Random Natterings

Cover of One Good Turn by Carla Kelly with a manor house and wide green lawn.

Oh, this writing life….

Confession: I’m not really good at timing sequels. Addendum to confession: Maybethat’s a pity, because sometimes, just sometimes, the sequel is better than the first novel. Anotheradmission: Maybe I had to become a better writer before I could write that better book.So why am I admitting this now? It’s all in that little dicho that’s…

Smiling older man wearing glasses and a collared shirt, sitting indoors.

My Texas Gentleman

Reminisce is a hard word for me to spell, and I’m a really good speller. I was doing some reminiscing recently and somehow that took me back to Erwin Massengale of Beeville, Texas.  In 1961, my dad was stationed at NAS Chase Field in Beeville. It was a place to train pilots. My father’s gig…

A black military shoulder board with gold insignia, stripes, and a button.

My Unlikely Master Dad

You should have known my dad, Casey Baier. The tall, skinny guy from Cody, Wyoming, was no scholar. He made those gentleman Cs through high school but lettered in several sports. Grade-wise, he was a severe trial to his teachers, mainly because his sister Marie, his only sibling, had graduated four years earlier as class…

WWII-themed book cover with American flag and vintage postage stamp.

Thanks for the Memories

I know, I know. I’ve written way too many books to get excited about this next one out of the chute on October 11. But I am excited and can’t wait to get my hands on that book. When We Meet Again represents the first time I have written about midcentury events, World War II…

A cozy bedroom with a wooden bed, beige quilt, and colorful handmade quilts hanging on the teal walls.

Be My Guest

I have a quilt guest room downstairs. The newest edition is the baby quilt on the far right, made by my late sister-in-law, and given to me at a recent Kelly family reunion by my niece/her daughter Terri, who is special to me for a variety of reasons. The quilt on the far left is…

Elderly man smiling beside a river with forest and mountains in the background.

The Old Bison: An Appreciation

A lot of us knew Bob Utley as the Old Bison, probably because of his years poking around the West. Without question, he was the dean of Indian Wars history, trading not in myths and legends, but the facts of American history that pitted the U.S. Army, serving as arm of the federal government, against…