{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1","title":"Leslie Bratspis, Author","home_page_url":"https://lesliebratspis.com","description":"Leslie Bratspis, Author","author":{"name":"Leslie Bratspis, Author"},"items":[{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/writing-and-researching","html_content":"

Writing requires more than creativity. It also needs research to be accurate. I always do extensive research when writing about a topic I know little or nothing about. One day recently, by chance I came upon an email exc...

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/writing-and-researching","title":"WRITING AND RESEARCHING","summary":"Writing requires more than creativity. It also needs research to be accurate. I always do extensive research when writing about a topic I know little or nothing about. One day recently, by chance I came upon an email exc...","date_modified":"2023-11-04T00:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/ptsd-and-veteran-suicide-is-why-i-wrote-vanilla-grass","html_content":"

My former husband was twice deployed to Vietnam. I have memories of how changed he was when he returned. He looked the same, but looks can be deceiving. I had no idea what was going on inside his mind. While he was overs...

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/ptsd-and-veteran-suicide-is-why-i-wrote-vanilla-grass","title":"PTSD AND VETERAN SUICIDE IS WHY I WROTE VANILLA GRASS","summary":"My former husband was twice deployed to Vietnam. I have memories of how changed he was when he returned. He looked the same, but looks can be deceiving. I had no idea what was going on inside his mind. While he was overs...","date_modified":"2023-10-23T19:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/first-prize-winner","html_content":"

I am thrilled to announce WHITE DUNES won first prize in the 2021 Firebird Book Award for Cross Genre Fiction.

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/first-prize-winner","title":"FIRST PRIZE WINNER!","summary":"I am thrilled to announce WHITE DUNES won first prize in the 2021 Firebird Book Award for Cross Genre Fiction. ","date_modified":"2022-01-31T23:06:15Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/bird-song","html_content":"

“Kill two birds with one stone.”

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/bird-song","title":"BIRD SONG","summary":"“Kill two birds with one stone.”","date_modified":"2021-04-16T16:42:20Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/dogs-help-veterans-and-civilians-with-ptsd","html_content":"

Numerous studies show that dogs lower stress levels and calm people.

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/dogs-help-veterans-and-civilians-with-ptsd","title":"DOGS HELP VETERANS AND CIVILIANS WITH PTSD","summary":"Numerous studies show that dogs lower stress levels and calm people.","date_modified":"2017-03-07T17:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/female-sleuths-1","html_content":"

As a preteen, I had the whole collection of Nancy Drew books. I'd settle in with one of her mysteries and read for hours, fascinated by the way a young girl about my age pieced clues together. That's why I featured femal...

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/female-sleuths-1","title":"FEMALE SLEUTHS","summary":"As a preteen, I had the whole collection of Nancy Drew books. I'd settle in with one of her mysteries and read for hours, fascinated by the way a young girl about my age pieced clues together. That's why I featured femal...","date_modified":"2017-03-05T22:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/what-made-it-all-worthwhile","html_content":"

I was somewhat apprehensive about my VANILLA GRASS author event at Barnes and Noble in Silverdale, WA. Barnes and Noble! I took a deep breath and walked inside. I was thrilled to see my picture on the poster with my boo...

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/what-made-it-all-worthwhile","title":"WHAT MADE IT ALL WORTHWHILE","summary":" I was somewhat apprehensive about my VANILLA GRASS author event at Barnes and Noble in Silverdale, WA. Barnes and Noble! I took a deep breath and walked inside. I was thrilled to see my picture on the poster with my boo...","date_modified":"2015-08-27T23:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/accounts-of-post-traumatic-stress-date-back-1000s-of-years","html_content":"

The news reports stories of returning combatants from Iraq and Afghanistan with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but did you know the first written accounts of battle trauma date back thousands of years? The writte...

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/accounts-of-post-traumatic-stress-date-back-1000s-of-years","title":"ACCOUNTS OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DATE BACK 1000s OF YEARS","summary":"The news reports stories of returning combatants from Iraq and Afghanistan with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but did you know the first written accounts of battle trauma date back thousands of years? The writte...","date_modified":"2015-05-04T23:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/my-epiphany-while-making-vegetable-soup---spoiler-alert","html_content":"

What triggers the mind fascinates me. Yesterday, while chopping vegetables for a pot of homemade soup, my mind wandered to writing—something it often does—and I found myself thinking about two main characters in my novel...

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/my-epiphany-while-making-vegetable-soup---spoiler-alert","title":"MY EPIPHANY WHILE MAKING VEGETABLE SOUP - SPOILER ALERT!!!","summary":"What triggers the mind fascinates me. Yesterday, while chopping vegetables for a pot of homemade soup, my mind wandered to writing—something it often does—and I found myself thinking about two main characters in my novel...","date_modified":"2015-02-22T00:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/an-american-and-chinese-thanksgiving","html_content":"

It’s almost Thanksgiving. Time to eat too much turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes with gravy, and pumpkin pie. We celebrate with family and friends and pay homage to the pilgrims who made it through the first harsh...

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/an-american-and-chinese-thanksgiving","title":"AN AMERICAN AND CHINESE THANKSGIVING","summary":"It’s almost Thanksgiving. Time to eat too much turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes with gravy, and pumpkin pie. We celebrate with family and friends and pay homage to the pilgrims who made it through the first harsh...","date_modified":"2013-11-17T00:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/can-you-spare-some-change","html_content":"

No, I don’t want your money! But can you spare some time to reflect and look at what’s going on in your life that needs to change and then do whatever it takes to make that happen?

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/can-you-spare-some-change","title":"CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE?","summary":"No, I don’t want your money! But can you spare some time to reflect and look at what’s going on in your life that needs to change and then do whatever it takes to make that happen? ","date_modified":"2012-06-15T23:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/spontaneous-generation-or","html_content":"

I was recently given advice in relation to blogging about Good Fortune. “Select a character and explain why readers should get to know him or her. Tie the character into a historical context, current events, a trend or a...

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/spontaneous-generation-or","title":"SPONTANEOUS GENERATION OR...?","summary":"I was recently given advice in relation to blogging about Good Fortune. “Select a character and explain why readers should get to know him or her. Tie the character into a historical context, current events, a trend or a...","date_modified":"2012-03-04T00:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/kindness-outlasts-suffering-tong%E2%80%99s-compassionate-nature","html_content":"

Hello, and welcome to my website! I hope you will enjoy what you find here. What you are reading is my first blog, and I’m excited to share some thoughts about my first novel, GOOD FORTUNE. Since Tong is my favorite char...

","url":"https://lesliebratspis.com/blog/f/kindness-outlasts-suffering-tong%E2%80%99s-compassionate-nature","title":"KINDNESS OUTLASTS SUFFERING: TONG’S COMPASSIONATE NATURE","summary":"Hello, and welcome to my website! I hope you will enjoy what you find here. What you are reading is my first blog, and I’m excited to share some thoughts about my first novel, GOOD FORTUNE. Since Tong is my favorite char...","date_modified":"2011-10-02T22:00:00Z"}]}