honestly, I thought I was writing a stand-alone book […]

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Fort Union National Monument stands as a reminder of the cultural clashes that occurred during the westward expansion of the United States. 5 minute read. Kid friendly. A visit to the Monument invites entry into an important part of the history of the Santa Fe Trail. I’m eager to visit as I do research for […]

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Is Halloween too scary? In my neighborhood Halloween is a joyful time. But it may not be so joyful for young children as we like to imagine. 5 min. read. Families in my neighborhood go all out to decorate. On Halloween we welcome the ghosts, ghouls, Dr. Who’s, Saitamas, Elsas, Charlie Browns, witches, and characters […]

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“Sid Johnson and the Phantom Slave Stealer will go down as the best historical novel I have ever read.” Wow! A review like this one means a lot to a writer, even better, it is from Readers’ Favorite, a website that offers reviews by people who enjoy books but make no claim to being professional […]

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Remembering the death of a cat, our cat. How do you deal with the death of a pet? 6-8 minute read. Luna’s obituary did not appear in The New York Times. Nor could you have found it in The Baltimore Sun or even in The Towson Times despite her long residence in the area. She […]

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Anne Hathaway’s Cottage as seen from a garden seat. A walk in Anne Hathaway‘s Cottage gardens got me to thinking of Badger, bees, and re-wilding. The cottage and gardens are kept open by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. My daughter works there and was stationed in the cottage garden the afternoon I visited. The gardens of […]

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Picking Yourself Up After Disappointment and Failure Orchids are thought to represent love, beauty, strength, luxury, elegance, and uniqueness. These orchids brightened my room when I was away from home a few years ago. What if we were defined by our disappointments and failures rather than by our successes? No, seriously. Our successes are cause […]

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Jonathan Walker was an abolitionist known as “The Man With the Branded Hand.” Sid Johnson and the Phantom Slave Stealer, my forthcoming book, owes a debt to the abolitionist for its title. A lot goes into choosing a title for any book. Choosing the title for Sid Johnson’s story was a challenge until I got […]

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You Belong Here, by Baltimore Artist Kacey Stafford Tucked into the basket that I prepared for the Malice Domestic live auction was a Kacey Stafford signed print, “You Belong Here.” The print is a contribution from the Baltimore artist and friend. Kacey’s work reflects her priorities of family, nature, and social responsibility. The Found Studio […]

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All Are Welcome by Baltimore Artist Kacey Stafford Tucked into the basket that I prepared for the Malice Domestic live auction was a Kacey Stafford signed print, “You Belong Here.” The print is a contribution from Kacey, a Baltimore artist. Kacey’s work reflects her priorities of family, nature, and social responsibility. Owner of The Found […]

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