Exploring Advent Calendar Books: A Unique Idea

I’m not sure why, but lately, advent calendars have been popping up wherever I look. Growing up, I remember the ones with chocolate. I think my brother and I had to share one. This meant he got the chocolate on the odd days, and I got it on the even days. I’ll be honest, sharingContinue reading “Exploring Advent Calendar Books: A Unique Idea”

Mastering Time: Finding Balance in Life and Writing

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges in anyone’s life is time. It goes by quickly, and as adults, the demands on our time only continue to increase. We have to balance home, family, work, interests, health, friends, and then all the pulls. By pulls, I mean all the things that come up. These are thingsContinue reading “Mastering Time: Finding Balance in Life and Writing”

Embracing the Joys of Publishing: An Author’s Perspective

What are the satisfying moments of publishing? A lot of people ask me if there is a sense of accomplishment in seeing my work in print. I suppose so. Though there are a lot of moments that give me and other authors that sense of ‘well-done’ or ‘good job’. For me, these feelings come whenContinue reading “Embracing the Joys of Publishing: An Author’s Perspective”

1 Novel 30 Days!

If you’ve been a part of the writing world, you’ve probably heard of NaNoWriMo. It’s been around since July 1999. Unfortunately, earlier this year, the organization shut down. So now there are a few new pop-ups in the writing world. Pro Writing Aid is hosting a Novel November and Reedsy is calling theirs a WritingContinue reading “1 Novel 30 Days!”

From Fairy Tales to Urban Fantasy: A Writer’s Journey

When someone asks how long it takes to write a book, I usually say a few years. From concept to finished product, it’s a process! A few years ago, I started playing around with the idea of fairy tale retellings. I’m not a huge fan of fairy tales, more specifically, the passive princess. I didn’tContinue reading “From Fairy Tales to Urban Fantasy: A Writer’s Journey”

Why Every Writer Should Read Save the Cat

As with any profession, professional development is ongoing. For writing, this means continually learning about how to write and exploring existing works in my chosen genre. Since I write fantasy, I read a lot of fantasy. As for improving my writing craft… the supply is endless, but there are a few gems I’ve gleaned fromContinue reading “Why Every Writer Should Read Save the Cat”

The Discipline of Writing

I’ve always been a writer. From my earliest memories, the written word has fascinated me. Like most people, I easily default to the excuse of, ‘life is busy’ when struggling with finding time to write. Over the years, I’ve tried numerous suggestions that have worked for other authors. I have to be honest, none ofContinue reading “The Discipline of Writing”

Coming Soon: A Sneak Peek at a Rapunzel Re-Telling (And some of my methodology)

Fairy tale retellings are popular, and they can go from super dark to a sweet romance. You can find them as an urban fantasy spin-off. (Think of the recent T.V. series Once Upon a Time or Once.) Over the past year or so, I’ve mentioned them a few times in my newsletter or various blogContinue reading “Coming Soon: A Sneak Peek at a Rapunzel Re-Telling (And some of my methodology)”

Self-Publishing VS Traditional Publishing

Over the past few decades, the whole realm of independent publishing, self-publishing, or being an independent author has grown. Not only have independent authors increased, but the whole industry has developed. A number of decades ago, a self-published author would write a memoir or a story. They would pay for a company to typeset, edit,Continue reading “Self-Publishing VS Traditional Publishing”

The Pendulum of Writing

People always tell me I’m good with words. Maybe I am. I don’t know. When I compare myself to other writers, I always admire what they do. And perhaps there are those who compare themselves to me. The comparison game should never be played, at least if we care about our mental health and well-being.Continue reading “The Pendulum of Writing”