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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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Stepping Back in Time

Yesterday afternoon I was twenty years old, walking the campus of the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater (UWW) during the final exam week. The prior sentence is true—except for one fact. I’m not ...

The Power of a Photograph

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the power of a photograph to evoke emotions, memories, and heal old wounds. It makes sense since I just finished writing the rough draft of my third novel, The ...

Old Friends, Best Friends

I once read a quote that said “old friends are the best friends.” We could argue that either way. But I think the source was trying to say, while we all love making new friends, there is something ...

The Men They Will Become

Life isn’t measured in minutes, but in moments.

One of my fondest memories is the day I became a father—it was a defining moment. A moment when joy, exhilaration, a crying baby, an exhausted mother, ...

The Pen & the Palette

Last year I wrote about “The Lost Art of Letter Writing.”
Today, this newsletter has a new twist.

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As I grow older, I’m finding significant value in mementos—things I’ve had for years—but ...

The Light in My Father's Eyes

This is one of my favorite photos of my father. Why? Is it because of the smile on his face? The joy in that smile? That he is clowning with a relative out of the frame? Or because this is a ...

When There is No Miracle

You’re not supposed to think about these things on your wedding day—especially during the ceremony. But the thought flittered through my mind, anyway. What would I do if I prematurely lost the woman ...

Who is Standing Behind You?

HAPPY NEW YEAR. I hope you enjoyed the holiday, time with your family, and time to rest. I have enjoyed resting and a short hiatus from writing this newsletter. I now look forward to writing more ...