If you’ve read The Hope of Azure Springs, and if you made it to my author’s note, then you know that during the writing of this novel my son Titus was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy. The months surrounding his diagnoses were incredibly challenging months for our family. We were very afraid […]
Writing and Baby Chicks
We hatched baby chicks in an incubator this last month. We were only moderately successful but we all enjoyed the process of rolling the eggs and watching them peck their way out. I always feel so bad for them when they have just their beak out and are chirping but […]
Learning Backwards
We got our four year old a balance bike a few months ago and he flies around on it. It’s the cutest thing and I know from friends that learning to balance and then pedal works so much better than learning to pedal and then learning to balance. I’m wishing […]
Embarrassing Moments
I have several stories from my childhood that my children think are so funny. Listening to them giggle over my mishaps makes me excited to someday work them into a book but for now I’ll share one with you so you can be an insider if it ever pops up […]
One of My Everyday Heroes
My oldest son Garret is almost a teenager. (How is that possible?) He’s a great kid that likes to pick on his little siblings, be outside, and enjoys reading a good book. He’s funny and smart and I think he’s a handsome kid. But someday he’s going to be the […]
Ravioli and Writing
Just the other night I sat on a bar stool in my kitchen as I watched my children and husband make homemade ravioli. I pitched in here and there but mostly I observed. It went something like this. The first batch of dough didn’t turn out right so they laughed […]
Tyler Versus the Raccoon
We have a lazy tom cat that likes to sit on our back porch. He has a cushioned bench that is all his own and the kids feed him pretty much any time they notice his bowl is empty. We all love this cat. He’s the perfect cat in many […]
Greatest Writing Compliment EVER
I must warn you this post is going to be oddly vague and, for that I apologize, but there is no way around it. I am in the middle of a very stressful situation with one of my children. It’s messy and heartbreaking and stressful. For a few days I […]
Vulnerability
A few early copies of The Hope of Azure Springs are beginning to trickle out into the real world. It’s a strange feeling knowing that the words I labored over and lost many hours of sleep trying to get right are now being read by strangers that don’t know me. […]
Behind Every Good Book There is a Sister
My title might not actually be true but in my experience writers need sisters and I am blessed to have multiple sisters. I remember feeling a little sheepish and silly admitting to anyone that I was trying to write a book. In fact I can remember lacing my fingers together […]
A Lasting Bond
Are authors special? Not anymore than anyone else. They are normal people with hopes and fears and joys and heartaches. However, because of their art they are often put in a position of influence. We love certain authors because of the words they created, the stories they shared, the difference […]
Orange Rolls
I have a book that mentions orange rolls. It’s one of those manuscripts that I am still hoping makes it to publication so don’t call me a liar when you see no mention of orange rolls in The Hope of Azure Springs. Be patient. Someday you’ll know what I’m talking […]
Books and Babies
When I had my first baby twelve years ago (how did that happen?) I was so naïve. I’d been around babies enough to know that I loved their little fingers and toes and the way they smelled. I’d changed a diaper here and there, and put a few babies to […]
Good Clean Romance
Romance Writing Why do I write (“clean”) romance (and what even is clean romance)? Here are a few reasons (Once I hit publish button I will probably think of many, many more)- First before I dive into why I love this genre so much let me tell you what I […]
Old Things and Memories
My grandma died recently and since her passing there has been a lot of time spent clearing her house out. That first time we were there after her death it felt so strange, like we were cleaning up the leftovers after a party. Everyone was very respectful but there were […]
More than Just Writing
The deeper I’ve gotten into the writing community the more I’ve realized that authors are regular people with regular interests and plenty of everyday triumphs and problems. Just for fun I thought I’d write up a little about me that goes beyond my love of writing. I’ll keep it to […]
A Thick Slice of Bread…
In The Hope of Azure Springs, Margaret and Em both make bread together at the boarding house. At one point they have a conversation while eating bread. One of the edits my amazing editor suggested was to say “a thick slice of bread with butter.” I loved the change (how […]