The Best Present of All – Presence

Our breath spangled the frosty December evening as we waved goodbye. My dog, Zeke, dropped, exhausted, to his mat in the living room to dream of chasing tennis balls and his best friend, our neighbors' boxer dog, Cinder. We'd spent a good two hours watching the dogs zoom like maniacs across the lawn chasing balls…

Thankfulness – Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for so many things in my life right now. Yes, I have had my share of trouble. This fall was especially tough. But the Bible tells us to give thanks in everything and so I do. Besides, no matter what my troubles, if I have a roof over my head,…

Learning Humility the Hard Way

Matthew 23:12 says, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled..." and boy, did I learn a lesson in humility this past month. God chose to use my point of pride - my writing and my work - to teach me valuable lessons in humility. First, there was the fiasco of my October book release. If you…

The Inspiration Behind I SEE YOU

Novelists draw from many sources for their inspiration. I draw from my childhood growing up on Long Island, New York. The Dalinger Estate, White Oak Hall, features prominently throughout I SEE YOU my new novel. I draw from three estates on Long Island to create the unique setting for much of the mystery in I…

We Have Always Lived in the Castle – a Review of the New Netflix Movie

https://www.amazon.com/We-Have-Always-Lived-Castle-ebook/dp/B004SS1MH0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= The Netflix movie follows the book faithfully for the most part. I loved the book. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is one of Shirley Jackson's masterpieces yet it has never achieved the fame of The Haunting of Hill House or The Lottery, her over-anthologized short story that most school children in America…

New Majek Family Mystery Available SOON

Good news to fans of my first novel, I Believe You - the second book in the Majek Family Mysteries series is now edited and nearly ready for publication! I See You takes place two years after the events in I Believe You. Turquoise Daniels, the family's quirky housekeeper and now property manager, purchases a…

The Choice to Love: A Poem

Dedicated to Annette Hertzler The Choice to Love A poem by Jeanne Grunert Moments, drop by drop Slip through time Nothing brings her back Pinpricks of pain The sight of her bed, of bowl, of leash The silky feel of fur Remembering Stroking her head and praying her into heaven As she exhaled her last…

A Review of the Netflix Original Series “The Indian Detective”

Netflix's The Indian Detective is an odd cross between a serious police drama, a Bollywood romance, and The Office. I loved it. I've been reading reviews online and many critics don't seem to like it all that much. Reviews are lukewarm. That's a shame because anytime you can slide a William Shatner cameo into an…

Watching 9/11 from My Office Windows

I was a young mid-level marketing manager working in New York City on 9/11. I remember sitting at my desk the night before going over the information for my first day of graduate school as rain poured against the eaves of our tiny Long Island apartment. Newlywed, living in about 800 square feet, working in…

My Dog, My Teacher

I'd forgotten the simple truth of dogs: they are our greatest teachers. When you work with a dog, you must learn your own lessons first before you can teach a dog his lessons. Some of you know that after two years of being dog-less since Shadow, my German shepherd's death from cancer, we chose to…