A writer and editor in the Pacific Northwest.
Blog sitting for A.E. LaSage, September 8, 2011 If Ketchikan were subtropical, the weatherperson on the tellie with perfect hair and teeth would report a storm and give it the respect of a name: Hurricane Melba . But in Ketchikan, 55°21’N of the equator, our storms get no such respect. That’s okay though; we have … More How Ketchikan’s Weather Makes Us Pretty
A part of you wants to be a beautiful young heroine, even at forty-something. But there is a reality that intrudes: your graying hair. The hair of the heroine is always sunset red, or raven, or golden. Never silver. As we navigate our daily lives, many women over forty wrestle with the reality of a … More Is Silver Hair the New Red?
By Valerie Hendel, copywriter for On-Hold Concepts I pass a cleaners everyday on my way home from work and am baffled by their dirty awnings with the dingy white lettering. The e is missing. The intent of the sign is to advertise that the establishment is a place one goes to get clean laundry. The … More Your Customers’ On-Hold and Phone Experience: Is your company really customer-friendly?
By Valerie Hendel THE PITCH … If you are interested in selling something—your business, service, idea, book, etc.—you’re likely familiar with the pitch. The pitch, in short, is your message packaged neatly and concisely and pitched to your listener. They are the precious seconds in the elevator when a writer tells an agent about a … More Selling Something? Know your Pitch
(Excerpt) She became ours one awful night. But we had seen Her before. My sister Sara and I were out looking for our dog who liked to wander the neighborhood or chase gulls on the beach. We found him down the street at Mr. and Mrs. Vandermeers’ old house. The Vandemeers had moved a while … More The Blue Door
Valerie Hendel 