This post is the Preface from Conflicting Roots. It explains why and how the novel came to be. The second is a full transcript of a Peace Ceremony which took place at Boston University in April, 1974. It was my attendance at this event that inspired me to learn more about King Philip's War and to, eventually, write a novel with it at the center.

Acts of witchcraft and tricks played on human beings by the Wee Ones often take place in Ireland’s County Clare. Tales are told of timeless leprechauns, clurichauns and shapeshifters who are still encountered in remote spots left untouched by modern times. One such location, not marked on any map, nestles darkly on the damp eastern shore of an unnamed lough near the ruins of Skahard Castle in Stone Forest townland at the edge of the Burren, Ireland’s stoniest place.

When wind wishes wall stones to whisper she coaxes them with gentle breaths. Whisking only gentle stirrings through nitches in limestone flats. Hot, still days you walk Green Road, barely hear such quiet sounds, even with ear to wall, no audible gossip or innuendos just “oohs”, “ahs” and “whooshes”: germs of conversation.

Roy, stone cutter at Irish Natural Stone, visited us in South Waterford during a summer thunderstorm. “The rain drops here are much bigger than back home in Clare,” he said. That made me consider how many different kinds of rain fall in the Burren, where it rains nearly every day.

Kiltackymor House, Boston Road, The Burren My Ireland Between 1993 and 2017 Gere and I had the unique privilege of spending many, many days in Ireland. The first few visits, we traveled as tourists, driving thousands of miles around the island, taking in as much scenery, culture, and history as we could absorb. Then in 2000, we were taken on as partners by a couple who owned a stone cutting business in County Clare. Our office here in the USA was called Irish Limestone, US. O

This photo of eighteen Buddhist monks on Day 96 of their 2300 mile Walk for Peace was shot in southern Virginia yesterday during a winter storm. The image illustrates quite clearly to me the effort and perseverance shown by the group all along the route from Fort Worth, Texas to the final destination, Washington, D.C. At a time when violence and unrest is plaguing our nation, an example of devout people walking… sometimes barefoot… along highways and paved country roads, st

In a Wiccan tradition, 1 February is the day when the Caillech or Hag of winter goes out into the woods to gather her fire wood for the rest of the season. Perchance, the day is inclement and she must stay inside, winter is gone for another year. The U.S. groundhog, taking the place of the European hedgehog, will not venture forth while the hag was about. It knows winter could only be done, if weather is bad and there is no sun.

Gere and me at Giant's Causeway Ireland tales and stories do show up regularly in pieces I write here and sometimes in posts on my Facebook page . I hope you get something out of them. This week, I'd like to tell you why I have become such a Hibernophile. In 1993, when I graduated from Radcliffe Seminars (now Boston Architectural College ) with a Certificate in Landscape Design, it seemed like a good idea to visit Italy and see all of the classic villa gardens that I had st

For the last few months I have been sharing links to articles about King Philip’s War published by Bristol Historical and Preservation Society in Rhode Island. The horrendous conflict between European colonists and Native American nations (1675-76) in southern New England serves as the foundation of my historical novel Conflicting Roots (Maine Authors Publishing, 2025). While this short essay covers details of a genocidal attack on Narragansett natives a few miles west of

Dear readers, followers, friends and family members, you have helped to turn a tough personal trip around the sun into a successful professional year. You have purchased more titles from me than during any year since I entered this retirement career in 2016. Many of you have personally given me feedback: encouragement to continue.