Daryl Anderson's Blog

The other day, I found myself thinking of a book I read and loved as a kid–Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif. Although it’s always dangerous to go back to beloved books of childhood, I’ve found myself brooding on the book and my childhood love of it. Like a lot of my reading material, I ... [Read more...]

I admit it–I love puns. I think they’re punny! You know who else loved pun–Shakespeare! Though many of his puns have lost their context, some are still pretty funny. Like this little knee-slapper from Romeo and Juliet. Mercutio: “Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. Romeo: “Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes ... [Read more...]

It’s that time of the rolling year to take a look back at some of the best books I read last year. Most were recently published, but a few are golden oldies that I’ve only just gotten around to reading. And my list isn’t in any particular order. Though I don’t have a problem identifying ... [Read more...]

On Christmas Eve, good little children search the skies for Santa Claus while good little dogs wait for Santa Paws.

Here in Gainesville, Florida, the Winter Solstice begins today at 5:22 pm EST when the North Pole tilts 23.5 degrees away from the sun. This is the longest night of the year, but in that long night of darkness, the world turns again toward the light, which is why cultures past and present have celebrated ... [Read more...]

Unlike Halloween with its ghosts and witches, the Day of the Dead isn’t about fear. Rather, it’s a day to remember our beloveds who no longer share our earthly plane. While remembrance is almost always tinged with  sadness, Dia de Muertos is not a day of mourning, but one of celebration. Though the holiday had ... [Read more...]

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen. Voices whisper in the trees, “Tonight is Halloween! There are two kinds of people in the world–those who love Halloween and those who don’t. Happily, I’m one of the former, a proud and unrepentant lover of ghouls and ghosties and things that go bump in the night. ... [Read more...]

The mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s death is one of the most contentious in literature. Like many people, I grew up believing that Poe’s death was caused by alcohol and drugs since everyone knew he was a drunk and addict. Only he was neither, but that’s another story. Right now, let’s take a look at the ... [Read more...]

I just finished 2nd Draft of Murder in Linden Way! Woohoo! Next stage is editing. As it stands, the manuscript is 100,000 words and I need to cut around 10,000 to make it sing. I’m happy with what I have and the work should go faster now. Or at least that’s the plan!

My current WIP Murder in Linden Grove takes place over the summer of 1966 in Baltimore.  Although not autobiographical, I’ve incorporated many of my own memories into this book, which makes by far, my most personal novel so far. Writing about a time of my own past, has stirred up all sorts of memories, particularly of my ... [Read more...]