They called her the Hellfire Witch of St. Louis. They said she had the Evil Eye and accused her of murder. Only she knew what was really happening…
“In the Sleep of Death”
KimberlyVanGinkel.com
Erwin Schrödinger, Cat Killer
Schrodinger was a sick puppy. If you really look at his experiment, it's very disturbing. In fact, if you stop to look at it in detail, you'll find a number of things that the common public gets wrong about it. 1. That cat's gonna die. There's no getting around it, the cat is going to... Continue Reading →
The Pyromania of Writer’s Block
Watching this one writer struggle with his great idea taught me about overcoming writer's block.
The Bunny and the Over-Imaginative Child
There's a reason I stopped taking my kids to see the Easter Bunny.
Responding as a nation
I've never written before about the shooting at my child's school, but I need to say this ...
The World’s Smartest Tree?
What's the smartest tree on Earth? I think I have the answer ...
That Pioneer Spirit
The number of skills you had to master to be a pioneer in the American West staggers me.
Thanks for Giving Me Thanksgiving
It wasn't until my great-grandmother died that I finally understood my mother's love for Thanksgiving.
The Inexperienced Tourist
The summer I turned 16, I hopped a plane to NYC. I'd not only never traveled alone before, I'd never even been in an airport ...
The Rose Code
By Kate Quinn Halfway through this, I knew it was destined to be one of my favorite books. Even though I've read countless books about code breaking and cracking the Enigma, I learned much more through this book about the varied efforts of Bletchley Park. I can't recall a story where deciphering codes carried so... Continue Reading →
“His Ragged Company”
"His Ragged Company" - a Weird West story with a modern sense of humor. Read the review here.
Hillbilly Surprise
Let me tell you all a story about a man named Jed. ... But I'll tell you, the ending isn't what I expected.
Author Interview (geek version)
This was fun! I was interviewed by AllAuthor.com and got to talk about my childhood, my geeky computer habits, and more. https://allauthor.com/interview/vanginkel/
“You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey”
This memoir is hilarious, infuriating, and shocking. You've got to read it.
Podcast – WV unCommoN PlaCE
Catch my author interview for a look at the highs and lows of writing and publishing, plus the people who inspired me.
“Last Letters” Podcast
My sister, Brenda, was featured on the podcast "Last Letters," episode "Unconditional Love." I'm so proud of her!
Casting Shadows
Book review - Casting Shadows by @grimwoodworld #paranormal #romance #historical
Virtual Reading – Tirza’s Bookstore
Join me Wednesday June 16, at 4 pm CST for a live reading of my novel.
The Uncle, the Bomb, and the Beer Hall
My uncle nearly died in a bomb explosion during WWII. What's odd about that is that he was in Iowa at the time.
A girl named Jane
Kindergarten wouldn't have been so scary if I'd gotten the answer right to this one simple question ...
When Your Characters Don’t Speak Your Language
I assumed I could get away with writing my villain's speech based on what I THOUGHT German people sounded like in the movies. I was wrong.
Creating a Social Media Influencer
How we created our company's web series for $12.
9 Rules for Writing Time Travel
9 story-building tips for writing time travel stories
Grieving My Mom, Plus a Boat Race
I lost my mother very suddenly this summer to cancer. I've been reeling from that all year and I thought I'd run the gamut of emotions already ...
Book review: Spinning Silver
Have you ever finished a novel and immediately wanted to re-read it so you can see each character in a new light?
What’s on YouTube tonight?
Ready to binge on fun, free television? Try these YouTube channels.
My Query Letter Breakthrough
I think every unpublished author is seeking the magic formula to a winning query letter. I discovered mine by accident ...
Uninvited Funeral Guest
Then there was the time I party-crashed a funeral ...
Football’s Next Golden Idea
I found the next golden idea for football ... in the pages of a 1979 Sports Illustrated.
Surviving Panic Attacks in IT
It was a nightmare. Sheer panic. So I made myself a promise ...
Coldplay vs Bill and Ted
Coldplay makes me sick. Literally. Instant, uncontrollable nausea. I have a theory ...
Grandma’s Cookie Factory
My grandma baked holiday cookies by the GROSS, but still made each one special.
The Old Alma Mater
Ready to choose your college? Read below for pros & cons of Private College.
But I’m a Big Fish!
Ready to choose your college? Read below for pros & cons of Universities
Community College as a First Choice
Ready to choose your college? Read below for pros & cons of Community College
Two Sermons
In all of my years of attending church, there are two sermons that always stayed with me, and both were given by my father. Dad wasn't your usual minister. Though he was well-versed in the Bible, he rarely quoted scripture and never used it to win an argument. He never tried to convert anybody. In... Continue Reading →
The Two-by-Four Argument
I'm guessing my nephew is the only child who ever intentionally gave himself a speech impediment to win an argument.
Fantasy series you’ve probably missed
BBC America recently made a t.v. series out of "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency." Though most people my age have heard of Douglas Adams's more popular "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," it surprises me how few people know Dirk Gently. Maybe I shouldn't call it a series, since there were only 2 books and... Continue Reading →
Grandpa’s Navigation
When I was little, I thought my grandpa had installed an advanced navigational system in his car. This was crazy, as it was the 70's. Not only did we not have computers, we didn't even have LED screens. Heck, even the radio was a twist-dial that only got AM! Nevertheless, when GPS was developed a... Continue Reading →
Walk of Fame
I took a deep breath, thinking "I hope no one noticed." Yeah, right.My entire office witnessed ...
Heads You Lose
This recommendation is for my writer friends, particularly anyone considering collaborating on a novel. "Heads You Lose" by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward is one of those 'experiment' books that are increasingly common in the mystery genre. Each author alternates chapters so you get both male & female writing styles. For this book, they opted... Continue Reading →
The Art of Crash Landing
A new entry in my “Books I Can’t Stop Talking About” Series: The Art of Crash Landing, by Melissa DeCarlo. The hero, Mattie Wallace, is mean, selfish, foul-mouthed, utterly lacking in morals ... and impossible not to love. Broke and homeless, recently single and unexpectedly pregnant, she winds up in her mother's hometown. It's a... Continue Reading →
Battle for Birdland
Trivia question: Name the town on American soil that the Japanese occupied for almost a year during World War II.
Trying to Stay Asleep
I've never shared this with anyone, but when I was very young I had some strange, intense, and oddly complicated dreams. I still remember most of them, but one from when I was 4 stands out as by far the most trippy. It started with me "waking up" in a different universe. Everyone around me... Continue Reading →
Harmonizing Nazi Cannibals
For some reason, I always thought the Von Trapps were part of the Donner Party. I'd never watched The Sound of Music, so I had no idea those children were the Von Trapps. I also, inexplicably, thought the musical was about a happy-go-lucky German family during WWII. Rest assured, my family is never going to... Continue Reading →
The Cats Are Bored
A new entry in my "Books I Can't Stop Talking About" Series: Summertime, All the Cats Are Bored by Philippe Georget (translated by Steven Rendall) It's rare to find a book translated to English that plays so lightly with the language. Seriously, I'm so crazy about the writing style here that I want to chase... Continue Reading →
Kimberly Van Ginkel 