TRAVELS

Here are photos of some of my travels. Click each photo to view larger. I hope you enjoy!

I attended the Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association Conference in Chicago in 2023. Any excuse for travel!

East Tennessee Vacation Home July 2023

I’ve been back in Tennessee again for a late July vacay and updates. Some of the family took a ride down the river in kayaks and tubes but I didn’t do it this year. I visited graves with my sister and granddaughter and some sweet cousins who know more of our history than we do. As we explored there I felt warm approval from our deceased mothers who would approve of us looking up her grandmother, great-grandmother, and great, great grandmothers. Some of these strong women have inspired the character of Lovey in my novels. She is really based on a fictional version of my grandmother, Lonely Olia Lephew Epperson Hopkins Williams, who is buried in Alamance County NC so I visited her when I came home. My granddaughter, Rachel endured the graveyard tour as well. She is such a good sport. My husband, Tony only enjoyed his birthday cake from my sister, Gloria. He alway gets the largest chunk and also finished it before nightfall.

Rachel Tomaro, my youngest granddaughter went along for the ride!

The view of my favorite place to visit.

This grave is the resting place for my maternal grandmother Olia, who inspired the fictional Lovely Olia Lephew in the Clinch Mountain Series of books. She is buried in North Carolina where she resettled and lived out her life, leaving her family behind.

And finally, this is my good old country boy husband of 40 years, enjoying his birthday cake in the woods with the biggest smile we’ve seen him share in quite a while. Is it just the cake or all of the wonderful family he had around him on this birthday?

East Tennessee on Raven Ridge (Heaven) in May 2023

And when not traveling – I’m busy in my little office space.

Oriental, NC with my sisters to see the Southern Living home of 2023

Ireland and Scotland 2022 – So excited to travel again!

East Tennessee 2021

I’ve visited my camp site in Tennessee several times so far this year and have enjoyed the quiet, the solitude, and the adventures with relatives.

Italy

January 29, 2020 – February 3, 2020

I’m so happy I was able to go to Italy for this trip to Rome and we were so fortunate about the timing. Now it is totally closed down due to the coronavirus. And our home is slowly being closed too. I’ve been practicing social distancing for over a week now. When will it end? Nobody really knows though we stay glued to the tv to try to find out.