Grieving a pet is a curious thing. One moment, the sorrow hides in the shadows, and the next, the memories scorch your soul like a branding iron. Several months ago, I lost my kitty. His name was Toby. We considered calling him October in honor of my birthday month, or Tobias Maximus Catamus, but settled …
This weekend I’m heading to my sixth writer’s conference! I can’t wait. I love meeting with writers and learning more about the craft. The best part? Meeting up with my online writer friends in person. There’s something to be said about a room full of creative minds coming together in a beautiful symphony of new …
May is Military Appreciation Month! With Memorial Day (May 29), Victory in Europe Day (May 8), and Armed Forces Day (May 20) celebrated in this month, it makes May a perfect month to highlight our nation’s military and the families that support them. My family has a long legacy of military service …
I am so excited to introduce you to my friend and writing mentor Laurel Thomas. Laurel Thomas crafts stories of ordinary characters who achieve the extraordinary. Her book, River’s Call, is an award-winning historical novel based in the deep South. History and the fantastic mesh in her fantasy series, When Stars Brush Earth and Stones …
Conversations with Creatives: Laurel Thomas, Write Your Heart Out! Novelist and Coach Read More »
I’ll admit it. I have a few skeletons in my closet. Some are glossy green, others prickly, and a few even attempted to flower. I’m not proud of the agony I caused them. Especially after I dumped their remains in the yard alongside the others. How many? I’ve stopped counting. I’m not sure where I …
When you think of a waiting room, what image comes to mind? Does it bring to mind something unsettling or something peaceful? A sterile and bland space or a place filled with warmth and hospitality? My knee-jerk response is to imagine a hospital waiting room. A place that is neither warm nor inviting. But what …
It’s that time of year again. The birds are singing, flowers are sprouting up from the earth and the open road is calling my name. This spring break, my family and I embarked on a twenty-two hundred-mile journey through five states. It was a long trip but an enjoyable one. Our first stop included a …
Take a walk with me where the grass is greener, and the green-eyed monster lurks around every corner. Can you imagine a land where everything is a green idiom? Crafting a story compares to going on a new adventure. Who are the heroes? Who are the villains? Where’s the plot twist? It’s true authors are …
I Bought a Planner! I’ve never been one for paper planners, although I used one in school as a kid. Or an agenda, as it was called when you roamed the halls of middle school. At home, with the family, I prefer a big 12×12 calendar on the side of my fridge. Sometimes I throw …
You know the feeling. The feeling you get when you hold a brand new book in your hand. One with no creases or folds. Or when you purchase a new sketchbook? With all those fresh, unblemished pages. What about a stark white canvas longing to feel the brush strokes of color to transform it from …
