Blog

Don Tyree-Francis
3/15/24

The "Work" is the Reward

 

Don leans over the open hood of a car in his garage. It won’t start. Hasn’t moved in a year. But it will. In fact, when he is done with it, it may reach over 200 mph. After all, it has in the past. ...

Recapture your Sense of Wonder 50%
2/25/24

Recapture Your Sense of "Wonder"

 

Perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher, essayist, and poet said it best, “The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.” I witnessed this last week as my grandkids ...

Young Children
1/19/24

The Clock You Never Hear Ticking

 

Ever notice this strange phenomenon? We seem to be able to control the speed of time. Watch the clock, and time slows down. Ignore it, and time flies.

When I retired, I could no longer hear the ...

TDBU Resized Cover
12/23/23

Why I Wrote The Desert Between Us and Why You May ...

 

GOOD NEWS. The Desert Between Us is available for PRE-ORDER now. If you would like to order a copy or learn more about the plot line, click this link:

https://www.endgamepress.com/store/p ...

Christmas
12/8/23

The Message Behind the Gift

 

This year I completed my third novel, THE CHRISTMAS PHOTOGRAPH. It speaks of the best and worst Christmas of the main character's life. The tragic thing is, his best and worst Christmas occurred on ...

Semifinalist art--2023
11/21/23

Writing for the Soul

 

Two days ago was National Author's Day. It got me thinking about why I write. Jerry B. Jenkins, author of the Left Behind series said, "Whatever else the writing life offers, nothing compares with ...

Woods by YMCA
11/21/23

Adopt the Pace of Nature

 

For years now, I’ve been writing this newsletter, PAUSE MORE. RUSH LESS. And for good reason, I’ve been trying to slow my life down, and if I’m honest, yours too, so we don’t miss life’s most ...

Father and son fishing in Jamestown subdivision
8/18/23

Observing Magical Moments

 

Magical moments. They’re all around us. The question is, do we notice them? What is a magical moment? To me, they are those ordinary moments we live in the present—but grow sweeter with time. We ...

Camera Collection
7/14/23

Excerpt #1 -- The Christmas Photograph

 

In my last newsletter, I gave you an update on my third novel, a novella called The Christmas Photograph. I wanted to share a brief excerpt with you now.

The Christmas Photograph is a 40,000-word ...

Christmas Light Post
6/28/23

Project Update: The Christmas Photograph

 

For the past few weeks, I’ve taken a short sabbatical from writing PAUSE MORE. RUSH LESS. I’ve enjoyed some vacation time with my family and finished the second self-edit of The Christmas Photograph ...

Farm
5/26/23

Echoes from the Past

 

I thought I heard my father’s voice the other day. I wasn’t dreaming. “Jim, get on the stick,” he said. It was his voice. His tone. His cadence. He used this phrase throughout his life with his six ...

Mom and Date Engagement Photo
5/15/23

Finding Light in the Darkness

 

Photo above: My parents, James and Rosemary Magruder, the day my father proposed to her. The look on her face says it all.

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Several years ago, I was reflecting on the passing of my mother when I ...