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 complement 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. […]
Attention All Book Clubs
I LOVE book clubs. I’ve been in a few different ones over the years and not only did we enjoy talking about books but there was usually good food and great company. While my husband was working on his doctorate a group of the wives formed a book club. We’d […]
Subscribe Here!
I’m so excited to be putting together my first newsletter and I’d love it if you’d subscribe! As an added bonus, everyone who subscribes to my list gets my free mini-book The 6 Love Languages of Writing which I had fun writing. It gives a bit of insight not only […]
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 […]
What in the World is Beta Reading?
I am so excited to welcome Kailee Diaz to my blog today. Though we have never met in person I consider her a friend. We both love babies and books. I think that makes us kindred spirits. She was good enough to read a manuscript I am working on and […]
Stepping into the Waters of Book Marketing
I don’t pretend to be an expert at anything bookish. In fact I’m learning as I go. Recently promotion for my debut has begun. I check my email every morning to see if there is anything from Revell’s fabulous marketing or publicity people. It’s kind of like checking to see […]
Restless Writer Syndrome
About: Very common among writers, particularly among those that are anxiously awaiting publication. Chronic: Can last for months or a lifetime (I hope not) Diagnosis: A friend or spouse will likely notice how often your train of thought wanders to bookish things. They’ll hear you counting down until release day […]
The Making of a Cover
Covers are so important. The way they look — the way they make us feel — can attract us to a new book. They can be the deciding factor in a sale. When we read a book we often refer back to the cover to get a sense of setting […]
Big News!
The Hope of Azure Springs was a one book deal. I didn’t expect more than that so I was nothing but excited. My editor and I got to work polishing it up and things went along like scheduled. Then we got talking about other books and ideas and she decided […]
Yoda-esque
I worry that sometimes people hear the beginning (because there’s still more to come) of my writing journey and think that I never met any discouragement along the way. While that would have been lovely, it is simply not true. Though I did not walk the unpublished road for a […]
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 […]
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 […]