We took the train to Paisley. It's about an hour ride from Ayr. The two-way trip costs about $21 USD. Paisley is home to another University of West Scotland campus. A much larger campus, it is located about a 10-minute walk from the train[..]
We are starting out our New Year with one less family member. It was not a death that claimed him. Not a death in the typical sense at any rate, though, if I am completely honest, there have been moments when I think that[..]
I woke to dreams of the Afghan people fleeing. I called my friend Xuan the other day. She's a refugee of the Vietnam War. She began weeping as soon as I asked, "How are you?" It's been a difficult couple of weeks for those who've[..]
I have long been a fan of Sue Monk Kidd ever since I read The Secret Life of Bees. Did you read it? Some years ago I was at a book event in Charleston. I think it may have even been at The Citadel, along[..]
What You are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte is the book I have been telling everyone that they should read. It's short and well-written. It will make you rethink and think again about the role of media in political campaigns. I have taken[..]
Marjorie Dannenfelser has promised to corral her lobbying resources and funnel $41 million into getting Donald Trump re-elected and putting pro-life legislators into office. And make no mistake, there is no low for her when it comes to picking a candidate who will vote the[..]
I've watched some of the interviews Omarosa has conducted to promote her book - Unhinged. I don't know the lady. I only know the "role" she has played in various "reality" shows. I am not a fan of reality TV, have never once watched Big[..]
It has barely been a week since Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became a household name after defeating long-time incumbent Senator Joe Crowley, Democratic Caucus Chair, for New York's 14th Congressional District. Prior to that defeat, few people outside the Bronx had heard of this 28-year old intellect.[..]
Maybe it's because I belong to the club now that I notice these things. A club I am thrilled to be a member of, mind you. It took longer than I imagined and the path wasn't always easy but I'm thrilled whenever the boys run[..]
Author/Journalist Karen Spears Zacharias is a Gold Star daughter and an alumna of Oregon State University, Shepherd University and University of West Scotland.
Karen's work has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, National Public Radio, and Good Morning America.
Her debut novel, Mother of Rain (Mercer University Press), received the Weatherford Award for Best in Appalachian Fiction from Berea College and was adapted for the stage by Georgia's Historic State Theater, The Springer. In 2018, Karen was named Appalachian Heritage Writer by Shepherd University, and Mother of Rain was chosen as the One Book One West Virginia Read.
Her first true crime book A Silence of Mockingbirds was chosen by the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the One City Read.
The Murder Gene is her second true crime work.
Karen and her husband, Tim, make their home in Deschutes County, Oregon.
For more information on Karen and her books, click here