Talya Tate Boerner's Blog

I’ve been thinking about beauty in the decay and decided to jot down my thoughts and share them with you. This is the time of year some flowers begin looking sad, all shriveled up and tired to the roots. Certain perennial varieties, like blooding heart, die back altogether. This is all part of the process. And it isn’t a bad thing.

I’ve recently noticed so many panicked social media posts specifically about coneflowers. Folks are worried their coneflowers have ...

Good morning, friends! Today I’m thinking about the all-important art of piddling. It’s a year-round activity, but NOW is an ideal time to perfect it. Heat has moved into northwest Arkansas and unpacked its suitcase. Our okra and squash are super happy about it. Of course, there’s nothing surprising about swampy afternoons and a few well-placed mosquito bites, after all, we are on the downside of July. But when the humidity is this intense, piddling around in the house or garden may be the only...

Dear Sunday Letter friends~

Whew! It’s been a FULL week. A wonderful, celebratory book launch week. And, surprise-surprise, I have a few thoughts to share.  (And I’m required to tell you that purchases made from included links, will result in a few pennies to me…)

It feels surreal to know the story and characters I love are out in the world now. For the most part, it’s completely out of my control, how the book is received, who takes the time to write and post a review, who t...

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Happy May! Even though we still have seven weeks of spring to enjoy, May always feels like the gateway to summer to me. As a kid I ranked summer—no school!—and winter—Christmas!—at the top of my favorites, but now spring and autumn win out.

Of course, we should all try to appreciate every day no matter the season. These days, they are dwindling for each of us.

How can you not do a little spring dance when the roses are so glorious?

We planted these...

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Today I bring you a Sunday Letter: Rainy Day Edition. Here in Northwest Arkansas, we went from bone dry March to flash flood April. There doesn’t seem to be a balance to anything lately, especially when it comes to the weather.

But here we are. Rain for four straight days. (Maybe five; I’ve lost count.) And, as I write this, it’s 39° with a 70% chance of sleet. Booooooo!

When it’s cold and rainy and I can’t go out to play, I start to go a little stir-crazy after a wh...

During the spring, I am constantly reminded of my love-hate relationship with spiderwort. Bear with me as I try to embrace a more positive attitude about this herbaceous perennial that grows all willy nilly in our flowerbeds. Really, it’s sort of a flowerbed-hog, but I’m trying to tip the scale in favor of love, because who wants to spend so much time living on the hate side?

I sure don’t.

Spiderwort (Tradescantia) does have several good qualities. And today, in the spirit of looking on the bri...

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Good morning and happy spring! I just returned home after a trip to the farm with my mother and sister, and that’s always an adventure. It’s mostly fun, except for the times when it isn’t. Occasionally, we have a broken water pipe, and we are regularly forced to deal with the various critters that have take up residence. But all in all, being able to go back to our childhood home is a special thing.

In many ways, the area has changed dramatically since we left for co...

Hello, Sunday Letter friends!

It has been a crazy busy week with rollercoaster weather! Sunshine. Storms. Gusty winds that blew thick dust in from Oklahoma and sent anything untethered flying. Forty tornadoes swept through eight states on Friday night, including Arkansas. We even saw wildfires!

I hope everyone reading this is okay. I have a feeling we are in for one crazy spring season.

Spring officially arrives in FOUR DAYS! Our shrubs and trees are leafing out, and...

Hello friends! I think it’s time you meet Theo Gruene, the main protagonist of my next book, The Third Act of Theo Gruene. Theo has been occupying a huge portion of my time and mind during the past two years, so it’s only natural I would want you to know him too. AND, at the end of this post I’ve included a link to Chapter One!

You’ll be able to read Chapter One in its entirety, get a real taste for the characters, and decide whether or not it’s something you’ll like. Signed hardback and paperb...

Dear Sunday Letter friends~

Surprise! I’m back. Wow. I can’t believe I’ve not written a Sunday Letter since Christmas. Sometimes when our plates get overloaded, we have to take a step back. That’s what happened to me, and really, it was perfect timing, this stepping back I did. The coldest part of winter is my favorite time to hunker down and regroup. Now, as spring approaches, I can spring forward.

You know, for a while, I couldn’t think of anything worthwhile to say. I’m concerned about our n...